One of the biggest fears most people have is becoming sick or injured, and the problem for them is paying for it. Under socialized medicine people would receive health care, regardless of their ability to pay. Everyone would be taken care of without worry of how they would pay for their care. The World Health Organization, part of the United Nations, says that, "health care is a fundamental human right." The benefit of national health care would be potential for people to live longer lives. Costs would be driven down because doctors, nurses, and other health care providers would become civil servants. "Another benefit would be that malpractice suits would decline, because it is very difficult to take legal action against the government" (Carol 1994).

Economics is the biggest factor in whether socialized medicine is good or bad for a nation's economy. The United States, to a point, has socialized medicine with Medicare, Medicaid, Veterans Administration Federal medicine, and health departments. The National Center for Public Policy Research said

As the government attempts to establish health care, hospitals are being overburdened with minor and unnecessary uses of health care services. These have caused emergency rooms to be filled with treating common colds, headaches, and minor scrapes. Medicare is said to be useless by the year 2002, just 8 years before 77 million baby boomers begin to retire. "The only way that the country could continue is to raise taxes severely" (Oatman 40).

that, "In 1990 the government shared 42 percent of the health and gained over 50 percent of health care in 1992 as expenses begin to rise." In 1993 health care expenditures consumed 13.9 percent of the Gross Domestic Product and 15.6 percent in 1995 according to the Heritage Foundation. "Typically, people mistakenly blame rising costs on drug manufacturers, insurance companies, physicians, and hospitals. But the rapid growth in medical expenses is rising due to the rise in medical services needed" (Oatman 11-34).

Szumkie, B. (1989) "World health care". The health care crisis: opposing viewpoints, Vol. 4, p. 72-87.

If we lived in an ideal society, everything society deemed a right, everyone would have. Nobody has the right to the services of any professional individual or group, simply because he wants them or desperately needs them. There are other alternatives such as charity as exempting the elderly from taxation. One can understand that some people cannot afford health insurance due to the fact that the person chose not to invest in an insurance policy. When politicians and bureaucrats screw up the economy, you can always do without for a while and make more money next year. When they screw up your health, you're dead. My health and presumably yours is much too important to be entrusted to the government. If the medical profession believes everyone is entitled to health care, then health care should be provided for free by those who believe it is a right, rather than getting the government involved in coercing funds through taxation. "If the medical profession is so compassionate, why do we charge people for our services? That isn't compassionate" (Szumskie 72-87).

Some common words found in the essay are:
Mc Cuen, HMO's People, Foundation Typically, G1988 Health, France Germany, United Nations, Medicine Socialized, health care, Policy Research, Royal Family, socialized medicine, Quebec HMO's, public health, health insurance, public health insurance, national health, health care system, medical profession, care system, health insurance system, medical care, insurance system government, system government, care health, national health care,
Approximate Word count = 1735
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)