Socialized Medicine & Universal Healthcare: Is it the same?

From my limited understanding, I am under the impression that these two terms are basically the same.  Let's start with the definitions:

Socialized Medicine -

any of various systems to provide the entire population with complete medical care through government subsidization and regularization of medical and health services. [1]

A government-regulated system for providing health care for all by means of subsidies derived from taxation. [2]

A system for providing medical and hospital care for all at a nominal cost by means of government regulation of health services and subsidies derived from taxation. [3]

 Universal Healthcare -

health care coverage which is extended to all citizens, and sometimes permanent residents, of a governmental region. Universal health care programs vary widely in their structure and funding mechanisms, particularly the degree to which they are publicly funded. Typically, most health care costs are met by the population via compulsory health insurance or taxation, or a combination of both.

Universal health care systems require government involvement, typically in the forms of enacting legislation, mandates and regulation. In some cases, government involvement also includes directly managing the health care system, but many countries use mixed public-private systems to deliver universal health care.[4][5][6]

It still sounds very similar to me.  According to Wikipedia, "definitions [of socialized medicine] vary, and usage is inconsistent. The term can refer to any system of medical care that is publicly financed, government administered, or both." [7]

From what I can see, whether it is called 'Socialized Medicine' or 'Universal Healthcare' there is still some amount of government involvement, which is never a good idea.  Including healthcare in the 'inalienable rights" of "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness"[8] is not what the founder of this great nation intended.   They knew that adding more power to the nation's government would lead this country towards the type of government they just liberated themselves from.  It would also mean the start of this country down the road to becoming a 'Welfare State'.  What is a 'Welfare State'?

a state in which the welfare of the people in such matters as social security, health and education, housing, and working conditions is the responsibility of the government.[9]

'Social security, health and education, housing, and working conditions'[9] are NOT 'unalienable Rights' that are 'endowed by [our] Creator'.[8]  If all these things were given to us without any work on our part, we would become dependent on the government for everything.  I can see two problems with this:

• we would, over time, loose our ability and desire to work for what we want (look at Guam)
• the government would have the power over the people to govern how they see fit, not the other way around.

'Socialized Medicine' or 'Universal Healthcare', whatever you want to call it, may not seem like a big deal to some.  It may even seem like a good idea in the short term.  In the long term, it is a step towards government control of everything and the removing of taking personal responsibility over our own actions.

[1] socialized medicine. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Retrieved July 01, 2008, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/socialized medicine
[2] socialized medicine. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Retrieved July 01, 2008, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/socialized medicine
[3] socialized medicine. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary. Retrieved July 01, 2008, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/socialized medicine
[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_health_care
[5] Insuring America's Health: Principles and Recommendations, Institute of Medicine at the National Academies of Science, 2004-01-14, accessed 2007-10-22
[6] The Case For Single Payer, Universal Health Care For The United States
[7] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialized_medicine
[8] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Declaration_of_Independence
[9] welfare state. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Retrieved July 01, 2008, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/welfare state