Socialized medicine and the presidential race

Are we headed toward government control of doctors, hospitals and healthcare? The term "socialized medicine" when applied to some proposed health plans implies that the U.S. is on that road. Now an analysis of candidates' plans finds that of all the plans out there, only one former presidential candidate's proposal comes even close to government-controlled and run healthcare — true socialized medicine — and he's no longer in the race.

According to the report by the Urban Institute: "Some single-payer proposals (like former candidate Dennis Kucinich's plan) would limit the ability of individuals to obtain, and providers to render, care outside the public system — potentially giving the federal government sufficient power to constitute the functional equivalent of socialized medicine."

The authors conclude that "no significant proposal seeks a government-run system and that inaccurate, fiery rhetoric is a distraction from much more important issues, such as how proposals affect cost, access, quality and choice."

But many Americans are ahead of the rhetoric. According to research reported in the Los Angeles Times on Feb. 25, few people are taken in by the boogeyman phrase. Robert Blendon, professor of health policy and political analysis at the Harvard School of Public Health, found that of the 67% of people who said they understood the meaning of "socialized medicine," 79% thought it was a good thing. He also found a political divide: 70% of Republicans thought socialized medicine would make the U.S. healthcare system worse; 70% of Democrats thought it would improve the system.

--Susan Brink

Credit: Ed Stein / Rocky Mountain News

Comments

[cygnus x-1]

We have socialized banking (bailing out Bear Stearns). Socilaized pharmaceuticals (almost every major drug is created with public funds. Socialized police and fire departments. Socialized highways. Socialized agriculture (directed almost exclusively and the biggest agricultural companies). Socialized bank insurance (FDIC). Socialized stocks markets (SEC). I could go on and on.

It's time we joined the rest of the industrialized world and enact "socialized healthcare". John McCain has no plan. Brack and Hillary's plan are gifts to big health insurance companies.

Health care is a HUMAN RIGHT. Not a commodity that only the wealthy can afford. Dennis Kucinich's plan is the only viable plan for long-term success. It eliminates the unnecessary greedy insurance companies that swallow up to 30 cents on every health dollar. They're killing our system and it's time they be shown the door.

Would you rather continue to pay $7000 per year in premiums or $3,500 in taxes? Don't let the word "tax" scare you. Single payer is the ONLY answer.

[DebraPoss]

According to H.R. 676, the Conyers/Kucinich bill, and theformer Kucinich for President Healthcare plan, the hospitals and doctors' offices would remain private and not socialized. However, there would be only one payer; the US govenment ( Medicare for All), thus reducing, greatly, the extraordinary administrative costs.

Doctors deal with so many payers( insurance companies). This way, they would deal with only one.

Also, insurance companies profit from denying care.

I totally support single payer, not for profit health care

[David Rivera]

If Socialized health insurance was bad business for the people and would cost tax payers more money, why do the private companies even bother? They must not be making any money. Any hoo, Health in a right and we should have a choice. Like smoking, over eating, mountain climbing or extrem sports we should have the right to choose a private insurance company that will pay for crap like that. Basic Health should always be covered by the Socialzed insurance. Socialzed medicine is a different story.

[Danielle Vyas]

Well there is still a presidential candidate who isn't afraid of socialized medicine, Ralph Nader.

[Marshall Matlock]

For those who claim that health care is a human right, or too important to be done by for profit businesses, take a quick look at what for profit businesses have brought Americans in the way of food, a good that is even more essential to life than medical care. We have an almost infinite array of choices to fit the needs and preferences of individual Americans, from the most basic cheap Ramen noodle college student budget sort of diet all the way to the most expensive and elaborate meals at the highest scale eateries, all provided by free market forces. Every sort of fruit, vegetable and specialty item from all over the globe is available for the choosing. And food costs have exhibited dramatically lower inflation over the decades than health care has anywhere. Even in health care, free markets produce great efficiencies. Look at the two areas of medicine where government and managed care haven't distorted the market. Lasik vision correction and elective cosmetic surgery are the two sizable areas of health care that are paid for by the consumer, not by someone else. And what have prices done? They've come down as quality has gone up. Our current health care system is fouled up, no question. But to pose the solution as a choice between status quo and nationalized is a false choice. We need reform to restore linkage between consumer and payer, to remove the benefit managers of managed care (that are the single greatest source of frustration for consumers and providers alike) and to capture the power of free markets to improve efficiencies and bring down costs. The inevitable result of nationalization will be more frustration, more rationing, and lower satisfaction.

[pesach kremen]

We need HR676 now. Health Care is a right for all, not based on economic status, insurance company profits, pre-conditions, or where you are from. The amount of money wasted to get medical care is staggering. Use of co-pays, deductibles, and different classes of premiums is just an excuse to offer less care. It must be stopped. Patients before profits. All congresspersons should sign on as cosponsors to HR676!

[brian magee]

on all levels, kucinich trumps the remaining corporatist candidates left in the presidential race. if america really wanted to solve the healthcare crisis, keep jobs here, end the iraq occupation, and go green, dennis kucinich was the answer. the electorate has failed us yet again.

[JoeC]

Single Payer = Extending Medicare to Everybody

My own view on Single Payer is that it is hardly controversial, if it had been framed correctly. Every time it is mentioned, it is immediately criticized as being "Socialized Medicine". However, if the proponents merely describe the proposal as "extending Medicare to everybody", the plan does not seem controversial at all. Suddenly, everybody can understand the way the plan would work since their parents or grandparents are basically already receiving such coverage. The image conjured up is Grandma, not Joseph Stalin. Any politician who would discuss Medicare as Socialism would be driven from office.

Indeed, many of the tactics by the Republicans since 1992 have been aimed at trying to do anything possible to prevent the enactment of social programs that would be wildly popular.  That is why they were so vociferous against health care, in particular, and the Clintons, in general, starting in the early 1990's.  They did not want the public to get a taste of the "Peace Time Dividend", such as occurred after World War 2, when the GI Bill provided free college, VA/FHA provided affordable housing, and the large public works projects provided the interstate highway system.  It would be instructive to go back to the discussions during the health care debate of 1992-3 to revisit the scare tactics, distortions, and outright lies that were the order of the day.  No, the Republicans made an frontal assault on the Democrats and, by 1994, we had Newt Gingrich and the rest is history.

So, here we are, once again, facing the issue. The same distortions are being played out.