Healthcare is more expensive in the US than any other country and
most of that is from the federal government. Healthcare expenses
accounted for about $3.5 trillion or 18% of the GDP in 2017, about
twice as much than the average of other developed countries (CRFB
2018). Of that $3.5 trillion spent on healthcare in the US $1.5 trillion
is either directly on indirectly financed by the federal government,
roughly 8% of the economies resources. It is estimated that by 2028
these costs will have increased to $2.9 trillion by the government.
These cost rate increases are unsustainable and without intervention
and reorganization the results could be program insolvency,
crowding out of public priorities, and an unchecked growth for
federal debt.
Americans, six-in-ten, believe that the government should be
responsible for health care coverage (Kiley 2018). The number of
people who share these beliefs is growing and has increased from
51% in 2016 compared to the 60% in 2018. These people believe
that the government should provide healthcare coverage for all
through a single health insurance system that is government run
rather than the mix of private and public programs. Even those who
do not want a national healthcare system they do believe in
continuing programs like Medicare and Medicaid. The governments
role in healthcare is politically devisive with democrats tending to
lean towards government programs and responsibility and
republicans leaning towards their uninvolvement. I think this boils
down to the basics of positive and negative rights. Democrats tend
to believe in positive rights or the right to have things given to them,
vs. republicans who tend to believe in negative rights or the right to
not have things taken away, but that is a whole other discussion.
People do not understand the costs because they don't see them and
most people expect healthcare to be provided by someone to them. I
believe they also get caught up in what they are also paying for
health insurance and focus on their bills, that can be daunting, and
simply don't understand the responsibilities that the government has
for healthcare.
References
Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB). (May 16,
2018). American Health Care: Health Spending and the Federal Budget.
CRFB. Retrieved from: https://www.crfb.org/papers/american-
health-care-health-spending-and-federal-budget
Kiley, J. (Oct. 3, 2018). Most continue to say ensuring health care
coverage is government's responsibility. Pew research Center.
Retrieved
from: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/10/03/most-
continue-to-say-ensuring-health-care-coverage-is-governments-
responsibility/
