Canada demonstrates the failure of socialized medicine. Socialized medicine is a system in which the government dictates what medical care will be provided to citizens, including setting prices and regulating the entire health industry. It is a form of universal health care coverage, where everyone is entitled to basic medical care at reduced rates. Proponents of socialized medicine state that through its cost reduction, it could make extensive medical treatment available to everybody. Critics rightly point to a reduction in the quality and availability of health care that results from a one-size fits all approach.
First, the quality of care will be reduced under socialized medicine. Since the government sets prices, the costs of services become artificially inflated, meaning the providers are paid less than what the market would normally dictate. To compensate for this, providers are pressured to perform more treatments in a shorter period of time, leading to a decrease in the quality of care and an increase in medical mistakes. This can lead to adverse outcomes for the patient, such as more expensive and difficult treatments down the line.
Second, socialized medicine can lead to a decrease in the availability of care. With the fixed prices, some providers may no longer be able to afford to operate, leading to a shortage healthcare professionals available to treat patients. The increased costs of running a practice and the decreased compensations for their services may further discourage medical professionals from taking on additional patient load, resulting in long waiting times as demand for services outstrips the supply.
Finally, the system of socialized medicine can be broken simply by the fact that the government has become too involved in the health care process. The government has no medical or business expertise and could be prone to mistakes in the application of policies affecting the health care system. Since the government ultimately decides what treatment is necessary and the price of it, the quality of medical care could be decreased further if mistakes are made.
In conclusion, through extensive government involvement, socialized medicine reduces the quality and availability of health care. This failure of socialized medicine is a result of artificially-inflated prices, increased pressure on providers to perform more treatments, a decrease in the supply of providers, and an increase in government errors in allocating resources to the healthcare system. Socialized medicine is an idea that seems sensible from an economic perspective, but its effects on the quality and availability of care could be devastating.
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