Is a Nationalized Health Care System Viable in the US?

Health Insurance is still a luxury to more than 43 million Americans. Plenty more are on limited or minimal coverage. While health care costs are soaring, and American health remains poor compared to other industrialized countries, the number of people who are uninsured will continue to grow. Health care expenditures rose 7.7% in 2003, four times the inflation rate.In as much as their health insurance premiums are going up as much as 11% every year, many employers are dropping their employee’s health care plans. That is why many suggest that American health care plans be nationalized so that the federal government would be paying the medical care of the citizens and doctors and hospitals would be regulated by the government as well.Nationalized health insurance plans might be good for employees since there would be cost reduction to American-made goods resulting from businesses not having to pay for their employees’ health insurance, thus keeping more jobs at home. Workers also would gain job flexibility. Many Americans stay in jobs they don’t even like and few are hesitant to start their own businesses because of the fear of losing their health insurances since almost all Americans get their health insurance from their place of employment.However, nationalized health insurance does not promise equal access to health care systems. And if medical sectors are removed from the free market, it could mean reduction of the quality of health care. Studies being conducted suggest that the U.S health care is of higher quality than those of other nations.A recent survey conducted suggests that only 43% of American citizens would favor nationalized health care, while 50 % oppose it. Democrats are more likely to favor such a plan than Republicans. 55% of Hispanic-Americans favor nationalization, 41% of the Caucasians and 27% of the Asians. The survey also suggests that affluent consumers with earnings of $100,000 are less likely to support a national health plan compared to low income consumers of $25,000 or less.