{UAH} USA Obamacare

P'Ojim,

 

Last night I listened to a debate on Obamacare, which is supposed to come into effect today. I don't know too much about its intricacies, but what left every participant in the debate totally bewildered is how the USA is the only modern dveloped country in the world that does not provide for Universal Health Care for its citizens; that even little Cuba is far ahead of the USA in terms of healthcare. People here in this country wonder why there should even be a debate about ObamaCare, the only debate should be about how far-reaching it should go.

 

Universal Health Care is the most important contribution that the British socialists have given the world. It must also count as one of the greatest achivements of human civilisation. And it is really bilt on a very simple concept, that EVERY INDIVIDUAL SHALL HAVE ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE IRRESPECTIVE OF HIS SOCIAL OR ECONOMIC CIRCUMSTANCES.

 

In the UK therefore, provision of universal health care is taken for granted by every political party- all they argue about is its management and efficiency vis-a-vis cost. So that, a billionaire like Richard Branson and Prime Minister David Cameron is entitled to the same health care as the homeless beggar on the streets of London.

 

Paying fro the health care is also made very simple- it just makes you wonder why there is all this big debate in the USA. The key in the UK and in most of Europe has been to remove health care provision away from the speculative Insurance companies. I think this is the big mistake made in the USA, to make provision of health care a commodity where Insurance companies and other speculators may invest.

 

In the UK, every working person pays national insurance contribution of between 5-9% of his wages. The state pays for those who are not employed. This money is then managed and invested by the state itself and is used to provide for all aspects of health care. There is very little room for private Insurance Companies. A few wealthy people may choose and have chosen to take private health insurance but these are very few- they number less than 2% of the population.

 

I doubt that the universal health care concept  would ever take root in the USA. Despite being "developed" on the face of it, the USA is still a very backward and uncivilised nation.

 

George Okello