Preview

Universal Health Care Essay Example

Best Essays
Open Document
Open Document
3000 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Universal Health Care Essay Example
Universal Health Care
Amy Hall
Southern New Hampshire University
Microeconomics
Dr. Thirtle

Abstract: Universal health care coverage is a highly controversial issue all over the world, but of special interest in the United States. The U.S. is considered one of the few truly industrialized nations in the world which does not provide some form of comprehensive health care coverage for its citizens. This paper will examine some of the arguments and data provided both for and against a universal health care (also referenced as UHC) plan.

Universal Health Care The U.S. has been in turmoil over the topic of Universal Health Care for some time now. The idea sounds simple enough; government provides coverage for everyone, rich or poor and everyone gets the services they require. However, many citizens may think twice about such a program when they look into the details of how it is funded and delivered to the public. Before getting in too deep in this subject it is important to understand the term Universal Health Care (UHC). Universal health care refers to government mandated programs intended to ensure that all citizens, and sometimes permanent residents, of a governmental region have access to most types of health care. Patients may pay for some portion of their care directly, but most care is subsidized by taxpayers and/or by compulsory insurance (Search 2010). UHC is a very broad term which could mean anything from government financing (as in Medicare / Medicaid for all) to use of tax law to bring everyone into the private health-insurance system (as recently enacted in Massachusetts under Republican Governor Mitt Romney). Public under-education is huge factor in the United States indecision on a UHC plan. Last autumn, the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest found this out firsthand. “Our organization interviewed people on the streets of New York City and asked them if they'd prefer "government" health care or "universal" health care.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    I think that if the U.S. was ever able to change its health care system to universal health, we would benefit by adopting this practice in order to prevent bankruptcy. Reid returns to the problems of America’s health care regarding the cost, coverage, and quality on page 226 where he emphasizes the idea that they can be changed. Most importantly, many Americans are blind to the terrible health care system that they have. They try to cover it up with myths about health care overseas. Reid touches on five myths that Americans have which include topics such as everyone having socialized medicine, rationing care and limited choices, bloated bureaucracies, cruel acts of health insurance companies, and describing other systems as being too foreign.…

    • 749 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    HCA 305 Final Paper

    • 2396 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Health care costs have become a major issue in the United States, both socially and politically. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 50.7 million people, or nearly one in six U.S. residents, were uninsured in 2009 (Kaiser Health News, 2010).This is because the high cost of health care has driven the cost of insurance out of the reach of many Americans. Contributing factors to the continuing increase in the cost of health care are the generally unhealthy…

    • 2396 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The controversial issue of healthcare coverage for all individuals is an ethical and moral issue that Americans struggle with and as socially proactive as they are on there are many issues arising of it. Healthcare is not only about health and coverage but the major issue is about funding, what can be funded and what cannot be funded and how is going to be funded. Universal healthcare in other countries offers insight into some of the biggest issues and best alternatives for providing healthcare to all and to resolve the health care rising cost. The ethical issue of health care has led to the Accountable Care…

    • 1588 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    On March 23, 2010 the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was signed by President Obama, raising the question for many of whether this new law was going to be more helpful or hurtful. With universal healthcare, healthcare coverage would be increased tremendously, costs would be reduced, jobs would be created, and consumers would be protected. Conversely, it will also raise taxes and wait times, lead to a smaller number of doctors, and infringe on some employers’ 1st amendment rights. Presenting both arguments for and against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act allows one to draw a conclusion on whether the new program will benefit or hinder the citizens of the United States.…

    • 1279 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    For the past decades, politicians and insurance companies could carelessly proclaim that the United States had the best healthcare system in the world, but as its major deficiencies have become more apparent many people have found it harder to accept this claim. It is reported that around 59 million Americans are without health insurance and are aware that our health care system does not work for everyone. This has caused a growing recognition that the major problems of rising costs and lack of access constitute a real crisis. However, the search solutions have not been easy or clear cut. The problems of our health care system have been responded to with various makeshift solutions rather than analyzing the system itself as a whole to take…

    • 962 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Health care reform in the United States is a hot topic and the source of legislation meant to make health care obtainable to Americans. Recent presidential elections have been platforms used to promote health care reform yet no one can agree on what the resolution will be. This paper will discuss ways recent health care reform measures have expanded or inhibited access to health care. This paper will discuss how changes to access may lead to influences in utilization. Concepts of what universal health care may be and how current care reflects or contrasts with this will be discussed. In addition, this paper will describe a personal experience with health care expansion either negative or positive.…

    • 1337 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    For some time now, Americans have been wanting to switch to a universal health care system. A healthcare system where all Americans will have access to the proper health care that is affordable and fits their needs. Some solutions that can be implemented are replacing for-profit insurance companies, reforming the health care system, and hiring insurance companies that have slow cost growths. These are excellent solutions because there are a substantial number of Americans who do not have health insurance and desperately need it. However, we should not put a national health care system into effect because our current health care system is in a corrupt state and has to be addressed before we can move forward.…

