Public Health Care

Public Health Care

The United States of America is one of only a few modern countries that does not provide publically funded health care for residents. There are many who do receive such a benefit, but it is not universally available as it is in countries such as France, Great Britain or Canada.

Instead, many Americans pay for their own health insurance policy, receive insurance as an employment benefit. Many others have no health insurance. These people pay for medical services as they are required.

President Obama has declared that public health insurance for more Americans will be implemented. He has received a lot of opposition to the plan. Whether the plan works out or not, it has certainly divided American politians like few other issues ever have. Even with the Obama changes, however, the president's plan only provides health insurance coverage for 95% of the population. That means that over 15 million people will still be without health insurance if and when President Obama's health reform is implemented.

The history of debate on the issue of debate on public health insurance goes back a long way. The current American patch work of private and employer funded insurance plans seems to date to the President Nixon era in the early 1970's. Nixon then declared his reluctance to support public insurance for the bulk of the country. Thus for about 40 years, private health insurance companies have offered their policies to Americans.

Here in British Columbia, Canada, the latest government figures have been published for the cost of public health care in the province. Government paid costs amount to about $3600 per year per person. BC is one of the few provinces to charge a monthly fee for public health insurance, $54 per person. Therefore the total health care costs for people in BC is about $354 per month. Taxes cover the real cost of health care. A person earning $119,000 per year pays $9,887 in provincial income tax. Federal income tax would amount to about $20,000. The value added tax, (HST), is also used to fund health care. It is 12% and is applied to most purchased goods and services. Food, prescription drugs and insurance premiums are not subject to this tax.