Universal Healthcare in the US (Free Essay Sample)

Universal healthcare is the idea that every citizen in the United States should have the right to healthcare. There are many issues with the current healthcare system, for starters, people are losing their life due to them not being able to afford healthcare. Health care is expensive, which is why many people do not have health care. Since it is expensive, workers in the medical industry may target giving service to those with health care. This is because these people are wealthier and they would be willing to pay huge amounts for services offered. Having universal healthcare would eliminate the possibility of inequality based on wealth in medical places. One of the biggest problems with the current healthcare is the price. On average, healthcare costs up to $12,500 per person (Why Are Americans Paying). In that case, a family of 3 would cost around $37,500. Creating universal healthcare in the United States would help eliminate the excessive cost of healthcare. Instead, every person would have to pay a small set amount of money every year, or month, to contribute to universal healthcare. Then, the government would send the money straight to the providers and everyone would be covered. So, if the government transitioned to universal health care for the United States it would save lives, create equality in medical environments, and lower costs.

A flaw that is linked to the current status of healthcare is that people are losing their lives due to not having healthcare. There are many important reasons you may need to visit the doctors’ office. Having a cold, the flu, or even a yearly physical. When you go to the doctor’s office you are almost guaranteed to be cured of the sickness you have. You get prescribed medicine specifically for you. For someone with insurance, the co-pay is around $15 to $25. They do not even have to think about paying since the price is so low. But, for someone without insurance, the price can range from $180 to $440. Not many people have an extra couple hundred dollars laying around to use at the doctor's office. Knowing this, many people may avoid going to the doctor. They may decide to wait it out, stay at home, and rest without prescribed medication. Meaning they are missing more workdays, adding stress and less money to their plate. Without a visit to the doctor's office, they will take a longer time to become healthy again and they will not know what is going on with their body. Other things may need to be treated to overcome this sickness, but they are not willing to put extra money into the doctors. This can ultimately have a huge impact on their health. Sometimes, sickness can be cured with medicine until a certain point. Once they reach that point, their health is jeopardized. As of right now, “By giving everyone in California access to healthcare, people will no longer have to choose between money or medicine, which can be crucial in mental health cases. Suppose a person cannot treat their mental disorder. In that case, they will not maintain a healthy lifestyle and possibly be forced out of their home.” (Medina) This text only further proves how the price of current healthcare is causing people to have to choose between their health and their house. Not only can healthcare be used for physical health, but also mental health. Having to decide whether or not to pay for healthcare can cause a lot of mental exhaustion, especially for those who need healthcare for mental health purposes. So, changing the healthcare system in the United States would create mental stability for those in the United States. It would mean they have access to all services at a lower cost, making sure they get the medicine and the treatments they need. Briefly, the idea of universal healthcare for the United States would save lives. This is because by supplying healthcare to those in the United States, they can receive all the treatments they would need as if they had the current healthcare system at a lower cost.

Not only is one of the flaws in healthcare is that people are losing their lives, but there is also a lot of inequality in medical places. In medical environments, workers may look to provide the most care to those with healthcare. This is because people with healthcare tend to be wealthier, meaning that the workers will receive more money. These wealthier people will get better, and faster, service. Whereas, “Universal health care also equalizes service, with no doctors or hospitals being able to target and cater to wealthier clients. That means everyone gets the same level of care, which ultimately leads to a healthier workforce and longer life expectancy.” (Shimizu) This means that by making healthcare provided to everyone that everyone would be guaranteed the same care. But some may argue that giving everyone access to the same care would create longer wait times. Especially, in the emergency room. This would mean that these places would be slower to provide care, making health situations worse. Although this is a valid concern, it is not true. Many countries have universal healthcare, with no report of wait time issues. Thomas Waldrop says, “Patients in peer nations generally have similar or shorter wait times than patients in the United States for a variety of services, refuting the argument that universal coverage would necessarily result in longer wait times in the future.” Furthermore, Waldrop states, “Uninsured people are much more likely to postpone seeking care or skip needed care due to cost. And while specific data on wait times for uninsured patients are missing from the discussion, what is known is that being uninsured is associated with worse access to care and that, for some uninsured patients, their wait times are essentially infinite.” This suggests that, since some people don’t have access to these health services their wait times are already super long. They have to find a way to pay for help cure their sickness.