everyone already has access to health care

I hear pundits and callers on talk radio argue that "Everyone already has access to health care- it's called the Emergency Room.  They cannot turn you away and have tot treat you."  There are several problems with this argument.  It is true in an acute condition, for example if you get hit by a car, they do need to "stabilize" you.  But it is not true for chronic, ongoing conditions.  You cannot get your chemotherapy, or physical therapy, or occupational therapy, or ongoing dialysis at an ER.

The second problem is that the ER is the MOST EXPENSIVE place for anyone to get treatment.  So if the hospital has to eat that cost, they pass it on to the rest of us paying consumers.

But most importantly, in acute conditions they hospital has to treat you, but they do not do so for free.  So if you have no insurance, you will get taken to the closest ER where they will stabilize you.  But then in a few weeks, you'll get a bill for tens of thousands of dollars.  When you can't pay that, you will have to declare bankruptcy, lose your house, and ruin your credit rating.  Medical bills are now the #1 cause of bankruptcy.

I want universal health care.  Critics complain of it being "socialism".  Well, we already have several socialized systems in our country.  It's like association dues in a condominium.  We all chip in for things that benefit us all.  We all benefit from having viable roads, so we all contribute taxes to build and maintain them.  Having a police force benefits us all.  Having an educated populace benefits us all.  And I argue that it benefits ME to have YOU be healthy.

There will always be someone in the middle between you and your health care provider.  Would you rather that entity be one that is not allowed to make money, or one who's sole purpose is to make as much money as possible?  I would gladly pay another 5-10 thousand per year in taxes if it meant I would not have to pay the 18 thousand that I pay in health insurance premiums.  I am also an employer, and every employee I bring on will cost me up to 10 thousand dollars just in health care.  So it'll cost me 40ko to hire someone and pay them 30k.  There is no reason that our health care should be tied to and dependent on our employers. 

So the existing health care system sucks.  We are the only country that does not have some form of universal care, and we are the only one that allow primary insurance companies to be for-profit.  My premiums just went up 20%, my benefits went down, and my risk factors and health are NO DIFFERENT.  We are getting screwed.  Medicare for all!  At least give me the option.