3 ms·

So, right now, they have to pay out of pocket. With a public system, they can also pay out of pocket. So no difference. I don't know why Americans pretend that

So, right now, they have to pay out of pocket. With a public system, they can also pay out of pocket. So no difference. I don't know why Americans pretend that a public heathcare system necessarily means the sudden end to all private services overnight. Here in Australia you're more than welcome to have your own private insurance or pay out of pocket for treatment.

ThomPete 10y ago
The number of illegal immigrants in the US is around 11 million. Healthcare is one of the most expensive posts in any society. The US system is not built for single payer model which means many other areas will have to change too. What normally happens when you make a public healthcare system and allow for private enterprise (which I am a fan of having) is that the primary burden (cancer, long term illness, major surgeries) are put in the hands of the public hospitals while the private ones deal more with things like cosmetic plastic surgery and other treatments which are lucrative. Most public healthcare systems with a single payer model have to heavily prioritize how man can get treatment, for what, with what kind of technology etc. It's not just a matter of switching from one kind of insurance model to another it's about turning hospitals into places who can't make money but have to adhere to a budget. It's a very very different kind of system that comes out of that and in a country like the US with that many illegal immigrant I am not sure it can work financially.