The Blood Stained Flag

Health care spending in the United States of America as a percentage of the economy has reached astonishing heights, equating to 17.7 percent. This number is shocking when compared to other counties; in Australia health care is 8.9 percent, in United Kingdom 9.4 percent, in Canada 11.2 percent. If the American health care system were to hypothetically become its own economy, it would be the fifth-largest in the world. While these statistics sound troubling, they lead us to look for answers about the problems surrounding our system. The first health insurance company was created in the 1930s to give all American families an equal opportunity for hospital care and eventually led to a nationwide economic and social controversy that erupted in the 1990s and continued to be shaped by the government, insurance companies, doctors, and American citizens. In this paper, I will go in to detail about the various opinions regarding the controversy, the history behind health insurance companies, and the main dilemmas brought out by the health care crisis. Greedy insurance companies combined with high costs of doctor visits and pharmaceutical drugs or the inefficient hospitals all over America can only describe the beginning to this in depth crisis. Recently, the United States health care industry has become know for the outrageous costs of insurance models, developments of various social and health services programs, and the frequent changes in medicinal technology.

Recently the Untied States top priority has been to provide accessible and affordable health care to every American. Those that lack access to coverage find it much more difficult to seek proper treatment and when they do they maybe left with astronomical medical bills. The CommanWealth Fund found that one-third or thirty three percent of Americans forgo health care because of costs and one-fifth or twenty percent are thus left with medical bills that have problems being able to pay. The federal government, through the Affordable Care Act (2010), has mandated that every person have health coverage in order

In addition, health care industry can affect every living person in United State in one way or another. For instance, the uninsured are excluded from services, charged more for medical services and die when medical care could have saved them(Berkin, 2012). America is known to have some of the best doctors, and healthcare facilities in the World, however two thirds of our country do not have an access to health insurance, or cannot afford it(Berkin, 2012). The Right to Health Care notes that the United States is one of the few, if not, only, developed nation in the world that does not guarantee

One of the great hypocrisies of American culture is found in its health care system. The United States claims in its Declaration of Independence that “all men are created equal” and that all of these men have the inalienable rights to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Yet this is the same country that allows over 120 people to die each day because they are uninsured. How can this nation claim that all are created equal and have a right to life when they deny healthcare to those who cannot afford it? This issue has come on the scene relatively soon, having only truly been discussed beginning in the early 20th century. Since that time, a fear of socialism stemming from tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union throughout the century has placed a stigma on the concept of universal health care because it is similar to the Soviet’s socialized medicine. In recent years, President Obama made great strides toward universal health care by passing the Affordable Care Act, but some would argue that while America is on the right track, more can be done to care for the nation’s poor. Others argue that the economic impact of such policies could cause problems for America. Though creating a universal health care system has complex logistical and economic consequences, health care is an internationally acknowledged human right and should not be denied to the American people.

While the Affordable Care Act was implemented in 2010, the most significant changes in the healthcare system began in 2013 with the expansion of Medicaid. According to the ACA’s official website, the law’s main goals are to create cost efficient health insurance and medical services, as well as expand Medicaid so that the stated programs will be available to more Americans. (“Affordable Care Act (ACA)”). To do so, the ACA imposed many requirements on both sides of the health care system. The ACA has expanded federal regulations on private insurance providers by requiring that these companies cannot deny coverage based on the health of the beneficiary. The ACA has also established a marketplace for health insurance to be purchased by small businesses and individuals. Finally, the most noteworthy reform is the requirement for all Americans to purchase minimum coverage, or pay a penalty. However, those who cannot afford coverage and have “an income below 138% of the Federal Poverty Level eligible for Medicaid” will be paid for by the government (“The Affordable Care Act in the US”).

The United States of America is the most prosperous and free country in the world because of hard working citizens and the God-given freedoms we possess. America has contributed countless scientific and medical discoveries and accomplished feats deemed impossible by others. The wealth and progress in this country was not brought about by government intervention and supervision, but from individuals who had the freedom to do what they did best. Because of this freedom, America’s healthcare is currently unmatched anywhere in the world. Though other countries may tout free healthcare, they make it up with burdening taxes, understaffed hospitals, and incredibly long wait periods. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act puts America’s healthcare system in jeopardy of falling into the same trap. “Obamacare”, as it is referred to, moves America to a bureaucratized and overburdened system having far reaching consequences on taxpayers, professionals, and patients and should be repealed.

On March 23rd of 2010 one of the most highly controversial bills in American history, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), better known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was passed into law. The Affordable Care Act attempts to reform the healthcare system by providing more Americans with affordable quality health insurance while curbing the growth in healthcare spending in the U.S. The reforms include rights and protections, taxes, tax breaks, rules for insurance companies, education, funding, spending, and the creation of committees to promote prevention, payment reforms, and more. Four years since being passed has the Affordable Care Act begun to make healthcare more affordable to Americans? When it comes to the affordability of health care In the United States, health care has always been a private for-profit industry. The main purpose of the ACA is to make insurance more affordable and expand coverage to uninsured Americans by enacting a number of provisions. This research paper will explore some of these provisions, document their details and decide whether are not they are truly helping make health care more affordable.

