One of the great myths about American society is that our lack of a “universal” health plan harms our competitiveness, says John R. Graham, director of health care studies at the Pacific Research Institute and senior fellow with the National Center for Policy Analysis.
Domestic critics claim that U.S. health care is a drag on productivity, but the United States is the world’s most productive nation.
Americans without the means to pay for health care are largely a consequence of misguided government intrusion. Moreover, the American welfare state is capable of subsidising those truly incapable of financial self-reliance, says Graham.
American crusaders for “universal” health care as opposed to universal choice in health care emphasise America’s uniqueness in lacking this characteristic of the modern welfare state. Given the benefits of America’s productivity, perhaps it is a uniqueness we should not rush to abandon.
Source: John R. Graham, American Health Care and American Productivity: An International Comparison, Pacific Research Institute, November 2010.
For text: http://www.pacificresearch.org/docLib/20101108_HPP102010_F.pdf
For more on Health Issues: http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_Category=16
First published by the National Center for Policy Analysis, United States
FMF Policy Bulletin/ 16 November 2010
