by Carol Levy

Created on: October 06, 2009   Last Updated: October 09, 2009

'Socialized medicine' is not something that is considered as an option in the health care insurance reform attempted by this administration. In fact, when President Obama spoke in an online townhall meeting he said, "I actually want a universal health care system; that is our goal." adding, a "universal health care system" does not have to be a "single-payer system" like England or Canada has." He has explicitly rejected getting rid of the current employer-provided private health insurance system: "I don't think the best way to fix our health care system is to suddenly completely scrap what everybody is accustomed to and the vast majority of people already have. Rather, what I think we should do is to build on the system that we have and fill some of these gaps." (1)

In Canada or the UK 'socialized" health care is delivered by private business with partial or total government funding. In the US Medicare and Medicaid fall under this definition.

As someone who has received medical care under both Medicaid and Medicare, these both allow patients access to a wide array of services, including specialists. Personally, and globally, the system is a success. If you call that 'socialized' they are examples for 'socialized medicine'. (This is opposed to the VA which has worked to upgrade its system and the care the veterans receive.). (Would we also called the public libraries and public schools socialized? And would they do better if totally privatized as is the US health care system?)

In the US the 'public option' would not be what we would call 'socialized medicine' using the Canadian or UK example. Private insurance companies would not receive government funding.

In talking with someone who lives in the UK, socialized medicine was almost a death sentence for her. Although she had what can be a life ending disorder - a brain aneurysm, she had to wait a year before she could get to the front of the line for surgery; only to be moved back again when someone with a more debilitating aneurysm took her place. My friend ultimately had her operation, but only after she was disabled because the aneurysm leaked.

Her story alone, though strictly anecdotal, is a major blow to those touting socialized medicine as the way a country should go. But the US is not going there.

Health economist Uwe Reinhardt has said, "strictly speaking, the term 'socialized medicine' should be reserved for health systems in which the government operates the production of health care and provides its financing". Still others say the term has no meaning at all.(2)

Whether you agree with Mr. Reinhardt or 'others,' despite the aforementioned success of Medicare and Medicaid, there is a definite case to be made against socialized medicine when applied to a country as a whole.

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1. http://mediamatters.org/research/200904300041

2.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialized_medicine

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