Healthcare is a reasonable sounding term. No one could possibly be against caring for health. The problem with any no-brainer concept like healthcare is in the fulfilment. It is often the case that balance is thrown out the window as time goes forward.
In the beginning reasonable steps are taken considering such things as behavioral changes, doctor visits and catastrophic health insurance with high deductibles. Over time, however, health consciousness becomes obsessive. Doctor visit frequency increases. More tests are run. Medications are increased.
With technological advances life expectancy increases. Sicker people live longer requiring even more doctor visits, tests, medications and procedures. Insurance premiums rise along with deductibles. The behavioral and economic results should not be a surprise.
The problem with universal health care is that it can't really exist as people have idealized it.
When I was young no one I knew had health insurance. No one went to the doctor unless there was an emergency. No one went to the hospital unless there was a big emergency. The reason for such low utilization of health care was cost. People handled most of their health care with home remedies and treatments because it was too expensive to do otherwise.
Today, people are addicted to medical care. They are constantly going in for check ups - especially the elderly. Americans are drug addicts utilizing legal and illegal drugs as a way of life.
The health care providers and the pharmaceutical companies along with insurance companies have encouraged the addiction to doctor visits and drugs. The system is out of control. People have become obsessive about health care worrying about their test results and medicating to correct.
When you try to provide a scarce resource at below market price you increase demand. This is basic economics.
Applying this principle to health care: Reducing the cost of health care will increase the demand which will result in long lines and poor quality of care.
So, instead of having readily available, high quality health care we will end up back where we were 60 years ago - treating and medicating ourselves at home. This time, not because of cost, but because the waiting line is too long.
However, unlike 60 years ago, there will be the unbelievably exhorbitant medical bill generated by the actual cost of the care created by uncontrolled demand. This will suck the economic life out of the country and eventually bankrupt it.
We would not think of providing a half million dollar automobile for every citizen or a million dollar home for every citizen. Yet, the cost of health care is in the same ballpark with these 'lifestyle of the rich and famous' items.
In conclusion, it is not the government's responsibility to pay for health care. The government produces nothing so it must steal from taxpayers to fund anything it is involved in.
Health care demand has to be managed. The only fair way to do it is by cost. If you can pay for it you get it. If you cant, you dont. This is the way all other scarce items are handled.
The alternative to cost-based rationing is to have equal access with no cost. In this model indigent, psychosomatic people will get the same access to care as those that are productive. This means that eventually the survivors will be the psychosomatic indigents as they have the time and inclination to wait in the queues while the productive give up and die at work due to lack of treatment.
Added 20171020:
How much medical care costs is an issue.
How often medical care is utilized is an issue.
Who pays the bill is an issue.
Not understanding economics is the biggest issue.
We have become addicted to medical care. Frequent doctor visits. Multiple testing. Designer drugs. Frivolous medical procedures.
There is no way the addiction can be supported financially.
Isaiah 53:5
But he was wounded for our Transgressions , he was bruised for our Iniquities : the chastisement of our Peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are Healed .