When we think of affordable healthcare these days, our minds might automatically jump to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or ObamaCare. While the goal of the ACA is to provide care that Americans don’t have to pay so much for, it’s not the only affordable healthcare system in the world.
The United Kingdom, for example, has the National Health Services (NHS) which was established in 1948 to provide healthcare based on need and not on one’s ability to pay. Funded by taxpayers and overseen by the Department of Health, the NHS assigns individuals to a primary care center which is managed by a primary care trust. Essentially, it’s an example of socialized medicine (where the government owns, operates and provides every aspect of healthcare services).
While access to decent healthcare is a must, is it truly beneficial to offer affordable healthcare? Won’t there be any compromises when care is provided for a lesser amount? Let’s take a closer look at the details through the pros and cons of affordable healthcare.
List of Pros of Affordable Healthcare
1. Many will get access to healthcare.
These days, there is an increasing emphasis on healthcare. After all, more and more people are becoming breadwinners for their families and they need to be healthy to make sure they can continue to provide. One of the best ways to guarantee a person’s health is cared for is allowing them access to decent healthcare at an affordable price. Whether it is hospitalization or purchasing medicine, citizens of a nation should be able to do those without having to take too much money from their own wallet.
2. Healthcare is regulated by the government.
In some countries offering affordable healthcare, the government regulates the industry. While some may consider this a disadvantage, it can also be beneficial because it helps lower down costs. When the government is paying attention and making the right decisions when it comes to healthcare, people will continue to have access to health services that won’t get them broke.
3. Subsidies can be derived from taxation.
There are countries around the world whose healthcare system offers subsidies derived from taxation. Taxpaying citizens can benefit from what they have contributed. Opponents of such a practice believe that doing so would only increase tax rates. However, this has been proven false in countries such as Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and countries in the European Union.
List of Cons of Affordable Healthcare
1. Affordable healthcare systems are continually evolving.
This is true especially for those systems that rely on the government. Not everything about a healthcare system will remain the same when the government is in charge of it. There are certain laws that will alter some of the benefits a person may receive through government regulated healthcare.
2. Quality of service may not be that high.
When something is provided at an affordable rate, it doesn’t always mean that someone is going to get quality out of it. This is one major complaint about affordable healthcare as opponents believe medical professionals should devote as much time to a patient to answer their needs and not rush their diagnosis because other patients are waiting.
Crystal Lombardo is a contributing editor for Vision Launch. Crystal is a seasoned writer and researcher with over 10 years of experience. She has been an editor of three popular blogs that each have had over 500,000 monthly readers.
