level of bombast. Facilitating a balanced and objective discussion about the issue is the only way our nation can hope to make meaningful changes that will result in the greatest good for the greatest number.
One of the most contentious areas of the raging healthcare debate in the United States surrounds the topic of the Affordable Care Act. Many on the right are vehemently opposed to the ACA because they see it as a step towards a single-payer system, while many on the left argue that it does not go far enough and is poorly organized. Although few people on either side of the issue are aware, both sides are correct in a certain sense. Let me explain:
Single-payer systems work in countries like Canada, where citizens pay higher taxes and the government can allocate more resources for providing essential public services. While larger or more complicated procedures can sometimes be difficult to access without spending some time on a waiting list, both simple care and time-sensitive life-threatening conditions are almost always accessible when patients need them. The success of universal healthcare in such countries has many people across the United States reluctant to let go of the ACA since they see it as being the most meaningful step by our country towards such a system thus far. The problem is that the Affordable Care Act is not tantamount to universal care. In fact, it lacks several provisions that a functioning single-payer system would require—provisions that parts of this country would find very difficult to provide.
