“It’s not liberty if it’s mandatory.” “It’s not American if
it’s mandatory.” I’ve read these from my
aunt’s Facebook wall many times in reference to the fact that Americans must
purchase health insurance in 2014 or pay a tax fine. First, I’d like to ask her if I can quit
paying taxes in general since I don’t find filing and paying taxes to be
liberating processes. But, that’s
another issue for another time.
That got me thinking. Why did lawmakers intertwine health care with taxation? I started researching other health systems in
the world that are more efficient and better than ours. It turns out that many require mandatory
taxes.
How can you say other countries are better than ours?
First, let me explain what I mean by more efficient/
better. In all of the studies I found,
these factors are based upon things such as health equality, responsiveness and
responsiveness equality, lifetime expectancy and lifetime satisfaction (are you
able to do a lot at an older age), cost, and health care quality. Turns out, across the board, we spend the
most on health care and have the worst return on investment. Well, our quality has to be top-notch at the
very least, right? WRONG. I would’ve liked to have continued living
without knowing that fact (including the fact that we rank last out of seven
industrialized countries on safe care). China and Iran are better at this whole health care thing than us, need I say more?
Examples of Countries Requiring Health Care Tax Contributions:
- Andora
- Australia
- Belgium
- France
- Ireland
- Japan
- Malta
- Singapore
- Sweden
- United Kingdom
These Sound Just Like the ACA... and They’re Successful
I am quoting this information because it is well said in a concise manner.
Belgium: "The Belgian health care system is mandatory and is a mixed public-private system. There are private providers with state-organized reimbursements."
Switzerland: "In Switzerland, health care is guaranteed to all citizens. Citizens must buy health insurance and in return, private insurers must offer coverage to all citizens."
Netherlands: "Holland's
universal health coverage is achieved not through the government, which is used
primarily as a regulatory body, but through private insurance companies. This
system is based on private insurers competing for business."
Singapore: "A
government-run universal health care system coexists with a private sector in
Singapore. The private sector provides most care while the government controls
prices."
Other Criticisms that are Successful Elsewhere
Obamacare has also been criticized for making taxpayers foot
the bill so illegal aliens can get covered.
This isn’t true… at least in the U.S.
But, it is in practice elsewhere in countries with more successful
systems than ours.
Sweden covers illegals… and it uses taxes to do so (oh the
horror… I suppose illegals don’t regularly visit the ER then which is an occurrence
here causing high bills for American taxpayers).
Austria is a place I want to visit: Austria even covers
health care costs of tourists!!!!
