Socialized Medicine Pros and Cons List

Socialized medicine is a topic that often comes up during political debates. There are some who believe that all modernized countries should be offering some form of socialized medicine to their citizens, while there are others who do not see the need for it and believe the system will be abused. With valid points to be made by each side, let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons.

List of Pros of Socialized Medicine

1. All Patients Can Receive Health Care
With socialized medication, a person never has to worry about being able to receive the proper health care or having to go without important treatments and medications due to insufficient funds. Affordable medical treatment for all citizens alleviates severe and ongoing financial concerns, thus freeing people up to spend their hard earned money on other important life necessities.

2. Patients Can Purchase More Medicine
The medical industry does not lose out on as much money as detractors claim because any lost funds are at least partially offset by the fact that a patient can now afford to purchase the amount of medicine that they need, without having to worry about the costs. Being able to buy medicine in bulk is not only a boon for the patient, it is also a boon for the industry.

3. Disease Is No Longer A Death Sentence
In areas that do not have socialized medicine, there are certain diseases that are essentially a death sentence to those who are diagnosed with them. With socialized medicine, a person can get the help they need, even if they have been stricken with a terminal illness.

List of Cons of Socialized Medicine

1. Health Care Quality Decreases
When hospitals and doctors’ offices are forced to offer their services to anybody and everybody, the overall quality of the treatment received greatly diminishes. Under a socialized medicine system, the government seizes control, taking away a hospital’s ability to make their own decisions regarding health care.

2. Longer Waits
Once health care becomes the domain of the government and socialized medicine is offered, this increases the number of patients who are seeking assistance dramatically. Wait times for patients in need of serious medical assistance are affected adversely. Socialized medicine is an imperfect system and problems like this do not come with an easy fix.

3. Decreases Competition
If the medical field becomes dramatically less lucrative and hospitals are all forced to charge the same rate, this decreases the level of healthy competition that exists between health care professionals. It will also decrease the number of students who decide to pursue a career in a hospital or doctor’s office. Pharmaceuticals may also lose their potency in a world with less competition.