National Health Insurance

I often read articles or hear on American news that a National Health Insurance (NHI) will somehow be bad for Americans.  Let me tell you that living here in Israel now for 8 years and before living in the USA for 27 years I feel I have a unique perspective.  In Israel we have a quasi NHI system where the vast majority of health costs are burdened by the government but where health insurance companies(HIC) still exist.  A HIC simply is a provider of the service.  It's sort of like a go between but they do profit from this and it does create competition since there are about 5-10 of them.  They also make a profit on additional insurance as the NHI doesn't cover everything such as extremely expensive surgeries and other stuff that I really don't know and if you want to look into it more then just google it.

I think this is a good overview of the situation here but let me tell you more.  There is a health tax which can be as high as $150 a month for 99% of the population.  In my opinion though, the vast majority of the money for health insurance (HI) comes from the general fund.  That is to say there is a national sales tax, gas taxes, and wherever else there might be funding.  However every Israeli is entitled to health care almost free.  There are no preexisting conditions.  For the vast majority of Israelis, we receive a better experience than Americans ever will unless things change.  Even if you stop working (whether you quit or are fired), you are still covered.  You don't pay the tax but it accumulates at a rate of about $30 a month and you will have to pay this when you go back to work.  The main thing is though that you will never think twice to go to the doctor.  You just go because it's free to almost free.  I paid a $1.50 co-pay at my last insurance company and this one is free.  Every one gets health care.

All is not rosy as one must assume.  The government exercises a fair amount of control over the doctor's fees, medication costs, and other health services but I bet the HCs do the same in the USA.  With all that being said though, I think overall we have a much better system and that if so desired could be improved.  One must ask then why wouldn't the USA go to such a system.  It's simple really and this I can't imagine will ever change.  Health insurance would be rendered virtually useless.  Ins companies would stand to lose about 80% (since they would still be able to provide the addon insurance) of their current business.  In theory this shouldn't matter.  Each person has one vote and you can vote for the congressmen and senators that will push this through.  Think about it like this.  An insurance company at it's very core is supposed to profit.  It's not good business to accept people with health problems because they are a risk which costs money or profits.  So the only people that really need the health care can't get it.  I don't know how you can trust companies who by their very nature don't have your best interest at heart.  I don't think it will ever change because the HICs have so much money that they win out with all their lobbying and tv campaigns.   There really is only one solution in my eyes and that is to force the HICs to do what the federal governemnt should.  So basically what should happen is that each insurance company will be required to offer a basic health insurance policy that will be the same price regardless if you smoke, regardless if you are overweight, if you did or do drugs(which you shouldn't), age, and preexisting conditions.  The price will simply be up to the HICs which should maintain the competition that capitalists so much desire.  There is a big problem which is why I believe it must be a government service.  Most healthy people won't get the insurance because they feel that won't need it.  Therefore I propose the government determine a fair subsidy to give to the insurance companies so that such care will be very cheap.  In theory if the insurance companies were able to do things cheap enough then they could even pay people to choose them but I would hope that congress would make the subsidy low enough that this would be almost impossible.

I would just like to close with this final thought.  It's absolutely absurd and embarrassing that Americans leave big HICs to determine what kind of health care that they receive.  Wake up.  Corporate America is killing you.