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Medicare works because it is limited to social security recipients so a portion of the monthly benefit can be diverted as premiums for the Medicare coverage. That procedure is not available with respect to others not receiving social security. Medicaid cannot be expanded.
Yep... whether it's Medicare/Medicaid expansion or a fully new public system altogether(though that would probably be more doubtful than the first option) a truly conservative market approach just won't work. It's amazing how hard the right has been against "Obamacare" since it stems largely from the conservative/libertarian Heritage Foundation and the Mitt Romney administration's own health insurance initiative when he was governor of Massachusetts... the only direction they seem to be interested in going is that which would have precluded millions from even receiving the deeply flawed coverage available under Obamacare(properly of course, the Affordable Care Act or ACA) which is hardly a beneficial solution. I do know that the Republicans were unwilling to come to the table at all about helping make the ACA better. We got a flawed plan because it was the best option available to the Obama Administration... but was ingenious because it was so flawed and the right wing of the GOP just couldn't get the ACA out of their heads, spooked about its non-existent "socialized medicine". They got what they kinda wanted in the House(though the whole experience of rashly pushing a bill hardly any really understood or read through, far less honestly vetted and presented than the ACA put Trump and his GOP cronies in new heights of unmitigated gall and hypocrisy).. but the Senate essentially wants the ACA revived under a whole new name and branding. The "Freedom Caucus" asshats will never go along with the Senate's reworking of their bill.. even if something passes to save face, this is going to blow up bigly on the GOP as an issue and after seeing that disgraceful "victory" garden party on the White House lawn, will be so happy on the day the public option becomes a reality however long it takes. I feel really optimistic it truly will be sooner rather than later with the Charles Krauthammer statements ... coming from him, that day seems a hell of a lot more probable, not merely possible.
Fortunately the Constitution prevents your totalitarian schemes such as mandatory national service, involuntary servitude and deprivation of liberty without due process. No, military draft is not a precedent, since the constitution specifically authorizes the raising of armies and a navy, which implies a draft if necessary.
You may be right and what you described, provincial controls, VAT, etc., I would enthusiastically endorse that approach here, as I consider myself a conservative who favours broad state autonomy in such matters. I just believe health care is a right under natural law, not a privilege. As for expanding Medicare, my understanding is that is how the Canadians did it; slowly expanding Medicare, (As it is also called in Canada.) under federal guidance and assistance with provincial initiates as well, to eventual universal coverage.
Thank you for your response. It was very informative and I don't disagree with it, necessarily. I actually think that the real stumbling block in the US was not only differing public attitudes and trust in government, but our differing party systems. As you point out, in the US, our system is much more consultative and has been so hamstrung with the widening political division, Left/Right, because of that fact. We also have a very weak party system were it is more like 535 individuals who run and rely on their personal ties to special interests whereas Canada as a parliamentary, party rule system, where the party is the most important entity of a campaign, and once in power, MP's are beholden to the party and it's leadership, much more than they are to any single special interests.
