Doctors who are not paid based on their quality may be more likely to perform at a lower quality, some hypothesize. This argument is also used to support the fact that having national health insurance may dissuade those who would be good doctors from going into the medical field, as they may opt for better paying positions. Paying doctors, and healthcare workers as a whole, is another major issue that those opposed to universal healthcare site. They wonder how the economy can support such a policy, believing that it will be paid for by a hike in taxes, so that the benefit from universal healthcare will be overshadowed by the literal cost. John O'Shea, a practicing general surgeon and a prominent conservative, takes this view. He argues that government-run health care is inefficient, and that people have to wait for a long amount of time before they can receive the benefits that they need (para. 1). The problem of the wait time has been one of the most used attacks against universal health care, as some wonder whether health insurance would matter at all if one has to wait a great deal of time for it. In addition, O'Shea argues that a better answer would be to use the government to subsidize low-income healthcare, but still allow low-income persons to make decisions regarding where they will go for care. O'Shea argues that "the fundamental flaw un universal health-care systems is a misplacement of incentives" (para. 3). This means that O'Shea believes patients and doctors, not the government, should be making decisions about...

Finally, O'Shea also argues that spending money on universal health care programs would mean raising taxes and diverting funds away from other important sectors, such as education, defense, and medical research (para. 1).
Thus, both sides in the argument regarding universal healthcare, but the American people must be considered in the debate. Recent trends have Americans favoring universal healthcare like never before. In a 2007 CBS-New York Times poll, 54% thought that the healthcare system needed fundamental changes, and 36% argued that it should be completely rebuilt. Of those surveyed, 98% believed that some change needed to be made (Roberts paras. 1-4). Although the switch to universal health care has major implications for the government, medical industry, and economic status of the country, most Americans are ready to see it happen. Further, recent trends have also seem universal health care implemented in states, or at least states that offer some kind of option to those who cannot afford health insurance. Massachusetts has a government-run healthcare system, and although the system has met criticism from conservatives like Tom Blumer, who argues that the system is failing, it was recently ranked the state with the third-best healthcare quality in the nation (Boulton para. 4). What these trends and implications suggest is that universal healthcare is an important issue that must be deeply considered before it is implemented. Still, health care plans like the ones Obama is proposing, which offer cooperation between the government and the private sector, offer a unique alternative.

Works Cited

Blumer, Tom. "Boston Globe Story Describes MA's State-Run Health Care as 'Trailblazing' As Its Problems Deepen; Will OBC/ABC Notice?" News Busters. 24 June 2009. 27 June 2009.