Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Health care system in the USA
Argumentative Essays
Argumentative Essays
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Abstract It is time for our government to take a step away from war and look to meeting the needs of their own citizens. The need for health care reform is more evident than ever. The recession of America has caused many people hardship due to many lay-offs and the fact that insurance premiums have risen drastically. Many families are not receiving the health care that they require due to these circumstances. It affects not only the young, but the senior citizens as well. Many people do not qualify for the already present government health care programs such as Medicaid and Medicare. Changes need to be made immediately in order for all Americans to be able to afford insurance. These situations are causing the American public unneeded emotional stress. The lack of medical care is causing many deaths that could have been evaded with the proper medical attention. It is time to start spending money where it is needed. Our citizens are crying out for help when it comes to their medical needs, but is anyone listening? The Need for Health Care Reform Our economy is in recession. Many people are looking for jobs that are just not available. Many people have been laid off and are relying on unemployment benefits to provide for their families. So many others are barely scraping by. One major disadvantage of this recession is the fact that many American families have no means to provide health care to their loved ones. These people are “praying that nothing will happen to their health or to the health of their children” (Faris, 1999). Privatized insurance companies have prices that are far beyond their reach, and many do not qualify for Medicaid. What if there was a public option health care that all Americans could a... ... middle of paper ... ...nst a government run health care program. They say that privatized insurance companies may fail because they will lose their clients to the lower cost public option. They are also worried that doctors will become underpaid and will leave the program. This means that citizens will not have as many providers to choose from (Pickert, 2009). This is not about money. This is about the lives and the health of American citizens. We have put our money into a war to help the people of other countries for too long. It is time to take care of our own. The people of this country need health care. We have got to take care of the senior citizens that have worked to keep this country running. We have got to take care of our youth who will take the place of our senior citizens. It is time for change. Let’s keep American running smooth by keeping citizens healthy.
One of the most controversial topics in the United States in recent years has been the route which should be undertaken in overhauling the healthcare system for the millions of Americans who are currently uninsured. It is important to note that the goal of the Affordable Care Act is to make healthcare affordable; it provides low-cost, government-subsidized insurance options through the State Health Insurance Marketplace (Amadeo 1). Our current president, Barack Obama, made it one of his goals to bring healthcare to all Americans through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. This plan, which has been termed “Obamacare”, has come under scrutiny from many Americans, but has also received a large amount of support in turn for a variety of reasons. Some of these reasons include a decrease in insurance discrimination on the basis of health or gender and affordable healthcare coverage for the millions of uninsured. The opposition to this act has cited increased costs and debt accumulation, a reduction in employer healthcare coverage options, as well as a penalization of those already using private healthcare insurance.
On a global scale, the United States is a relatively wealthy country of advanced industrialization. Unfortunately, the healthcare system is among the costliest, spending close to 18% of gross domestic product (GDP) towards funding healthcare (2011). No universal healthcare coverage is currently available. United States healthcare is currently funded through private, federal, state, and local sources. Coverage is provided privately and through the government and military. Nearly 85% of the U.S. population is covered to some extent, leaving a population of close to 48 million without any type of health insurance. Cost is the primary reason for lack of insurance and individuals foregoing medical care and use of prescription medications.
For the last five years of my life I have worked in the healthcare industry. One of the biggest issues plaguing our nation today has been the ever rising cost of health care. If we don't get costs under control, we risk losing the entire system, as well as potentially crippling our economy. For the sake of our future, we must find a way to lower the cost of health care in this nation.
America is known for democracy, freedom, and the American Dream. American citizens have the right to free speech, free press, the right to bear arms, and the right to religious freedom to name a few. The Declaration of Independence states that American citizens have the rights including “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” America promises equality and freedom and the protection of their rights as outlined in the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. But with all the rights and freedoms that American citizens enjoy, there is one particular area where the United States seems to be lacking. That area is health care. The United States is the only industrialized nation that doesn’t have some form of legal recognition of a right to health care (Yamin 1157). Health care reform in the United States has become a major controversy for politicians, health care professionals, businesses, and citizens. Those in opposition to reform claim that health care is not a human right, therefore the government should not be involved. Supporters of reform believe that health care is most definitely a human right and should be available to everyone in the United States instead of only those who can afford it, and that it is the government’s responsibility to uphold that right.
