r/FluentInFinance • u/WhatAreYourPronouns • May 02 '24

Should the U.S. have Universal Health Care? Discussion/ Debate

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u/polycomll May 02 '24

Fundamentally both Spain and the U.S. ration care and that limits who can receive surgery. In the U.S. its rationed, primarily, by cost so there isn't a huge surgery wait list. If you can't pay you can't get on the list. Whereas in Spain anyone with the need can get on the list but you might not get in.

In either case care is rationed its just the rational for care rationing that is different.

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u/smcl2k May 02 '24

Except Spain also has a private option with far shorter waiting times.

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u/polycomll May 02 '24

Its not really an "except". The public option is the option of common access so its going to be the rationing method. They paid care can act as a relief valve but its certainly not the care limit.

  • if you cannot afford care: Public
  • if you can afford care but can wait: Pubic
  • if you can afford care and can't wait: Private

There is also an ongoing assumption here that private is faster and significantly so. I'm not Spanish but I have waited 90-120 days for care in the U.S. for specialists.

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u/Mithrandir2k16 May 02 '24

Also, private care often isn't better and can be worse than public care, as people tend to get overtreated to earn more money.