Should Americans Have Free Healthcare?

Furthermore, the United States spends nearly double the average $3,923 for the 15 countries ("Health Care Cost," 2011).” Accordingly the U.S. throws away more money than any other country on healthcare which consequently could jeopardize the medical attention that is being provided.

The United States has the most expensive health care system in the world and some 45 million Americans are uninsured under the current health care system, and these numbers continue to grow. However with universal health care coverage everyone could enjoy equal access to health care, as a right afforded to them as American citizens. In a country as wealthy as the United States, there is no justifiable reason why Americans should go without health care and/or die

SHOULD THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PROVIDE HEALTH CARE FOR ALL CITIZENS WHO CANNOT AFFORD THEIR OWN?

Canada’s healthcare system is more accessible than the U.S, because Canada’s healthcare system covers all Canadian citizens as opposed to the U.S. healthcare system which depends on a person’s insurance. The U.S healthcare system is an insurance based system. In 2012, the U.S spent 2.8 trillion on healthcare (). Despite such spending on health care, many U.S. residents had no health insurance and several aggregate measures of health quality and outcomes recorded in the USA were poorer than the corresponding data from other high-income countries. In the U.S. if a citizen does not have insurance they will have to pay out of pocket for normal health care services. These out of pocket costs are usually extremely high. To put it in perspective, 18% of U.S citizens do not have health insurance (Costello,

Even though free healthcare is negatively associated with U.S. debt, deficit, and higher tax pay, all Americans should have the absolute right to free healthcare because it can save lives.

“That the U.S. health care system is broken and needs to be fixed is widely agreed to be true” (Universal Health Care Opposing Views p 19) is immediately apparent following a brief research of the organization of health care in the nation. There is an inability to control rising health care costs, and the system, although considered the most technologically advanced in the world, is riddled with waste and inefficiency. Year on year, doctors are spending increasingly more time dealing with insurance related administrative work rather than healing patients, there is gross overuse of care because employees view healthcare as part of a work-related benefit package, access to health care is based on ability to pay, and there is constant anxiety caused by the fear of losing employer-sponsored coverage. In contrast, a system of universal healthcare offers free services that are accessible to all, releases doctors from insurance paperwork to focus on healing, removes overuse of care because citizens fund the services through the payment of taxes, and may lead to healthier populations, among other things. Therefore, although vastly different from the current system, one could consider whether the introduction of universal healthcare would be beneficial for the USA?

The health care system has had a negative impact on both insured families and uninsured families. Many believe that health care reforms are unnecessary and hence should not be applied. Reducing health care costs will not necessarily benefit the economy. After spending decades trying to reduce health care costs, some commentators and policymakers now argue that health care costs should be increased to stimulate the economy. At the crux of the argument are the notions that increasing spending on health care will create jobs that can be filled by those losing jobs in other areas of the economy and that implementing long-proposed reforms will reduce health care costs. Nay-Sayers argue that health care reforms will only prevent economic growth, and that increasing health care costs in order to reduce them is an inconsistent belief. These two arguments are fundamentally at odds with each other. Advocates claim simultaneously that it would stimulate economic growth to spend more money on these reforms, and that the reforms would reduce total health care costs.

The question that has been brought to the table is should the U.S. Government require all American to have health insurance. Yes indeed the US government should require all Americans to have health insurance, however if they are going to require all Americans to have health insurance, they need to provide a financial reasonable options for American to purchase. The way the health care system has worked in the past, it would be very difficult to mandate all Americans purchase heath care without offering plans that they can afford. A major question that comes up in regards to health care is who pays the bill when Americans who are not insured require health care.

It is essential for the United States government to provide its entire citizen with a free health care. This system ensures that everyone has an access to medical services regardless to his or her social status. It is an important way of preserving life as free health care plan ensures free treatment to the entire citizen. In addition, it can play a big role of ensuring that there is an improved access to health services. Ensuring that all American citizens have an access to the right health care will in turn decrease health care costs. It can also help to stop medical bankruptcies in the entire nation. Lastly, it is one way of reducing poverty as it will lower the debt of the US which would then increase employment.

What would you say when I told you that if you look at a list of the worlds developed industrialized nations that there is only one developed country in the world that doesn’t have a universal healthcare system. Some of the countries on this list include Japan, Germany, and even Canada. The United States, a global power, our home and the world’s largest economy is the only westernized industrial country without universal healthcare. The amount of people dying due to a lack of medical coverage is at an all-time high, while the U.S also has the most expensive healthcare system in the world for its citizens. According to Toni Johnson, author of the article “Healthcare Costs and U.S Competiveness” “The United States spends an estimated $2 trillion annually on healthcare expenses, more than any other industrialized country. According to data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the United States spends two-and-a-half times more than the OECD average, and yet ranks with Turkey and Mexico as the only OECD countries without universal health coverage.” (Johnson) For a country that spends so much it seems strange we do not even offer the best health care in the world. It also seems even stranger that there are over 45 million Americans who are going without health insurance. (Johnson) Universal health care is defined as a basic guarantee of health care to all its

One prevalent argument is that if free universal healthcare is supplied, it will eliminate the competition and innovation in the healthcare field. Formosa Post, an author for Universal Health care clearly states, “Universal health care eliminates the free market for health care where prices may be lower. There is no incentive to create better medications or pursue better medical services. The universal health care will reduce the amount of money doctors can make thereby reducing the attraction in the practice. This could create shortage of doctors in the long-run.” This honestly is a valid worry but this worry doesn’t outweigh the benefits of free universal healthcare. Also, even though there is free universal healthcare doesn’t necessary mean that there would be no innovation. Healthcare centers will still be competing for your favor. Because you will still be able to choose your own

Universal Health Care being enforced in the United States has been a debate topic for decades. Though there are issues regarding universal health care, there are more benefits involving all American citizens. The United States should have Universal Health Care. The denizens of countries who have universal health care have higher life expectancies compared to the United States, even though we Americans pay more for medical related expenses; the cost for universal health care has been greatly exaggerated; and Americans are dying prematurely due to lack of insurance. Beneficially, the economy will boost because universal health care will increase the amount of small businesses.

The U.S. is an industrialized nation that continues to be behind on providing health care coverage to all citizens. However, the German health care system came up with a plan that ensured all citizens are provided with some form of health care coverage; nevertheless, the U.S. continues to dispute health care reform and how to provide coverage to all citizens. “Health spending per capita in the United States is much higher than in other countries – at least $2,535 dollars, or 51%, higher than Norway, the next largest per capita spender. Furthermore, the United States spends nearly double the average $3,923 for the 15 countries ("Health Care Cost," 2011, table 1)”.

Also, free healthcare will promote equality to all citizens by decreasing the number of economically challenged individuals in the society. Apparently, poor healthcare status relates to financial problems. Most of the world governments advocate for equal treatment of all citizens, fair distribution of resources, and bridging the gap between the poor and the rich (Gulliford and Myfanwy 37). The health care industry directly or indirectly affects every living individual in the US in one way or another. For instance, the poor citizens who are uninsured get excluded from accessing proper health services, or they end up being

Moreover, the benefits of expanding coverage outweigh the costs for added services. [4] Safety-net care from hospitals and clinics improves access to care but does not fully substitute for health insurance. These findings are supported by much research, although some cautions are appropriate in using these results. People with health insurance are protected against uncertain and high medical expenses and are more likely to receive needed and appropriate health care. In addition, having health insurance is associated with improved health outcomes and lower mortality, so employees with health insurance are more likely to be productive workers. You do not pay income tax on health insurance benefits so it is more valuable per dollar than the same amount in taxable pay. [5]