For-profit universal healthcare: would it work in the US?

[Mad Cow]

[ QUOTE ]
Since healthcare is also often a life-or death issue, a socialized approach, where profit concerns are removed from the equation, is the best answer.

[/ QUOTE ] (Michael Moore's thoughts according of 'Michael Moore and socialized medicine')

This is a wild shortcut:

a) Other businesses deal with life-or-death issues. Should we also remove profit concerns from the transporation industry? I can think of dozens of other examples.
b) The entire insurance business lives with an inherent conflict, turning a profit vs. delivering a high quality and fair service when something bad happens. There is nothing special about health insurance at this point of view.

The insurance business has proven over ages to be a perfectly sensible type of business that benefits from normal market forces. I don’t see why it would be any different for health insurance. There are perfectly reasonable reasons why, as a society, we would want to have more legislative impact on health insurance than on pet insurance, though (for safety, fairness, ethical grounds, or whatever).

I like the Swiss system that makes health insurance compulsory on a personal basis (employers don’t get involved), but that entirely rely on 90 for-profit insurance businesses (2005). Folks who have difficulty paying can get financial assistance for their premiums – up to 100% for people really in need. The basic type of health insurance that you are entitled to is not fancy, but high quality, and all the big stuff is covered. Those who want to make sure that they always have a private room when in the hospital, or who want full coverage for alternative medicine, or whatever, can buy additional coverage. The maximum yearly deductible for the basic insurance is set between USD 230 and USD 1,900 + 10% of the cost over the deductible.

It can get somewhat expensive (USD 1,100 to USD 1,800 a year for the basic insurance with maximum deductible) [www.comparis.ch]). And those who can afford it (vast majority) pay 100% of it.

They seem to like it though. In March 2007, the people rejected in popular vote a socialized healthcare system with 71%.

Do you think that it is a type of system that would be accepted by a majority of US voters?