Businesses, especially small businesses, must often pay for benefits for their employees, and budding American entrepreneurs would not have this additional expense to worry about when starting an enterprise, under a single-payer system. Even huge companies like General Motors and Ford are suffering because of the lack of universal coverage for all Americans. One of the greatest drains upon both automotive companies' finances has been the extravagant benefits they promised to retired as well as its current workers, a drain upon profits that no corporation based in a country with 'socialized medicine' will have to suffer. Ironically, many companies that represent American capitalism are seeking to expand their operations in nations with single-payer healthcare systems to reduce labor costs, even if wages and taxes may be higher some of in nations, such as Canada. While it is true there are frustrating delays in terms of accessing care in the United Kingdom, Canada, and other nations with single-payer nations, it is also worthy of reflection that both anecdotally and statistically, Americans must wait for a long time, for approval for payment from their insurance companies for procedures, and in the waiting rooms of many Emergency Rooms that are filled to the brim of individuals who use the facility as a site of primary care, because they cannot afford a regular physician. Americans may even find their coverage denied after the fact, if their condition is deemed a 'preexisting' condition not covered by the insurance policy they possess.

Additionally, despite the complaints about bureaucratic red tape, the...

"For instance, it takes more people to administer Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts that it does to administer the entire health care system of Canada" (Robinson, 2007). "Before Canada implemented their national health program, their health costs were the same portion of their economy as in the U.S. After they implemented their program, their costs stabilized at 9% while U.S. costs have increased to 14%. They spend one tenth of what U.S. health care providers spend on overhead" (Robinson, 2007). The length of wait times is also partially due to the dearth of specialists in Canada, not because of the single-payer system itself, where everyone pays into the system, rich and poor and thus is committed to its quality.
Under the single payer system, America would have a truly democratic system of healthcare -- rich and poor, citizen and immigrant, young and old, would all be covered. America pioneered democracy as a political system, yet America must look abroad for models to heal our ailing system in this particular sphere of American public life.

Works Cited

Robinson, Bruce. "Canada's Single Payer Health Care System - it's Worth a Look."

Boulder Community Health watch: Canada. 2007.

http://bcn.boulder.co.us/health/healthwatch/canada.html

"Sicko: Checkup on the Facts." Michael Moore "Sicko" Companion Website. 2007.

30 Jul 2007 at http://www.michaelmoore.com/sicko/checkup/