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Oppose Government-Run Health Care Systems

We absolutely need to make our health care system better

By Ronalee Skees

Health care policy is at the top of many Montanans concerns as we enter the upcoming elections, and rightfully so.

Democrats’ first opportunity at addressing our health care system has obviously failed with the Affordable Care Act. Premiums have spiked, and there is no certainty for consumers in the individual marketplace. Many Montanans are choosing to remain uninsured instead of struggling to pay the ridiculous price tag associated with health care coverage.

Without President Trump administration’s clear “repeal and replace” plan, those on both side of the political spectrum are searching for answers. Unfortunately, in a wave of what you might call Democratic socialism, a number of legislators are adding government-run health care to their platforms. This single-payer type system, popularized by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, is not the direction our country needs to go.

Over half of all Americans under 65, or more than 150 million people, get their health care coverage through their employers. Eliminating the option for job-based coverage and putting this system in the sole control of our government would undoubtedly have a number of harmful implications. Taxes would have to increase for all Americans. Price controls would reduce incentives for innovation. Doctors would be overburdened. Consumers would be left with little to no personal choice.

We only need to look at other countries to see how universal health care will fail. Wait times that are months long and care that is rationed are two aspects that are seen in all universal healthcare adoptions. A single-payer system would not do any good for those most in need of care.

Any program that is controlled by the government has an efficiency and efficacy deficiency. We already give our government a lot of leverage, yet we fail to see much control over the health care industry that results in large savings for Americans. There is no guarantee that putting our entire health care system in control of the government would result in any obvious beneficial changes for consumers.

We absolutely need to make our health care system better. However, completely disrupting and eliminating the employer market that serves almost 200 million people today is not the solution. No matter what you call it, single-payer or universal healthcare or “Medicare for All,” there are many reasons to oppose a government-run system, and I encourage everyone to remember this as we approach the election season.

Ronalee Skees
Kalispell