Why the US does not have universal health care, while many other countries do

Timothy Callaghan, Texas A&M University

The lead-up to the House passage of the American Health Care Act (AHCA) on May 4, which passed by a narrow majority after a failed first attempt, provided a glimpse into just how difficult it is to gain consensus on health care coverage.

In the aftermath of the House vote, many people have asked: Why are politicians struggling to find consensus on the AHCA instead of pursuing universal coverage? After all, most advanced industrialized countries have universal health care.

As a health policy and politics scholar, I have some ideas. Research from political science and health services points to three explanations.

No. 1: American culture is unique

One key reason is the unique political culture in America. As a nation that began on the back of immigrants with an entrepreneurial spirit and without a feudal system to ingrain a rigid social structure, Americans are more likely to be individualistic.

In other words, Americans, and conservatives in particular, have a strong belief in classical liberalism and the idea that the government should play a limited role in society. Given that universal coverage inherently clashes with this belief in individualism and limited government, it is perhaps not surprising that it has never been enacted in America even as it has been enacted elsewhere.

Public opinion certainly supports this idea. Survey research conducted by the International Social Survey Program has found that a lower percentage of Americans believe health care for the sick is a government responsibility than individuals in other advanced countries like Canada, the U.K., Germany or Sweden.



No. 2: Interest groups don’t want it

Even as American political culture helps to explain the health care debate in America, culture is far from the only reason America lacks universal coverage. Another factor that has limited debate about national health insurance is the role of interest groups in influencing the political process. The legislative battle over the content of the ACA, for example, generated US$1.2 billion in lobbying in 2009 alone.

The insurance industry was a key player in this process, spending over $100 million to help shape the ACA and keep private insurers, as opposed to the government, as the key cog in American health care.

While recent reports suggest strong opposition from interest groups to the AHCA, it is worth noting that even when confronted with a bill that many organized interests view as bad policy, universal health care has not been brought up as an alternative.

No. 3: Entitlement programs are hard in general to enact

A third reason America lacks universal health coverage and that House Republicans struggled to pass their plan even in a very conservative House chamber is that America’s political institutions make it difficult for massive entitlement programs to be enacted. As policy experts have pointed out in studies of the U.S. health system, the country doesn’t “have a comprehensive national health insurance system because American political institutions are structurally biased against this kind of comprehensive reform.”

The political system is prone to inertia, and any attempt at comprehensive reform must pass through the obstacle course of congressional committees, budget estimates, conference committees, amendments and a potential veto while opponents of reform publicly bash the bill.

Bottom line: Universal coverage unlikely to happen

Ultimately, the United States remains one of the only advanced industrialized nations without a comprehensive national health insurance system and with little prospect for one developing under President Trump or even subsequent presidents because of the many ways America is exceptional.

Its culture is unusually individualistic, favoring personal over government responsibility; lobbyists are particularly active, spending billions to ensure that private insurers maintain their status in the health system; and our institutions are designed in a manner that limits major social policy changes from happening.

As long as the reasons above remain, there is little reason to expect universal coverage in America anytime soon.

Editor’s note: this is an updated version of an article that originally ran on October 25, 2016.

Timothy Callaghan, Assistant Professor, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Texas A&M University

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.


Do you appreciate our work? Please consider one of the following ways to sustain us.

MBFC Ad-Free 

or

MBFC Donation




Left vs. Right Bias: How we rate the bias of media sources

Found this insightful? Please consider sharing on your Social Media:

Subscribe With Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to MBFC and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 23K other subscribers



6 Comments on "Why the US does not have universal health care, while many other countries do"

  1. Anonymous | May 20, 2017 at 8:11 am |

    I’t’s the lobbyists and Republicans that try to brainwash citizens. Have you seen the town hall meetings? This was written by someone from Texas. I do believe the Texans are mostly Republicans, and not a progressive state.

  2. And that was the message the author conveyed. Lobbyists and conservatives.

  3. James Jacoby | May 20, 2017 at 1:21 pm |

    Historical Vet care is evidence of poor federal management. Anyone who wants a fed employ to have such authority has become Hillary nimp!..Anyone believe Hillary,Reid etc. would use the same system? ! To blame conservatives is childish and it shows me one thing. Thing site is LEFTIST. The State of Texas had elected Richards as governor! You know, the gal with the BIG mouth! Brainwashed? Are you just a simpleton or plain stupid?

  4. Who is blaming conservatives? The only mention of Conservatives is here: “In other words, Americans, and conservatives in particular, have a strong belief in classical liberalism and the idea that the government should play a limited role in society.”

    This statement is true. It is the political position of conservatives to endorse a limited government and free market capitalism. The article did not state it was wrong, but merely one of several reasons why the USA more then likely will not have a Universal System any time soon. James, I think you are reading too deeply into this article. I am also at a loss where you are seeing left bias. The article is merely an analysis and it is accurate.

  5. Seems to me we are stupid not to investigate all other nations approach to healthcare and steal the smart things they do and implement them regardless of one’s “Culture”. Every corporation in the county goes thru an analysis of “best of breed” to assess their own systems, processes etc. and then implements the best. Not us (a) . We are exceptional. Whatever we do is best and we don’t want any idears from them thar socialists . A major example of why our political and government system no longer serves the public but only is there to line the pockets of the guy with the most money

  6. Anonymous | May 24, 2017 at 11:39 pm |

    Seems that greed among many of those in healthcare is also responsible. It is why they vote Republican. Many Democrats are also on board for this over-charging, as long as they are covered. Healthcare providers want to continue to charge a thousand dollars for a two-dollar pill in hospitals. Doctors’ offices are sending people to specialists at higher rates. I left my physician for doing that. I had to wonder if there were kickbacks for referrals because it was the same specialist I was sent to a few months earlier–with an all-clear. Healthcare providers are like many others who just can’t ever have enough money. The greed in the US is a huge problem. Someone who makes $50,000 per year should have the same health opportunities as someone who makes 10 times that much. The value of a life is not figured in dollars and cents. Or is that how it is now? It is a sick and sad commentary on the values of so many Americans, many who claim to follow a religion that wasn’t like that at all.

Comments

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.