Again...
What portion of this part of the post did you not comprehend:
Now, take into account that people are currently putting off operations, prescriptions and all sorts of stuff because of cost and you will see that figure at least DOUBLE and probably QUADRUPLE again! (as everyone gets that costly medicine for their arthritic knees and for their suspected bipolar symptom disorder, paranoia, depression, incontinence - what have you) Now we're looking at anywhere from 36 to 72 trillion dollars.
Even the healthy folks will want to "get their money's worth" out of universal healthcare. If I get a small cut or a rash - heck, I'll get another Tetanus shot and a prescription. EVERYONE will be that way. How do I know? Jeez...I just look at how you folks are drooling over the prospect to know that there are MILLIONS of folks who would be practically living at their local healthcare office for real and imagined illnesses. And with folks like yourself who feel entitled to such, the system would be designed to cover everything from jock itch to botox.
My figure is right on the money. You KNOW it is. I don't need to "re-estimate figures" because of undershooting the mark. I know that everyone will go hog crazy. And what's more, once the government is involved the pharmaceutical companies, and providers of equipment, etcetera will jack up the costs. Dang right they will!
So now even the prescriptions that were outrageous at $100 for 30 pillls will become $200 dollars for the same pills - probably more. There will be rampant pricing abuse.
The bottom line: 30 trillion dollars a year for universal healthcare for the entire United States.
Period.
The spike in demand for ALL medicines, doctors and equipment would be used to justify the price hikes. And in part, a certain measure would be justified.
It would breed a new "provider economy" wherein the money is made by gouging the US government by creating a monopoly on certain medical products, much the way the Defense Department buys $15,000 toilets and $100 dollar hex nuts.