The American Heritage Dictionary (4th ed., 2001) defines socialized medicine as “a system for providing medical and hospital care for all at a nominal cost by means of government regulation.” This leaves room for considerable craftsmanship in the construction of socialist systems. Indeed existing socialized medical systems in, for example, Great Britain, Cuba, Finland, and Switzerland conform to this definition, but are far from monolithic.
Because every aspect of a socialized health care industry is controlled and provided by the government—most doctors, nurses, medics, and administrators are government employees—the system, such as the National Health Service (NHS) in Britain, determines where, when, and how services are provided. Of course citizens may seek care outside the system, in the private sector.Socialized medical systems are designed to eliminate the insurance industry and…
