Universal Health Care In The United States

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The United States of America is the only developed country without universal health care. That means that whoever cannot afford medical insurance is denied health care. The effects of that can be seen by comparing it to other countries that do have universal health care. According to a survey conducted by the Commonwealth Fund, a private organization that promotes better health care, the U.S. ranks last among OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development) countries in avoidable deaths that could have been prevented by health care. The U.S. spends more money than any other country for health care having the highest percentage of patients who do not seek care due to cost. That is 54% of patients who “did not fill a prescription,…show more content…
could pay for the medically uninsured or create a system in which every of its citizens could receive health care. France, Germany, Norway, and many other countries provide their citizens the option of either having public or private insurance ensuring everyone receives care. Those countries do not turn their back on their people and allow them to die because of their inability to pay for their health insurance. It is not a matter of, if you can pay for your care, but rather it’s more of, if you need care, you will receive it. Instead of debating whether or not health care should be universal, the U.S. should be debating on which venues to take to guarantee that all of its citizens have the right to health care. Health care should be considered a basic right not a luxury reserved for the wealthy and the struggling middle class that is able to afford some of it. Human life has greater value than money. Ironically, in the U.S. we rely on private insurance companies that are for profit and that don’t take into a consideration a patient’s health or economic condition. Why do we allow such a system to…show more content…
with all of its technology and high industrial development is still lacking to provide all its citizens health services. The health care system in the U.S. has major faults that affect both patients and physicians. Many Americans lack health insurance, and cannot be seen by a physician routinely. There is a shortage of physicians due to the cost of medical school and of malpractice insurance. In order to provide free education for medical students, malpractice insurance for physicians, and free health care for everyone, taxes need to be raised. Ultimately, all Americans can have health care if we pay higher taxes instead of paying the insurance companies. Bibliography 1. Karen Davis, Cathy Schoen, & Kristof Stremikis, Mirror, Mirror on the Wall How the Performance of the U.S. Health Care System Compares Internationally 2010, http://www.commonwealthfund.org/~/media/Files/Publications/Fund%20Report/2010/Jun/1400_Davis_Mirror_Mirror_on_the_wall_2010.pdf. 2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Uninsured Americans: Newly Released Health Insurance Statistics, CDC, http://www.cdc.gov/features/uninsured/. 3. David Squires, International Profiles of Health Care Systems, Commonwealth Fund,

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