There aren't enough Physicians, they don't make much and they all seem to be working 12 hour days but being paid a salary that would equate to an 8 hour day.
Doctors see downsides of a universal coverage are mostly about loss of autonomy and increased demand because when care becomes free demand rises along with pressure to expand access without extra staff.
There are not enough physicians because we have limited the number of physicians. This was done, in part, by limiting the number of residency positions.
[1] https://petrieflom.law.harvard.edu/2022/03/15/ama-scope-of-p...
Most other countries don't even have a residency system. After graduation you simply apply for and work as a junior dr. for some number of years. No federal funding of a 'residency' position necessary.
Yeah, having lived under universal care, the dark side of it was atrociously long waits to see a specialist and having a GP who is obviously overworked and barely spends any time seeing you.
If you want to be seen immediately (even when triage determines it not necessary) you can just supplement with private insurance
But that’s not universal care. “Triage determines it not necessary” is a cold comfort to someone waiting years for a procedure they actually do need.
That may be your experience, and I’m sorry to hear it, but that is not the universal experience.
I’m in the hospital right now. My two year old had her tonsils and adenoids out this morning. Regular Dr visit lead to an X-ray on the same day, specialist appointment 3 weeks later, surgery 2 months later (would have been one month, but we pushed it back because timing and life).
Just talking about how my wife is coming off 18 months of maternity leave. Before that she quit and just didn’t work for 3 years because burn out. I’ve been self employed for 10 years earning about $20k a year.
This whole thing cost us exactly nothing. Would be the same if we’d never had jobs.
Mum got stage 4 cancer in another country where she lived. 2.5 years of radiation, chemo, X-rays, mri, and dozens and dozens of specialist appointments (which she got paid for transit and free accommodation in the capital city) not to mention the mountains of serious drugs.
Total cost $0.
Anyone that argues against this is either not very intelligent (easily manipulated by the propaganda) or does not want to help others (“freeloaders”), or is getting rich from the status quo.
In America, anyone who earns $20k a year with with a 2 year old is going to get free medical care, too. I have several kids and my medical care is free up until we make about $55,000 per year. If we had no jobs, same thing.
A close relative of mine (who is single) also had cancer and had 100% of it paid for.
Transportation costs are also paid for, although we never needed overnight accommodation so far.
My prior experience was in Australia was a youngster under a particularly terrible universal care system in the 1989s, and then in the 2000s when I lived in Canada.
I get a little weary of the refrain about how American healthcare is terrible, esp. for poorer people - it’s actually very good.
Why are 27 million Americans without healthcare, are why is medical bankruptcy so common?
A massive percentage of the population don’t have and/or can’t afford healthcare.
By definition, that is not a good system.
Well, by definition, someone who can’t afford it is eligible to apply for and receive assistance.
I know plenty of people who are eligible and simply don’t want to apply.
1)People who choose not to buy insurance because we don't force them to. 2) Adults in the remaining states that chose not to extend medicare who don't earn enough to qualify for ACA subsidies. 3) Adults who qualify for subsidies but still can't afford relativly expensive ACA plans. 4) Others? Not sure if that number includes noncitizens who don't qualify for assistance?
And yet that's exactly my experience in the US healthcare system.
Indeed: https://arstechnica.com/health/2026/08/us-wait-times-for-can...