Health Care in the United States

The United States in one of the richest, most populous and most powerful countries in the world and plays a central leadership role in the world. On the world stage, the U.S. often challenges other countries about their records regarding human rights. Yet the United States is failing its own citizens by not granting every citizen access to basic health care. Many citizens in the United States needlessly suffer and die each day due to the inequities of the health care system in the U.S. This is a horrible national catastrophe! The United States needs to provide universal health care to all of its citizens and legal residents. While the issue is very complex and touches many people and institutions, it is a problem that can and must be solved. The United States has one of the worst health care systems in the world and is the only developed democracy without a universal health care system. France has a universal health care system that is funded by taxes from income, from pharmaceutical companies, and health harming products such as tobacco. There is a co-payment for certain services, but every citizen is entitled to health care. France spent 10% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on health care in 2000. Denmark, interestingly enough, has a universal health care system that is free to all citizens. It is government funded, 82.2% by taxes. Citizens are required to pay for procedures such as cosmetic surgery if it is not for a health purpose. Denmark spent 8.4% of GDP on health care in 2000. Australia also has a universal health care system that spent about 8.5% of GDP on health care in 2000 (Health care systems). The United States government spent 15.3% of their GDP on health care in 2003. In the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), an organization of developed countries around the world, 15.3% is more than any other country spends. The average is 8.2%. The United States also spent $6,500 per capita on health care, which again is more

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