Universal Healthcare Anxiety

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Universal healthcare has always been a hot button topic in our country. However, the last few years have seen many arguments over how we should handle the current health care crisis. As healthcare costs rise and the economy worsens the threat of large medical bills has loomed over almost every American citizen. While some politicians have been proponents of Universal Healthcare or a single payer insurance system, many more are convinced it will be the ruin of the country’s health industry. The health care industry is a big part of the high cost of care in our country. Politicians need to take an active role in either taking control of the abuse perpetrated by this industry, or give citizens an alternative. Americans currently live in fear of their insurance provider. In 2010, the CDC reported in its National Health Interview Survey that 18% of our population under 65 is uninsured (1). However, about 43% of poor and near poor adults under 65 are uninsured (3). The inequality in healthcare access to Americans is almost as wide as the gap between the rich and the poor. This lack of coverage seriously affects the mental health of almost every American, but particularly affects those with no health care coverage. For these citizens, there is an overwhelming fear of the next illness. It may bring a small bill from their doctor, or could result in a diagnosis that could result astronomical costs. Many times medical bills lead to financial ruin. The mental toll this apprehension takes on one’s wellbeing is small but persistent. It leads many to avoid preventive care. This results in a less productive life for the person, and in the end, it often causes high costs. The United States is the only industrialized nation that lacks some f... ... middle of paper ... ...ty and happiness as a country soar. Works Cited K. Davis, C. Schoen, S. C. Schoenbaum, M. M. Doty, A. L. Holmgren, J. L. Kriss, and K. K. Shea, Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: An International Update on the Comparative Performance of American Health Care, The Commonwealth Fund, May 2007 Finkelstein A, Taubman S, Wright B, et al. The Oregon health insurance experiment: evidence from the first year. NBER working paper no. 17190. Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Re search, July 2011. Waterstone, Paul Xavier. The Pyramid / Malsow's Hierarchy. Future Times, Vol. 4, 2007: 3-5. United States. CDC. National Center for Health Statistics. Health Insurance Coverage: Early Release of Estimates From the National Health Interview Survey, 2010. By Robin A. Cohen Ph. D., Brian W. Ward Ph. D., and Jeannine S. Schiller Ph. D. Atlanta: CDC, 2011. Print.

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