Editing Socialized medicine (section)

===Access===
One of the goals of socialized medicine systems is ensuring universal access to health care. Opponents of socialized medicine say that access for low-income individuals can be achieved by means other than socialized medicine, for example, income-related subsidies can function without public provision of either insurance or medical services. Economist [[Milton Friedman]] said the role of the government in health care should be restricted to financing hard cases.<ref name="How to Cure Health Care"/> Universal coverage can also be achieved by making purchase of insurance compulsory. For example, European countries with socialized medicine in the broader sense, such as [[Healthcare in Germany|Germany]] and [[Health care in the Netherlands|The Netherlands]], operate in this way. A legal obligation to purchase health insurance is akin to a mandated health tax, and the use of public subsidies is a form of directed [[income redistribution]] via the tax system{{Citation needed|date=May 2013}}. Such systems give the consumer a free choice amongst competing insurers whilst achieving universality to a government directed minimum standard.

Compulsory health insurance or savings are not limited to so-called socialized medicine, however. Singapore's health care system, which is often referred to as a [[free-market]] or [[Mixed economy|mixed]] system, makes use of a combination of compulsory participation and state price controls to achieve the same goals.<ref name="Watson Wyatt Singapore">{{cite web |author=John Tucci |url=http://www.watsonwyatt.com/europe/pubs/healthcare/render2.asp?ID=13850 |title=The Singapore health system – achieving positive health outcomes with low expenditure |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121210052940/http://www.watsonwyatt.com/europe/pubs/healthcare/render2.asp?ID=13850 |archive-date=December 10, 2012 |work=Watson Wyatt Healthcare Market Review |date=October 2004}}</ref>