There have always been reasons to why the U.S. has not taken the step towards universal healthcare. Insurance companies could end up losing many different patrons, the enduring anti-government sentiment, the complications of this type of health care, and even the racial politics of the South have kept the United States from taking the next step towards universal coverage (Quandagno 12). The inevitable truth is that the United States needs socialized medicine, even if it is hard to come by. Health care costs more per person in the U.S. than in any other nation in the world (“Health Systems” 1). According to the US Census, the percentage of citizens within the United States without any type of health care coverage was 15.3%, or 45.7 million people, in 2007(U.S. Census 9).
Proponents argue ObamaCare makes health insurance more expensive and constitutes excessive government interference in the economy. The ObamaCare has it's share of pros and cons. The pros and cons of ObamaCare boil down to this: the average American has a lot to gain and little to lose, while those making more, including larger firms and consequently their employees, may notice negative financial effects. While some groups benefit more than others, all Americans
Though healthcare is currently very costly, studies show that universal healthcare would be cheaper than the current privatized system (Conor). Healthcare acts as an umbrella: covering a group of people by spreading out healthcare costs amongst everyone under the umbrella. The problem with a privatized system is that the umbrella can fluctuate due to competiveness between insurance companies. The United States has a privatized system of healthcare; and out of twenty-nine countries, the U.S. is doing the worst when it comes to healthcare (Conor). There are many reasons why this is so.
Many believe it is an individual states decision on how medical expenses be paid, however other’s belief the states should all follow the federal governments lead. The main issue is health care cost will continue to increase because the United States citizens continue to foster blame towards the government. To decrease the cost of health care in the United States we as
Between 50 and 51% of young people believe their cost of care will increase under the health reform law (“Harvard Law School, 2013”) also young Americans are much less likely to enroll in the insurance program mandated by the 2010 legislation. Insurance Premiums increased for employers making health coverage not affordable to families. With this new law is it really cost effective, are we able to keep our same doctors. People should be able to have access to quality health insurance regardless of your financial status. The new laws where established to protect consumers against health insurers, so no one would be denied coverage because of an illness such as: Cancer, Aids and other chronic diseases.
The significant difference between the rates of health insurance cost increases and wage and inflation increases creates a problem in itself. Not only are there millions of people without health insurance, it is becoming more likely that they will not be able to afford to hold insurance policy. However, in a 2002 study it was found that only 30% of the uninsured were below federal poverty levels (Overview of the U.S. Health Care System). This means that despite the unsettling amounts of people in poverty without health insurance, there is also the issue of those who have the means to provide themselves and their families with health insurance and choose not to, only to be faced with crippling health bills should anything go wrong. Navigating and deciphering the complicated health insurance industry is too daunting and expensive a task to leave up to individuals, which is why in many cases, the United States government and private organizations have stepped in.
When knowing your managed care plan, some plans employ their own physicians and run their own hospitals. Others require that members use a primary care provider who coordinates all of the patient’s care and services as a gatekeeper for care from specialists. 3.) Health Saving Plans are savings account that is tax free. This is a plan where policy holders can pay for current medical expenses and save for future medical expenses at the same time.
Most people have high deductibles before the employer will even start to pay some of the health insurance coverage. So while you are trying to meet your deductible you are paying way to much out of pocket by the time the insurance kicks in some people cannot pay their bills or having a hard time keep trying to make their appointments because they are spending a lot of their money on deductibles. Soon everyone is going to have to have health coverage in the U.S. Will they make it so that people can afford the coverage? Will it be decent insurance so that it will be worth paying for? The government needs to really look at the people that they want to provide insurance for.
Our debt is higher than it has ever been and grows larger every day. People are losing their jobs and unemployment is rising, along with costs due to unemployment benefits. Now is not the time for us to be selfish and demand that the government take care of us and our infrastructure without being willing to roll up our sleeves and pitch in. Nobody likes paying taxes but it is something we have to do if we are to keep our country and our economy strong. Without taxes we would have no police or fire support, our roads would be hazardous to traverse, not to mention no community hospitals or public schools.
They argue that introducing private health care will lessen the burden on the publicly funded system as many well off citizens would simply choose to pay out of pocket or through private insurers for services rather than rely on the public system. They argue that the government cannot do it efficiently. At zero prices there is an increase in demand for health care services. This in turn causes the introduction of expensive technology which increases health costs. With taxes at a breaking point government has little recourse but to try to hold down costs.