Universal Healthcare: The benefits Outweigh the Costs

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The United States is known as one of the greatest world powers: however it is held back by its weak healthcare system. As of 2010 the US healthcare system currently ranks the 37th best out of 190 countries (Murray). Before the introduction of the Affordable Care Ac in 2010, the United States had an individual insurance market. It was the responsibility of the individual or their employer to take care of their healthcare costs. On top of this, millions of people could be denied insurance by different agencies due to pre-existing claims. Healthcare was expensive, but the costs were nothing compared to the medical bills owed by an uninsured person. Universal healthcare is a basic right not a privilege. Everyone should be given the opportunity to have health insurance no matter his or her income. Isn’t this the principle of freedom and basic right that America was based on? On half of all bankruptcies in the United States are due to an inability to pay medical bills. These problems all pose a question and the answer is Universal Healthcare. The federal government has the interest of all American citizens on its mind and universal healthcare is a perfect way of highlighting that fact. The Affordable Care act provides low cost healthcare to the previously uninsured and guarantees continued healthcare in the case of job loss. Many people are still opposed to this act. This new system of universal healthcare will lead to improvements within the lives of American Citizens. There are many myths about universal healthcare that stop people from accepting the plan. Once the United States fully adopts the idea of universal healthcare, it can eliminate the flaws within its system, which will yield a happier and healthier population. National h... ... middle of paper ... ...2001. Print. Murray, Christopher, and Julio Frenk. "Ranking 37th - Measuring the Performance of the U.S. Health Care System — NEJM." Ranking 37th - Measuring the Performance of the U.S. Health Care System — NEJM. N.p., 2012. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. Navarro, Victor. Why the United States Does Not Have a National Health Program. Amityville,New York: Baywood, 1992. Print. Sack, Kevin, and Marjorie Connelly. "Poll Finds Wide Support for Idea Of Government-Run Health Plan." The New York Times. The New York Times, 20 June 2009. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. "U.S. Spends Far More for Health Care Than 12 Industrialized Nations, but Quality Varies - The Commonwealth Fund." U.S. Spends Far More for Health Care Than 12 Industrialized Nations, but Quality Varies - The Commonwealth Fund. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. "US Total National Debt." The Concord Coalition. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2014.

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