I'm happy that Melissa had a good experience, but it's not surprising. In their book Lives at Risk, Goodman, Musgrave, and Herrick document the political pressures on the bureaucrats who make the rationing decisions in single payer systems. Since they are indirectly answerable to the voters, the bureaucrats tend to be generous with services that are routinely used by many people, such as pre-natal care. They're not so generous with the more expensive services needed by the truly sick who represent fewer votes. If you think about the purpose of both universal health care and private insurance – to share the financial risk of a catastrophic illness with other people – this is the exact opposite of how things should be.
Be afraid, Melissa. It’s easy to lose your fear of universal health care – as long as you don’t get too sick.
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