Making health care affordable to all is a big political issue in many countries. What do you think is the best way to achieve this?

Free or cheaper health care for lower income households. Subsidy from the higher income or tax the corporates to give back to the poorer. Health as in life should always be the priority in humanity.

Exactly what yinyang said.

When I was having chronic issues it was sure nice to be able to see a doctor repeatedly almost the same day. Granted this was during the pandemic when I think people were putting off care. I suspect this would not be possible with a public system, but maybe the good of the many outways the good of the few.

divert some of the national budget allocated to not so essential or urgent matters. health is a constant and always urgent concern, we need more funding in that sector.

Making health care affordable to all is a big political issue in many countries.

The issue is mainly how the medical and pharmaceutical industry and the insurance industry can overcome any idea of a fair and "socialised" health system to maximise profits. Where they are in the ascendant the people can even be persuaded to back policies against their own interest.

The Japanese system works well. Low-paid, unemployed, and others can be exempt from paying. During my four years of cancer treatment, I have found the healthcare to be excellent. I visit the hospital every three months. There are also many clinics people can use instead of hospitals and are usually less expensive. Our local dentist, who is excellent and can have a same-day appointment charges less than ¥1,000 per visit.

What do you think is the best way to achieve this?

Do not elect bad politicians who mess with the health care system and/or defund it in real terms. Defunding includes handing a publicly run system over to for-profit providers. That's definitely the case in the UK. The US has tens of millions with no health cover and very little access to support, their politics is dominated by insurors and big pharma, who bankroll bad politicians.

Japan does not have "good" politicians, but they seem at least wise enough to leave well alone. Japanese politics as a whole appears to be one big exercise in not doing anything. Politicians usually make the news for gaffes like "I think women should make the tea", not launching big iniatives to shake up health care, schools, nursing homes, trains and expressways, etc. etc. The book must be thirty years old but Karel von Wolferen made a strong case that the real power in Japan lies in the bureaucracy, the ministries, not with the elected legistators, the politicians we see on tv.

Well I can tell you what doesn't work.

"Free" which isn't really free but hidden in taxes.

3 people one in Japan 2 in Canada.

Very elderly man.

2 older 2 years apart.

The 2 both have the same heart condition resulting in serious urgent hospital treatment.

The one in Japan free ambulance ER, CT scan, 3 hours emergency operation, 4 weeks in hospital (2 in ICU) multiple ECG, echocardiograms, physio check etc...all before release.

Lower income so a total cost was ¥40,000

The one in Canada Paid ambulance, $250 hospital CT scan, one ECG surgery, kicked 2 days ICU 2 days regular 4 person ward and kicked out on a waiting list for the final heart test and physio check ( appointment set 3 months later took 6 months.

No payment 100% on provincial universal health care ( no dental no pharmaceutical coverage).

The elderly man needed a echocardiogram coincidentally so did the man in Japan ordered by their doctors one week apart.

The man in Japan was one week after the elderly man in Canada.

The man in Japan got his echocardiogram the same day cost doctor visit medication prescription ECG, echocardiogram blood test ¥ 5,000

The elderly man in Canada well I'll have to get back to you on that because he's still waiting for his echocardiogram appointment it's been 6 months now!

Basically it comes down to this the Japanese system has flaws but by having a user fee or a percentage it guarantees that people don't abuse the system it also permits private hospitals and private doctors to function within the system almost all universal care where it's 100% covered with no fees on site inevitably lead to abuse closure of private practices and overcrowded emergency rooms because people really have nowhere else to go and rationing of services.

In Canada and other no fee universal healthcare countries, Things like CT scans, echocardiograms, MRI, etc..are only available in government run large hospitals with long waiting lists.

But in Japan even smaller clinics have these machines, in one case a large university hospital was over crowded so I was offered to go just 10 minutes away to a clinic for an MRI and return with the results in an hour or wait a few days for an appointment.

Shoulder so walked to the clinic got the MRI walked back to the university hospital with results on disk done.

I do think the 30% is high but with everything we get and I have never had to wait months for treatment or a test , give me the Japanese system overost no fee universal healthcare systems

There are countries with good universal healthcare.

the ten countries with the best health care are:

   South Korea

   Taiwan

   Denmark

   Austria

   Japan

   Australia

   France

   Spain

   Belgium

   United Kingdom

https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/best-healthcare-in-the-world

Another site claims

The following 10 countries have been assessed as providing the best healthcare for their population.

   Japan

   Singapore

   South Korea

   Norway

   Taiwan

   Israel

   China

   Iceland

   Netherlands

   Sweden

https://www.atlasandboots.com/remote-work/countries-with-the-best-healthcare-in-the-world/

Do what Japan does and set fixed prices for medical procedures, ensuring that there are no unpleasant surprises when you suddenly need medical care. This is the real strength of the Japanese system, more than how everyone has to pay into it.

Healthcare is affordable in the US.

It starts with getting a job.

cuddly

Healthcare is affordable in the US.

> It starts with getting a job.

Something like 40 million Americans cannot afford basic healthcare. Medical bankruptcies are the largest sector.