For progressives, the answer to every healthcare problem is invariably the same: more government.First came Obamacare. Now, some on the Left are trying to take the next step toward socialized medicine — “free” primary care for all. A new report from the Searchlight Institute, authored by several architects of the Affordable Care Act, urges Democratic policymakers to guarantee primary care with no out-of-pocket costs at the point of service. It sounds compassionate. But making something “free” does not magically create more of it.
The Association of American Medical Colleges projects that the United States could face a shortage of more than 40,000 primary care doctors by 2036. Even today, many patients wait weeks, sometimes months, for appointments.
Creating a new federal entitlement to no-cost primary care would dramatically increase demand for doctor visits without expanding the supply of physicians.
That imbalance has predictable consequences: longer waits, overburdened doctors, and reduced access to care.
Countries with government-run health systems offer a preview. Canada and the United Kingdom both promise “free” healthcare at the point of service. But patients ultimately pay in other ways: through high taxes, restricted access to care, and reduced access to the latest treatments and diagnostic technology.
