Our leaders, in their usual timidity, have been afraid to boldly speak up and point out that, rationally, healthcare cannot be a “right”. I have noted for decades that this would ultimately lead to problems. I recently read a quote: “All great power has to do to destroy itself is to continue to attempt the impossible.” Stephen Vizinczey.
I remember decades ago as a hospital orderly watching a 16 year old girl die from renal failure and it was only a year or so later dialysis became possible. What a miracle, right? But it cost $25,000 a year in 1975 dollars to do, per person. Gummint, that great provider of all things good could not sit by and watch only the wealthy survive this “roll of the dice” catastrophe and so instead of declaring healthcare a right, outright, our courageous politicians decided to do the easy thing and just fund it. I remember thinking at the time that this would cause repercussions down the line.
Here we are, now, 4 decades later and our courageous politicians (/s) have yet to weigh in on the question with authority and so, by default, have created the expectation in the population that “healthcare is a right” which to the rational mind is equivalent to an edict prohibiting the tide. Once again our politicians have decided to kick the can down the road and hide. How long can this go on? I suspect not much longer.
That is what was charged not what it actually costs.