The perception that drugs are cheaper in a nationalized health plan is a bit skewed. This is because in Canada, the low pricing of drugs is achieved through price controls. The Canadian residents have been subjected to having to wait for a long time before they can access health care even when it is urgent. Thus as a result of the long waiting lists, many Canadians are actually opting to access medical treatment under the American health care plan without obtaining any financial support from the government.
The concept of a state funded health care system sounds great until one discovers that the average Canadian family remits almost half of its income as taxes every year and that most of it is actually remitted to their health system. In the yearc2005, it was approximated that Ontario province citizens were remitting 40% of their taxed income to their health care system and it was projected that by the year 2035, this figure will have reached 85%. The greatest pitfall of the socialized health system is that of having to wait a very long time for urgent treatment to such an extent that people suffer greatly and some have actually died.
Thus instead of promoting better access to health care, the socialized health plan actually limits people from accessing health care when they need it (Himelfarb). The American health care system is driven by need for profit and the insurance providers compete for the individuals to access their medical coverage. While it has its shortcomings, the fact remains that it is much more dependable than the socialized health care plan with its rationing and long lists and at times, outright denial of health care. It is far much better to have higher quality private health care than inaccessible free healthcare.
Works cited Economic expert.com. Medicare (Canada). 4. 5. 2009 <http://www. economicexpert. com/a/Medicare:Canada. htm> Healthcare economist. Health care around the world: Great Britain. International health care systems. 23 April 2008, 4 May 2009 <http://healthcare-economist. com/2008/04/23/health-care-around-the-world-great-britain/> Himelfarb, John. “The Pitfalls of socialized medicine”. In Focus Quarterly. 2. 2 (2008) <http://www. jewishpolicycenter. org/226/the-pitfalls-of-socialized-medicine> Moffit, Robert and Owcharenko. Understanding Key parts of the Massachusetts Health Plan.
The Heritage Foundation, April 20 2006. 4 May 2009 <http://www.heritage. org/Research/HealthCAre/wm1045. cfm> The Kaiser Family foundation. Medicaid and the uninsured: Massachusetts Health Care Reform, two years later. May 2008. 4 May 2009 <http://www. kff. org/uninsured/upload/7777. pdf> New Rules Project. Canadian Healthcare System. Institute for Local Self-Reliance. 4. 5. 2009 <http://www. newrules. org/equity/rules/singlepayer-and-universal-health-care/canadian-healthcare-system> Pollock, Allison. “Bad Medicine: National Health Care system in Great Britain”. New International Magazine, April 2003, 4 May 2009 <http://www. thirdworldtraveler. com/Health/Bad_Medicine. html>