The last sentence I quoted below caught my eye. I don’t doubt that is true, especially after living through COVID when many Americans saw prudent precautions as infringement on their freedom – to do what I never quite understood.
I never saw Medicare as infringing my rights, nor did I view employer health insurance as a problem even though the employer got to pick the coverage and the insurance company and I had no say in the matter. (Actually personally I did have a say-I was in charge of employee benefits 😎)
As governments in many countries came to be associated—especially over the last century—with the promotion and protection of people’s rights, their responsibilities grew. For example, they were increasingly expected to implement regulations in areas like occupational safety, meat inspection, and pharmaceuticals.
Many governments also built public-health establishments to fight infectious disease and, in most advanced economies, health-care systems that ensured coverage for all. The United States is an exception here: many Americans view the provision of universal health care as an intrusion on their individual rights.
Excerpt from article on the meaning of limited government from Project Syndicate
Americans are unique
Most Europeans—and especially people in Scandinavia—say they are satisfied with their health care systems despite frustrations over waiting times. Surveys generally find:
- Scandinavia: about 70–90% satisfied
- Continental Europe: about 60–85% satisfied
- United Kingdom: currently much lower, around 20–30%, largely because of long waits in the public system (keep in mind the UK system is a delivery system not insurance system)
The trade-off many Europeans describe is that they accept longer waits for some non-emergency care in exchange for universal coverage and very low out-of-pocket costs. Surveys also show that relatively few Europeans would prefer to switch to a U.S.-style health insurance system, even while many support reforms to improve access and reduce waiting times.
The thing is, there is no US health insurance system. We have different systems, non-integrated systems, systems that shift costs from one to the other … and we have waiting times too. Not as bad as the UK for sure, but call for an appointment as a new patient, or visit an emergency room and see what happens. I needed surgery a few years ago and waited a month.
The thing is we pay a high price for the convenience we expect, but then we don’t expect to pay the high price.
Will Americans ever decide what they want and are willing to pay for? I’m not hopeful, we rather complain, criticize and look for ways for someone else to foot the bill so we can have “free” healthcare.
One thing for sure, we have total freedom to regularly be stressed over our high premiums, deductibles and out-of-pocket costs.
QUINNSCOMMENTARY 
You quote the surveys of people in the European healthcare systems as to whether they are satisfied. A majority are in most cases. Not all however, 60% satisfied is not all by any means. You don’t quote the figures for the Americans. Why not? You launch into criticism of what we expect and who we want to pay for it but no survey data. Why not?
What of the the large numbers in continental Europe who didn’t check the satisfied box. Are they just complainers like Americans?
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I designed and managed health plans of all types for nearly fifty years. These days I read everyday the complaints and perceptions of Americans about their health insurance. About their desire to have it all “free” complaints about premiums and their inaccurate ideas why they are high, they don’t like pre-approval, they don’t want M4A because it’s “socialized medicine.”
Never will 100% be satisfied and never will it meet everyone’s perception of affordable , but we can assure everyone is covered and financially protected and that the costs are spread fairly as opposed to what happens now with some programs underpaying and others picking up the slack.
What is wrong with those goals?
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