Where will I go when I’m sick? Who can I rely on, my government or myself? Will I have to choose between paying bills and the health of my family? The United States of America’s government’s Affordable Care Act is attempting to remove that question from every citizen’s mind. The ACA will allow lifesaving and non-emergency medical treatments to be at the fingertips of every tax paying American. It will make healthcare a right, not just a luxury. Although these may seem like outstanding qualities, is it really all that it is made out to be? “The Affordable Care Act (ACA), officially called The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), is a US law that reforms both the healthcare and health insurance industries in America. The law increases the quality, availability, and affordability of private and public health insurance to over 44 million uninsured Americans through its many provisions which include new regulations, taxes, mandates, and subsidies (PAR 2, Obamacare Facts).” With that being said, I will discuss the controversies seen from both parties in relation to the Affordable Care Act, and bring forth many important factors such as: the benefits and consequences, the cost of the ACA and the coverage actually received, and the future of the Health Care System in a world with Obamacare. The purpose of this paper is to give information in an unbiased manner in relation to the Affordable Care Act.

As our great country grows we fix and find new problems every day. One of the biggest debates in the country is regarding whether or not the new “Affordable Care Act” is posing a problem to American society and lifestyle. Many actors, sports men, and friendly faces would tell you how wonderful it will be for American medicine once the populace is insured. However “Affordable care is more of a pipe dream in America until we are a more fiscally stable country, as well as a better approach to socialized medicine. For now the only thing we should be doing regarding health care is stapling a limit to make it more affordable for middle and lower class people instead of penalizing people for something they cannot afford.

Both these articles although from different sides talk about the same story. The thing that has been haunting America since the beginning racism. I think the media has made this spiral out of control and people are pointing fingers at everyone. Such as saying black people kill black people in Hard Data, Hollow Protests or it being Trump. I wasn't indifferent to either article in ‘The Flag Is Drenched With Our Blood’ made me think about how deep racism runs in our nation. And that very same article of forgiveness and other ways to compensate but personally I don't think there will ever be a solution to this problem. It always has and always will be in our country and there's is no fixing that these divides within the nation will always be up

Health care in the United States is driven by a patchwork of services and financing. Americans access health care services in a variety of ways — from private physicians’ offices, to public hospitals, to safety-net providers. This diverse network of health care providers is supported by an equally diverse set of funding streams. The United States spends almost twice as much on health care as any other country, topping $2 trillion each year. (WHO.INT 2000) However, even with overall spending amounting to more than $7,400 per person, millions of individuals cannot access the health care services they need.(Foundation 2009) So when the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (a.k.a the Affordable Care Act or ACA) was passed in the summer

When attempting to determine the benefits and the negatives associated with national health care in the United States, one inevitably must discern the projected impact of the Affordable Care Act. This act was signed into being by the current president in 2010, and triumphed in a Supreme Court Decision in 2012 in which its legality was upheld as constitutional (No author). The chief aims of this particular piece of legislation are to increase accessibility to health care for Americans, primarily by lowering costs associated with it. It will fully take effect in 2014, by which time citizens will have a variety of options of obtaining health care either through a state subsidy, through Medicaid, or through one's employer or a private plan. Those who do not have health care by this point will be assessed a fine; certain employers who do not offer health care may also be assessed a fine. A thorough analysis of the boons and the detriments of this form of national health care reveals that it is beneficial to the country as a whole.

Critically viewing the United States healthcare system in comparison to those of its ‘rival’ countries begins to reveal some serious issues when it comes to price and quality of our system. PBS’s documentary Sick Around the World examines this case ten years prior to now. However, what remains timeless is the upsetting fact of the United States’ extremely high cost of health insurance. No matter how fancy and extensive a country’s system is, if insurance costs too much for most citizens to pay for, then there is certainly no point to it. The other countries featured would likely fully agree with the prior statement, yet the U.S. seems to think there is a point to unaffordable healthcare.

The United States does not provide healthcare to its citizens the way rest of the countries do. Instead of guaranteeing that all are covered, it works on a market-based system where those who are insured, receive their coverage as a condition of employment, whereas others must purchase individual policies or obtain coverage through Medicaid or private insurance companies, and not everyone would qualify to receive health care benefits. For decades, health care has been an issue for the country, especially for the people who are ill and cannot afford coverage. However, when Obama became president, he created a law that allows more opportunities for the population to receive health insurance without further complications or strict requirements that many private companies have. The law has remained a focus of heated political debate from the day it was suggested. The dispute surrounding the law creates pressure regarding whether the reform has been beneficial or a complete failure. Indeed, the one unifying aspect of all of the debate over the reform was the fact that everyone acknowledged that reform was needed, but as to what that alteration should be was the contentious part of the debate. Through extensive research, and despite common objections, it is clear that health care reform shows positive impacts based on the effects in certain states, the expansion of Medicaid, and its effectiveness today.

In The Truth About Health Care, David Mechanic the director of the Institute for Health explains how health care in America has evolved in ways that favor economic, professional, and political interest over the patients. Mechanic states “The United States spends significantly more per person on health care than any other country but the evidence shows that care is often poor and inappropriate” (27). Money has played a big role in medical care and the quest for profits has become dominant, making meaningful reforms difficult to achieve. This proves that despite expenditures of over 1.9 trillion dollars, health care services remain fragmented and uncoordinated. Mechanic examines the strengths and weaknesses of our system and how it was evolved. “The failure to provide universal health insurance is a long-standing theme in American health policy discussions and an embarrassment for the best financed health system in the world” (49). Loss of public trust in medicine, the tragic state of long-term care, and the relationship of mental health to health care are areas often neglected.