Many reasons to oppose government-run healthcare

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

Democrats’ first opportunity at addressing our healthcare 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 healthcare coverage.

Without the 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 Senator 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 healthcare 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 healthcare will fail. Wait times that are months long and care, which 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 healthcare industry that results in large savings for Americans. There is no guarantee that putting our entire healthcare system in control of the government would result in any obvious beneficial changes for consumers.

We absolutely need to make our healthcare 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.