Americans and politicians alike continuously debate hot button topics, such as universal healthcare. In the U.S. it became a prominent ideology. Numerous government officials even advocated for it. Instead of private companies offering competitive premiums, government-paid healthcare takes over and all consumers pay into a single plan, thereby providing access to everyone. 

Although somewhat appealing, the impact of no competition with other companies, the elimination of private insurance, and the influx of taxation potentially reduces the effectiveness of free healthcare.

The elimination of private insurance for universal healthcare causes major issues. Government-subsidized healthcare prevents private companies from competing. Universal healthcare undercuts the costs of insurance, leaving no place for small businesses that need certain premiums to stay afloat. Private insurance covers about 250 million Americans, losing it results in no other choices and leaves half a million people jobless. This puts a great amount of strain on the economy’s growth. The lack of financing prevents millions of workers from buying goods, consequently hurting businesses and weakening the economy. 

Universal healthcare also creates longer wait times, as seen in numerous other countries. When people have access to free healthcare, overuse can become an issue. Going for every ache and pain increases wait times. Also, it causes a lack of doctors. When the government regulates the amount the doctors charge for the procedure, they end up losing money, while trying to cover the costs. This leads to burnout and makes the elite position uninviting.   

This program costs the federal government more than $30 trillion over one decade. The name “free” healthcare deceives many, as government-subsidized healthcare requires huge tax increases. It expects to raise taxes on households up 4% to 20% over what they already pay. Another part of the plan raises taxes for corporations and wealthy people by 42%. This increases the cost to invest and reduces the incentive to work because the more money you make, the more the government takes in taxes. Taxing wealthy people only raises $3.9 trillion over one decade, less than 15% of what’s needed to fund it.

Ultimately, the cost of universal health care results in the drastic rise of taxes on citizens. 
The people in favor of universal healthcare argue that it brings healthcare to every individual, but that eliminates the choice for free healthcare, hurts the economy, and raises the taxes on families. Instead of universal healthcare, a small government-funded plan offers basic medical care costs without any major tax increases. With this option, there’s no need for universal healthcare because this provides access to people in need. Universal healthcare presents insurmountable hurdles in the United States healthcare system.