Pros & Cons of National Healthcare

No matter how the system is run, the people of a country need some kind of method to run their health care. The way the United States' system is run is through a combination of national health care (Medicaid, Medicare and the VA) and health insurance.

Health Insurance

• Health insurance started about 1694 when it was invented by Hugh the Elder Chamberlen. The first form of health insurance covered accidents, and it wasn't until about 1890 that any kind of illness coverage began. In 1911, the first workplace took the initiative to offer health care to its employees.

Nationalized Health Care

• Nationalized health care is when residents of a specific area, such as a country or state, are provided medical care with relatively low out-of-pocket expenses.

Pros of Private Health Insurance

• Some pros of health insurance are: it is not paid for with tax money; patients might have more choices when it comes to providers and procedures; and government does not have tight control over medical supplies and services.

Pros of Nationalized Health Care

• Some pros of nationalized health care are: it costs little in out-of-pocket expenses; something has to be done to cover the large number of uninsured people; and health care is too expensive for many businesses to provide.

Cons of Private Health Insurance

• Some cons of a system based solely on private health insurance are: it is expensive for employers to provide; many people cannot afford it when their job does not provide it; and people are not practicing preventative care, such as yearly checkups, because they cannot afford to.

Cons of Nationalized Health Care

• Some cons of nationalized health care are: government might have greater control over doctor and treatment choices; patients could face higher taxes to cover the costs; and there's a possibility of longer waits for treatment.