    • 1215 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    “Successful health reform must not just make health insurance affordable, affordable health insurance has to make health care affordable” (Elizabeth Edwards). Universal health care is one of the primary goals the United States wants for all Americans. The fight for universal health care dates back to 1993 when Bill Clinton suggested a reform bill for employers to provide health insurance, but the Senate rejected it and proposed individuals instead of employees to buy insurance. This specific proposal prompted the government with the necessity to create a health care reform. To give all of the nation’s residents basic health insurance, The Affordable Care Act was passed also known as Obamacare in 2010.…

    • 1829 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Affordable Act

    • 293 Words
    • 2 Pages

    2. A medical professional who supports universal health care outlined a History of Universal Health Care Efforts in the U.S. She listed some American beliefs, values and political ideas that help explain why the United States does not provide government-run, free universal healthcare, the way that many other countries do. These beliefs, values and ideas include: interest-group influence, ideological differences, anti-communist and anti-socialist views, the entrepreneurial character of American medicine, a tradition of American voluntarism (meaning we don’t like to be told what to do), and the association of public programs with charity, dependence and personal failure.…

    • 293 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Chronic Renal Failure

    • 1373 Words
    • 6 Pages

    References: Bobble Sage (2003, June 9). Getting the U.S. United on Health Care: A National Health Care Plan. Retrieved November 12, 2009, from http://personalinure.about.com/cs/…

    • 1373 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    President Barrack Obama

    • 310 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Over the years, healthcare has gradually become one of the major issues that have government officials concerned. In 2011, an estimated 44 million people living in America were uninsured, while another 38 million had inadequate health insurance. That number is increasing each and every year due to the fact that our economy has been in a slump recently, and because our nation has spent a majority of our federal funding to support warfare, our government had to cut back on allot of public programs. With the lack of money in circulation, many business owners have had to cut back on wages as well as their employees. Majority of uninsured people state that they do not have health insurance simply because they just cannot afford it. In an attempt to create a solution, President Barrack Obama came up with a universal healthcare program called the Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act, also known as Obamacare. In this paper, key points that will be discussed are how the program works, its pros and cons, if it raises any issues with federalism and if the program is actually helping our nation’s healthcare crisis.…

    • 310 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Healthcare has always been an interesting and popular topic in Canada & America. Here in Canada, we have universal healthcare, and it’s been that way since 1948. It is publically funded by the government and we pay for our healthcare through taxes and anyone who is a citizen is insured. In a nut shell, we experience the fortunate benefit of health insurance here in Canada, thankfully. If any of us get sick, break a limb or contract a disease, we’re covered and can seek immediate help. In America, the case is different. About 50 million Americans have no health insurance.1 The lack of health insurance in…

    • 1462 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Around 30% of Americans have problem accessing health care due to payment problems or access to care, far more than any other industrialized country. About 17% of our population is without health insurance. About 75% of ill uninsured people have trouble accessing/paying for health care. Comparisons of Difficulties Accessing Care Are Shown To Be Greater In The US Than Canada. Access to health care is directly related to income and race in the United States. As a result the poor and minorities have poorer health than the wealthy. There would be no lines under a universal health care system in the United States because we have about a 30% oversupply of medical equipment and surgeons, whereas demand would increase about 15%. The US denies access to health care based on the ability to pay. Under a universal health care system all would access care. There would be no lines as in other industrialized countries due to the oversupply in our providers and infrastructure, and the willingness/ability of the United States to spend more on health care than other industrialized…

    • 682 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    America currently is not the world leader when it comes to the health and well being of our citizens or the quality of treatment. Switzerland is the world leader when it comes to health insurance. This is mainly because it has a universal healthcare program, allowing more patients to be treated. The United States would save an average of $189.5 billion if a universal healthcare system is established. A universal program could have a rather large impact in both these areas. This would enable medical staffers to be able to concentrate on the health and well being of each individual and less around liability, malpractice and insurance procedures. A program like this should reduce healthcare costs. Countries with universal healthcare spend millions…

    • 651 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    This is out of their own pocket straight to private industry healthcare providers while costs continue to rise and rise. As I spoke earlier in this paper, there are multiple ways to boost the economy and acquire the funds needed to support a universal healthcare system in the United States while lowering the overall cost for the average citizen. I will refrain from reiterating all of the solutions I mentioned previously. First, allowing private insurance companies to continue to exist but as entities that are more regulated by the government. For those who are able and willing to purchase their health insurance through a private company, this would allow them to splurge for extra options and coverages outside of the basic provided package. These individuals who are provided healthcare through the private industry would not be a “burden” on the government provided system, freeing costs for those who need assistance to acquire healthcare. Second, the system of taxation that was outlined earlier in the paper is based on the one currently in place in Korea and has the makings of a fair and equitable system. As a way to avoid “taxing [citizens] to death” the system, to reiterate, is based on what each individual is reasonably able to provide based on their income and property. Those whose income is greater provide more into the system, and those who have only a little will not be unreasonably burdened by the system. No evidence has emerged from the Korean system, or from any other nation with universal healthcare like the Netherlands, that tax-based systems have resulted in citizens losing vast amounts of money or causing them to go bankrupt. Alternately, after Canada implemented it’s tax based system of health care, the average citizen of the nation became gradually wealthier than the average citizen of the United States and studies have shown that this change was a direct…

    • 722 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays