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No, the government should not pay for all medical care for every person in a nation. They certainly should ensure that everybody has access to essential and good quality health care - and that nobody is excluded due to their personal circumstances. However, there are many people who are able to contribute significantly to their own medical costs - and as such, they should be taking at least a certain degree of responsibility for it.

Without the majority of people in a society bearing a reasonable portion of their health expenses, the system cannot work long-term and ultimately nobody's best interests will be served. Most particularly, those who are most vulnerable of all will suffer. Of course, that is also the case when the government does not take enough responsibility for the health care of its citizens - and even ignores them altogether when they are in dire need. So there should be a balance, with those who are able to afford private health insurance being required to cover themselves up to a point.

Here in Australia we have had a Medicare system in place for many years now. Its goal is to provide good quality basic health care for every citizen. This means that everybody has access to public hospital care without having to meet any expenses from their own health insurance. It also means that every citizen is subsidized for the cost of consultations with a general practitioner or specialist. Some other health care is included as well. Some examples are: consultations with an optometrist; tests and examinations required by doctors in their treatment of an illness (including x-rays and pathology tests); and most surgical and other therapeutic procedures performed by doctors outside of the hospital system. Many pharmaceutical prescriptions are also subsidized by the government's Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.

All of this applies to the general population. For those who are on very limited incomes - such as those on pensions of various kinds - there are other health expenses met by Medicare as well. These services are not covered for others. They include ambulance services, dental examinations and treatment, home nursing and provision of basic glasses, hearing aids, etc. To receive these extra benefits a person must qualify for a Health Care Card, according to their income status and other criteria.

There is also extra subsidization of families and individuals who are in a position where they have to spend an excessive amount

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