Although there has been much ballyhoo about how great our country’s healthcare system is, both before Obamacare and during, the claims are falling on deaf corporate ears. Our healthcare system was and is not the best healthcare system anymore than our country is the richest country in the world when trillions of dollars of debt. No amount of patriotism will change the realities.
The 16 countries with the world’s best healthcare systems don’t even include the U.S. and even Canada is back in 16th place in one comparison. Another comparison included Mexico in the 5th best and did not include the U.S. at all. The World Health Organization ranked the U.S. in 37th place behind Canada at 30, and in front of Mexico at 61.
But you don’t have to be a socialist to see that the U.S. has the most expensive healthcare system, probably in the world, and one of the drivers of our growing national debt. One comparison shows the U.S. at $9,507 per capita cost to Canada’s $4,613 per capita cost. The PBS News Hour states that U.S. Cost is $8,233 per year, per person and points out that is 2 ½ times more than most developed nations in the world.
The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) did not eliminate the for profit incentive that existed prior to its introduction and consequently the cost of health care is still rising. Healthcare CEO salaries are at an all time high and they were many of the highest CEO earners in 2016. The 20 highest earners earned between $14.84 million and $47.46 million. The combined tally for the 20 top earners in 2016 was $4.0984 billion and that only includes the top 20 earners. It also does not include the siphoning of capital to investors on publicly traded entities. These are all costs of capitalism that do not include hands on tending of health care. In addition to the for profit costs there are additional cast-off costs to the rest of society when health care is not provided whether it be because of lack of health insurance or pre-existing conditions.
The comparisons made for increased taxes only look daunting when not comparing the existing societal costs and most of the costs of U.S. healthcare fall upon U.S. businesses. They are certainly the kind of costs that do not exist in countries with universal health care where businesses receive an immediate cost reduction without considering any other factors in the international globalized economy. Understanding this forces a realization that free trade also becomes less than free or equal without even considering other factors.
Corporations are moving to Mexico for many reasons, whether it is for tax benefits, lower labor costs, or lack of regulations that would disallow nuisance activity such as affecting clean air or water. However, there is another reason to leave the U.S. and that is because of the crazy health care system that we have. We have been bending over backward to keep our system one that would bring tears of joy to capitalists and would save us from the unfounded fears of “socialism.” The reality is that socialized health care would promote capitalism and bring a new found health to our ailing business entities.
One company, The Offshore Group, of Tucson, Arizona, even advertises the benefit of Mexico’s universal health care on its web site to entice U.S. businesses to Mexico. Mexico appears to have a mixed system but is in large part, universal healthcare.
Canada also advertises it’s universal health care system to entice U.S. businesses to move to Canada. Some employers have already moved simply for that benefit and not having to pay as much for their employee’s health care. General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler (now Fiat Chrysler) have moved production to Canada. Canada is also engaging in the same tax cutting race to the bottom that the U.S. is now engaged in and that is also a factor, but the cost benefits of someone else footing the bill for healthcare is inescapable with a huge cost differential.
Even individuals are moving to Canada from the U.S. because of its healthcare system. Not everyone is moving to Canada just because Donald Trump was elected President. Canada can also advertise an acceptance of global warming, less firearm-related homicides, parental leave, and a shared language. But again the cost differential for healthcare is inescapable, especially for business.
So why doesn’t anyone express the business and capitalism benefits of a universal system of health care? Even self-professed socialists like Bernie Sanders have not made this clear to a public that remains in the dark.
This should be the primary focus for anyone trying to bring universal healthcare to the U.S. When the opposition is so pro-business.
So why isn’t it?