Affordable Medicare for All
American Health Care Is the Problem and Medicare for All Americans Is the Solution
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
American Healthcare is Not Capitalism
In their book, The Case Against Socialism, Rand and Kelly Ashley Paul nicely describe and warn against the dangers of socialism. They specifically cite on the book jacket, “free spending policies like Medicare for All,” while not applying the recognized hazards of capitalism and failing to recognize how the current system of prescription healthcare in America is not capitalistic. I especially enjoyed the comment on the back of the book jacket by Judge Andrew Napolitano: “No U.S. senator in the modern era can rival Senator Rand Paul’s fidelity to the first principles of the free market.” Let’s compare “free market capitalism” and the actual world of American-style healthcare. However, the Rands acknowledge that the current American economy blends capitalism and socialism.
There is no “Free Market” for Most Healthcare.
In actual free markets, the consumer freely chooses providers, products and services based on factors such as convenience, preferences, price, and quality. For example, in my neighborhood, my two primary shopping destinations are Walmart and Safeway. I buy sundries and household products at Walmart because there is no significant quality difference between the two stores, with better prices for those items at Walmart, and with minimal driving transportation cost. But I buy groceries, especially produce, at Safeway because of the significantly better selection and quality of fresh foods at Safeway. I willingly pay more at Safeway for the foods I enjoy so that I get the quality I desire. Such is true free market capitalism. I choose where I shop, the items I purchase, and I factor in price comparisons as part of the decision-making process. I am not burdened with a requirement to shop or purchase at either store. I go to any store stocking the items I desire, and I price compare between available vendors. And, Safeway sweetens their pie by rewarding my purchases with gas discounts at their gas station when I fuel my car. The Pauls mention the importance of pricing as a means of feedback for both producers and consumers in a free market capitalistic economy. I suspect there is no more important criteria of true capitalism than transparent pricing, as at both stores, the price of each item, including a pricing ratio (per ounce, per pound, etc.) is displayed on the shelf or display case.
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
The absence of universal health insurance coverage in the United States of America has been debated for years without many solutions being proposed.
Barry G. Hoerig, a registered nurse and certified case manager, explains how Medicare for all would solve our problems in this thought-provoking book. He also reveals how politicians continue to work against a solution that could transform our health care system.
As you read, you’ll get answers to questions such as:
• How does the American health care system go against the tenets of capitalism?
• How are people without insurance treated differently than those with insurance?
• How can American health care offer consumers more choices?
Paving the way for Medicare for all makes sense but it won’t come at a cost: Yes, Americans will have to pay more taxes, but it will also result in a reciprocal reduction of taxes and health care premiums elsewhere.
It’s imperative, however, that Medicare for all be cost effective and fair. Moreover, it must temper the negative aspects of capitalism while avoiding the awful results of socialism.
Get detailed insights on how to improve health care for everyone with the insights in Affordable Medicare for All.
About the Author
Barry G. Hoerig is a registered nurse and certified case manager who has been practicing nursing for forty-one years. He has helped a wide variety of patients and families solve health insurance coverage dilemmas. In addition to working as a home health nurse and ambulatory care coordinator, his experience includes medical nursing in a men’s correctional institution and psychiatric nursing in a women’s correctional institution. He specializes in assisting the homeless and other disadvantaged persons seek solutions to health care problems.