Healthcare Reform Myth #1 - We can't afford it

What a crock. We already have the most expensive healthcare system on the face of the planet by far. We couldn’t spend more in aggregate if we tried to. We spend 50% more per capita than the next closest industrialized nation and they have a socialized system (Germany). Whenever you hear someone that is against healthcare reform because we can't afford kindly explain in small simple words that it's a matter of which pocket the spend comes out of not how much we spend as a society.

Let me explain. Like I said, we already have by far the most expensive healthcare system in the world and no, despite the ramblings of the "rat bag right", it isn't the best healthcare delivery system the world has ever seen - not even close. The good news is that our current healthcare system already treats everybody regardless of their ability to pay. The bad news is that instead of treating problems at the appropriate time (early) and in the appropriate setting (at a primary care clinic) the uninsured now wait until the shit really hits the fan and then go to the Emergency Department where they are then treated by some of the best healthcare professionals on the face of the planet in one of the most expensive care settings on the face of the planet.

You starting to get it yet? The uninsured already receive medical care they just get it at the wrong time (later than they should) and in the wrong setting (the ED). Worse still they don't have the money to get the follow-up medications or care that they need - primary care docs or specialists are not required to see the uninsured and pharmacies are not required to provide them mdeications - so they end up right back in the ED where the cycle repeats. And guess who pays for all of this? If you have private insurance then you do.

We can't afford universal coverage? Good God, we can't afford NOT to do it.