Question How would "socialized medicine affect the United States healthcare system? Response The U.S health policy is a story of progress, with substantial gains in health insurance coverage over the past century, culmination in the ACA's enactment. But U.S health policy has also been an abject failure, having produced an inequitable, inefficient system that is the most expensive in the world and that leaves 20% of the nonelderly population uninsured. Health insurance should be a source of security and reassurance. The U.S insurance system is too often a source of suffering, anxiety, economic insecurity, and frustration. (Oberlander Jonathan, A Century of Healthcare Reform in the United States) The advantages of Socialized medicine; People who cannot afford insurance will be able to seek medical help, death mortality rate will decrease, Medical professionals can concentrate on healing the patient rather than on insurance procedures, malpractice liability, etc. The disadvantages of socialized medicine; "free" health care isn't really free since we must pay for it with taxes; expenses for health care would have to be paid for with higher taxes or spending cuts in other areas such as defense, education, etc. Government-controlled health care would lead to a decrease in patient flexibility. A long, painful transition will have to take place involving lost insurance industry jobs, business closures, and new patient record creation. Many individuals who are unable to pay for insurance states that "We should have a universal health care system. Too many Americans who fall ill are forced to worry about how to pay their medical bills and the threat of medical bankruptcy, rather than focusing on getting well or coping with maladies that won't improve. Too many Americans cannot obtain decent, affordable insurance because they have preexisting conditions, lack the financial resources, or work for small business" (Oberlander Jonathan, A Century of