A lot of Democrats want to move to a single payer system. My guess is that eventually we will. But there will be consequences. Here is one consequence from England:
Hip replacements, cataract surgery and tonsil removal are among operations now being rationed in a bid to save the NHS money. ... Examples of the rationing now being used include:
* Hip and knee replacements only being allowed where patients are in severe pain. Overweight patients will be made to lose weight before being considered for an operation.
* Cataract operations being withheld from patients until their sight problems "substantially" affect their ability to work.
Why Is Our Health Care A Mess? All goods have to be rationed in some way. In a free market system the rationing is based on price. If you cannot afford a product you do not buy it. Most people are uncomfortable with this in the medical field. But our current system is not working precisely because health care is not rationed in America. Yes, we have copay and yearly deductible, but for many people they end up "eating" all the health care they can, because they are not paying the cost. (This is why I should not go to a buffet.)
No doubt you are expecting me to rail and rant about how awful rationing is, but it seems to me it is just necessary. If price rationing is off the table, and let’s face it, it is, then you have to ration in some other way, or eventually the whole system collapses. Since we do not ration either by price or waiting in line, we are proving this today—the main reason the government is falling apart is health care. The Government pays for over 50% of all medical bills; 25% of all government spending is health care. (This does not include VA hospitals.) Unless we adopt either a single payer system with long lines for treatment, and death panels, or adopt a free market approach, we will collapse. The middle ground we are on is actually worse than either of these options.