America has the NHS but it's far from universal

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2022-05-15 09:30:03

And it is very controversial. "Universal health care" is a commonly proposed solution to these problems. Looking to Europe for inspiration, the NHS is a perfect example (yes, I know the UK is not technically “part of Europe” anymore). Why can’t we have a universal health care system like the NHS?

Universal health care is a noble goal. I think 99% of citizens would agree that making more healthcare available to more people is a good thing. It is a good thing, unless of course it comes at a cost to someone. And since healthcare is produced by other humans, it always comes at the cost of labor from a doctor, nurse or other healthcare practitioner. This is a pie that is hard to grow in a positive-sum way. Especially when you consider the demand for healthcare is inelastic because nobody wants to die. But unfortunately, it is a slippery slope to demand entitlement to something requiring effort and labor from other people.

What if I told you the US does have massive social health programs: Medicaid and Medicare. Medicare is for old people and Medicaid is for poor people.