The United States spends vast amounts on its healthcare, while falling short of achieving superiority over other developed nations. One cannot overlook that the deepening recession has left many without jobs and therefore lacking health insurance. According to Fairhall and Steadman, (2009), even though the recession is hard on all, it is worse on the uninsured due to health care and insurance cost rising faster than incomes. Nevertheless, even those with jobs are lacking in health insurance due to employers, who provide insurance, are increasingly dropping their sponsored insurance. Many find that purchasing a health policy or paying for medical care out-of-pocket is cost prohibitive. “Since the recession began in December 2007, the number of unemployed Americans has increased by 3.6 million,” (Fairhall & Steadman, 2009). In 2009 it was stated that approximately 46 million Americans were uninsured, however not all of that number is due to the inability to afford coverage. According to a 2009 story written by Christopher Weaver of Kaiser Health News, 43% of that number should be classified as “voluntarily” uninsured. This subset of uninsured Americans consist of nearly half being young and healthy; therefo...
One of many solutions to help families to be able to afford health care is public option. This is an alternative solution to affordable healthcare for all. This works by having a government-run healthcare program which are exclusively available to two groups that lack employer provided health insurance. This program is also available to low income families or individuals. This program is sold just like how private companies sell their insurance in a New Health Insurance Exchange. The system is designed so that private companies are not able to take advantage of customers and opening a wider range of choices to choose from. Keeping costs down and premiums low helps avoid the problem of losing customers.
Until Obama-care, The United States was one of the only developed nations that did not provide some sort of health care for its citizens. To most other nations that do provide healthcare, it is because it is considered a human right that all people should be entitled to. That hasn’t been the case in America, however, where only those who could afford it could have healthcare plans. Those who stand to gain the most from universal healthcare are the already mentioned 45 million americans who currently don’t have any form of healthcare. For many of these individuals, there are many obstacles that prevent them from gaining healthcare. 80% of the 45 million are working class citizens, but either their employer doesn’t offer insurance, or they do but the individual can n...
Health Insurance is one of the nations top problems, the cost is rising for premiums, and many businesses just cannot afford it. As Americans many of us have the luxury of health insurance, but far too many of us have to go without it. This is something that always seems to brought up at congressional debates, but little is done about it. “In 2013 there were 41 million people reported with out health insurance coverage, this is too many considering those people probably were sick at some point through out the year, and they couldn’t afford treatment.” We need to find someway to make sure that every citizen of the United States is able to have affordable healthcare for themselves, and their families.
Health care is one of the most debated issues in the United States today and it 's necessary to understand the basics of this problem. Approximately 50 million people living in the United
Under the government plan, businesses would be required to pay a fee for subsidizing insurance, or they would be required to supply mandatory healthcare for employees. If mandatory healthcare laws were required, it would raise the cost of hiring new employees and would possibly limit employers from hiring new prospects. Every American would be required to buy insurance based on the government’s idea of “acceptable insurance.” Even if people were happy with their current insurance, they could be forced to change policies if their current insurance policies do not meet the government’s “acceptable” standards. This could put Medicare in competition with private insurance companies. People would be able to choose taxpayer-subsidized plans or private insurance, but subsidies and cost-shifting would make the government plans ultimately have more appeal. Through government research st...
Many people of which do not know, or even understand programs, or funds that can assist them in these situations they are in. People not knowing or cannot afford health care is a huge problem especially considering the fact that many Americans are elderly or suffer from acute disease, disabilities, and even mental disorders. Without proper health care many of these Americans will suffer tremendously and their symptoms may develop even worse without proper medication and help. This cannot be given without affordable health care.
The first side to the health care system is the Single Payer system. Many European countries, and our neighboring country Canada, have this type of system. This system has every citizen put his or her money into a fund that would be controlled by a federal agency. That agency would then pay for the treatment. Private insurance companies would basically be die off. The difference from this and our current health care system...
Healthcare Policy has been through many ups and downs over the years. The first United States legislature to involve healthcare dates back to 1798, when “The Act for the Relief of Sick and Disabled Seamen” was adopted. This approach is not very different in how healthcare works today. The act called for a 200 cent tax on seamen in order to pay for their health care. But it wasn’t until 1912, when President Theodore Roosevelt campaigned on a platform to adopt a single national health service. Finally a program called Medicaid was adopted to insure low income families, and in 1966, Medicare was adopted, guaranteeing health care for those over the age of 65 who paid into the system. Finally, The Affordable Health Care for America Act was introduced in 2009, and while it has changed and been revised a few times since then, it is th...
What Seems To Be The Problem? A discussion of the current problems in the U.S. healthcare system.
With the United Nations listing health care as natural born right and the escalating cost of health care America has reached a debatable crisis. Even if you do have insurance it's a finical strain on most families.