Before municipal fire departments, fire departments were private for-profit companies. Service delivery from those companies was costly and inefficient. It was deemed to be a public safety necessity to socialize that service. Nobody, except for the owners, mourned the loss of private for-profit fire companies.
Now, along with municipal fire services, we have public police departments, extensive national military services and a Federal Emergency Management Agency for natural disaster relief.
The for-profit health care system in America is only for those who can afford to pay its very high prices. In order to limit the potential for massive human suffering, a public health care system had to be developed for those who couldn’t afford to pay.
A World Health Organization study of countries’ health care costs and quality lists the U.S. 24th in level of care but first in cost. More statistics: the U.S. is the only country in the world to have medical bankruptcies, about 500,000 per year; there are 28 million people without health insurance.
Too much loss of life and property caused us to socialize our fire service. The statistics say that public health care for all is long overdue.
