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The need for a national health care program is one of the most urgent dilemmas this country faces today. Medical costs are at an all-time high and there are fewer people who have insurance coverage. The lack of insurance coverage leads to higher prices since there are not a lot of people who can afford to pay the extremely high costs of good medical treatment and care.
More and more companies are finding ways to get around providing health insurance for their employees. Some companies use employees from a third party agency because it is cheaper to pay the agency fees than it is to provide benefits. This usually results in a less desirable work environment and lower quality products. A national medical care system which allowed everybody to have insurance coverage could help stabilize the medical care economy.
Other countries have national medical care systems in place and seem to handle the situation quite well. The United States is a country with sky-rocketing health care costs with seemingly no end in sight. Having available and affordable health care costs could greatly improve the economy of the entire nation.
Funding National Health Care
There are a number of ways that national medical care could be funded. One way is for the government to pay the cost by adding additional taxes to cover the premium. The tax would have to be a tax that was fair and everybody had to pay. Employers could withhold this tax from the employee paycheck but this would not get the entire population. It could be an employment incentive if the employer offered to pay a portion of the premium for as long as the employment lasts.
The government could also work with insurance companies to allow these companies to offer medical benefits on a national or state level. Currently insurance companies charge a higher premium if the health care insurance is being purchased individually. They lower their premium costs if larger companies purchase medical care insurance from them in bulk. If these companies had to compete on a national level the costs could possibly be less due to the increase in numbers.
European countries have proven that a national medical system can work. Some of these countries offer a mix of funding options while other countries rely solely on tax revenue for the costs. In countries where national heath care systems are in place there is evidence of less medical inflation and more quality medical care for everyone. Life expectancy is extended for those who are living at the poverty level due to the fact they can receive quality health services regardless of their income level. A national health care system would prove to be beneficial to everyone.