Single Payer Healthcare

My opponent plagiarized, http://www.watchblog.com... Conduct point pro, also I think that her points are irrelevant due to this, but I will rebut them anyway. Rationing The US already rations care. Except the way the US rations care is more deceptive, it is based on income. If you afford care, you get it. If you cant, then you’re out of luck. 45,000 Americans die each year, as they do not have access to care, many skip treatments as insurance companies don’t cover it or deny access. That’s rationing. The reason we get all the hype about SP rationing is because in SP the system is held responsible for damages and it publicly aired when mishaps occur. Out system no one is ultimately responsible therefore the news can be hazier and not report the rationing that the American system has. The US rationing is unnecessary as the GAO (1991) study has stated we have enough money in our system to treat everyone, but don’t due to money interest. The US has high administrative costs making an excuse for US rationing, but other countries with SP save money on administrative costs and therefore can give care to more people [1]. Money There are many examples of government efficiency, chiefly road building. Further Social Security is bankrupt because congress steals from it and uses its revenue on other projects. This point is more ideology then fact. It has been shown government healthcare lowers drug cost and lowers overall costs to the consumer. Many attempts at freeing the market (Medicare part D) it has no effect on drug prices, and in some cases, increased them. Governmental healthcare saves 5-8% of GDP over our current system [2]. “Some are better than others, just as some businesses are better than others. Just to name a few of the most successful and helpful: the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control, and Social Security. Even consider Medicare, the government program for the elderly; its overhead is approximately 3%, while in private insurance companies, overhead and profits add up to 15-25%.”[3] It saves money. Physician incomes “The experience with single payer in Canada has revealed that not only were physicians’ incomes not harmed, physicians remain the top earners in the country. This article should allay the fears of U.S. physicians who would like to see us achieve a health care system that ensures quality health care for all but who remain apprehensive that their incomes might be adversely affected. As this report states, “The universal, single-payer system has been good not only for Canadians but also for their doctors.”[4] Quality Lower quality is not a necessary evil of a single payer system. Many strategies, mainly the one created in Japan, is proven to increase quality of care from an private insurance system. Studies have shown SP does not decrease quality of care, and in many cases with these comprehensive strategies and computerization techniques have increased quality in many cases [5]. As these points by my opponent where plagiarized I needn’t refute them in detail. Decisions Each person has the free choice of choosing their doctors and choosing their bill. Here is the catch: they get no bills, and on balance the people pay less for healthcare then they would otherwise. Doctors choice would also increase – the insurance companies would no longer be involved with their decisions – and therefore increase the amount of choice given to the people [6]. Medical research The government does most medical research anyway. As stated, SP would not change this and would increase funding for the research via the costs saved and therefore would have little effect on the pace of medical research. Countries are moving the other way The plagiarized argument here is irrelevant as you provide no analysis and the source of which you plagiarized has no references, therefore for all we know they are not telling the truth. And, anyway, most Americans support a SP system [7]. Conclusion: My opponent plagiarized so here is what should happen: Conduct point PRO My opponents case is irrelevant My rebuttals where written because I was bored… [1] http://www.pnhp.org... [2] http://www.csmonitor.com... [3] http://www.pnhp.org... [4] http://pnhp.org... [5] Schiff, Gordon D., Bindman, Andrew B., Brennan, Troyen A. “A Better Quality Alternative: Single-Payer Health System Reform.” Journal of the American Medical Association, (1994). [6] http://www.pnhp.org... [7] http://www.healthcare-now.org...