The fundamental problem with universal health care is how to pay for it. Most would argue that a universal healthcare system is
a great idea in theory, but in actuality, no one has figured out a reasonable proposal for where the money should come from. Economists claim that more than 2 trillion dollars are spent on health care each year. That’s over $6,000 per person. Part of the argument for universal health care is that businesses and individuals are having trouble affording health care because the current costs are already extremely high. With a universal system, everyone would be able to go to the doctor. Therefore, it would be reasonable to assume that universal health care would cause the already ponderous cost of health care in the United States to increase even more. One proposal would take money from other areas and move it to pay for health care. This means that departments such as education or public defense would receive less money, which would have a negative impact on the country. The most likely proposal is that taxpayers would have to pay into a large pool from which everyone would draw for their health needs. This would create several problems. First, it would raise taxes for everyone. It would also mean, fundamentally, that many people who choose a healthy lifestyle would be required to pay the same amount as people who choose to live an unhealthy lifestyle, which hardly seems equitable. What counterargument is addressed?
