As years go by many Americans go into debt just to pay off their medical bills. Currently higher class Americans have the money to go and get regular checkups but unfortunately in this economy working class doesn’t because it costs so much to go, especially if they don’t have healthcare even in some cases if they do, not all cost is covered. US should move to a universal healthcare system for the benefit of the people, this would encourage them to go to the doctors instead of avoiding it. Switching to a universal healthcare is a human right, in many situations life can be maintained through medical care. Working class even poor class people cannot afford to pay for their own healthcare because they have to use their money on other necessities such as food, water, electricity, etc. If they have bad living conditions it would lead to more medical problems.
Simply, their rights of just being a human is being violated just because they cannot afford it. With this, the liability would shift from profitability which is just for money to public benefit, by removing profit as a motive it would lead to drug companies being more likely to consider which drugs would actually benefit the majority of people and less about which drugs creating the most profit. Pharmaceutical companies such as Alexion, Aerie, Agios and more have reduced even dropped their research into developing new antibiotics, even though antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria are gradually increasing, just because overall there’s less profit to be earned there than in other drug research (SF Gate). Also with a universal healthcare there is a work appointed mediator between employer and employee, with this in place a person claim against an employer for industrial negligence which public health facilities can help in the claim. Meaning that the work place is not motivated by profit, in other terms the workers wont say something that isn’t true in someone’s defense.
Implying a universal healthcare would cut overall healthcare spending. United States spends more on health care per capita than any other United member nation, (World Health Statistics) states, United States spends a greater amount of its current national budget on health care compared to other countries such as Canada, Germany, France, or Japan. With a universal healthcare system many arguments center around the economic benefits. But running a major centralised healthcare system with one buyer would cost less versus keeping hundreds of health insurance firms open. This system would also cut down on paperwork, which currently is about 24% of the nations healthcare spending. Americans are more likely to visit a doctor sooner if they don’t have worry about how they’re going to pay for costs and have everything ensured with a universal healthcare system.
Universal healthcare is a human right, as I said before sometimes the only way a life can be maintained is through medical care and having this right lowers the risk of any complications in the situation. Stated in The Declaration of Independence it says that “all men have unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,’ therefore implying that having health care is needed to preserve life and pursue happiness. Stated in the Preamble, is to ‘promote the general welfare of the people” by having a universal healthcare system we would be promoting the welfare of Americas citizens.
Even former Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), stated “it’s part of the efforts to promote the general welfare,” “health care is a legitimate function of government” (Healthcare. procon). Throughout the world having ensured healthcare is known as a human right. Dec. 10, 1948 the United States and 47 other nations signed the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This document states ‘everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of oneself and one’s family, including… medical care.’ Although United States signed this document, United States has still not taken action to pursue what’s stated in the document, unlike the other countries who have done something for its people. Along with that in 2005, United States and the other member states of the World Health Organization signed the World Health Assembly resolution, which stated that everyone should have access to health care services and should not suffer financial hardship when obtaining these services (Healthcare. procon).
In 2013 over half of the world’s countries had a right to health care in their national constitutions. These countries are moving forward and ensuring the health and safety of their citizens, yet America still has to do that. Once United States moves forward just like the other countries many citizens if not all lives will be better just like how the others are in the rest of the world. Along with that, having a right to health care improves public health (Formosapost.com). A 2012 study in the Lancet, which looked at data from over 100 countries, ‘evidence suggests that broader health coverage generally leads to better access to necessary care and improved population health, particularly for poor people.” In a 2008 peer-reviewed study in the Annals of Internal Medicine, it showed 11.4 million uninsured working age Americans with chronic conditions such as diabetes, asthma, kidney disease, etc, their lack of insurance was associated with little to no access to medical care, which caused early disability, and even death to these workers (Healthcare. procon). If workers are contributing to America and it’s economy the least we can do is have a universal healthcare system.
Along with that a universal healthcare the onus would shift from profitability to public benefit. As of right now, the most common forms of payment for health is direct, straight out of the pocket for medicine and health services in the time of need (Healthcare. procon). Over half of the personal bankruptcies are due to expenses from medical care from estimation, hopefully in the future this situation will change. With the introduction of a UHC system a number of countries have seen great economic benefits for their households. Universal healthcare would be safer and beneficial for its citizens instead of everything being for profit. Along with that in a UHS their is a legal mediator between employer and employee. Most UHS subsidiaries have a 3-tier program for resolution of workplace disputes, known as Alternative Resolution of Conflicts (ARC). Within a universal healthcare system insurance companies wouldn’t be pleased with this system but it will be benefiting the citizens along with the owner of these insurance companies if they’re born in America. ARC is an agreement to negotiate disputes in the workplace. It’s a contract between the employee and the employer.
ARC doesn’t change any other terms and conditions of employment; it’s a contract where employee and employer agree to resolve any covered legal disputes through mandatory agreement instead of going to a trail in court. In a universal healthcare system you are entitled to receive a copy of the ARC Agreement upon request. First (Tier One) provides an employee with an opportunity to directly resolve concerns directly with the employer. Second (Tier Two) provides an opportunity for both sides to tell their own side of their story to a negotiator who provides another view of the options to resolve the legal conflict. Third (Tier Three) provides both parties with a neutral decision maker who ends the conflict. ARC covers legal disputes such as allegations of discrimination, wage issues, overtime, along with many other work issues (Uhsinc-arc-compliance). This system has been effective in the countries it’s been places in, so far there have been no problems with this system so it’s been going efficiently. With a universal healthcare system the overall healthcare spending would be cut. In a 2013 study, under a single payer system, all citizens are guaranteed a right to health care, the total public and private health care spending could’ve been lowered by $592 billion in 2014 and up to $1.8 trillion over the next decade because of lowered administrative and prescription drug costs. 11.7% is spent on private health insurance plans which is the premiums on administrative costs vs. 6.3% spent by public health programs.
In the American Journal of Public Health, Canada, a country that provides a universal right to health care, spends half as much per capita on health care as the United States. The United Kingdom another country that ensures a right to healthcare, managed to provide healthcare to all citizens while spending just 41.5% of what the United States did per capita (Healthcare. procon). With a universal healthcare system implied it would encourage entrepreneurship, according to the projections made by Kauffman-RAND Institute for Entrepreneurship Public Policy (Healthcare. procon). Currently, many people try not to start their own business due to the panic of losing the health care they have from their current employer. Having a universal healthcare system, the self-employment in the United States could increase by 2 to 3.5%. The current economy would also boost because people work more when they live happier and healthier lives, with this it allows them to contribute as much as they can to their economy. The standard living of every individual in the society will also raise due to this system , which will also lead to more economic productivity. Universal health care would help everyone with starting businesses or even just working more productively,which would lead to more profit for everyone.
Although a downside to universal healthcare is that there would be a lot of time consuming waiting times, not everybody will get the type of care they need. Even though long wait times really doesn’t matter because currently with the type of system we have, there still is long wait times. For example a person that has been feeling ill and is without any medical care calls Kaiser to be a patient to find out what’s wrong with them and Kaiser doesn’t help them instead they have to sign up for a waitlist just because the patient doesn’t have medical care and because they want to be assured from this hospital/medical care they have to wait, so either way in the United States there will still be long wait times with a universal healthcare system or without. Since this system is run by the government it could be poorly taken care of, depending on the government’s involvement (Formosapost.com). Even though it may lead to long wait times, universal healthcare is doing more good because it’s helping all citizens that are in need of it and people won’t have to worry about how much they have to pay because costs will be ensured. Another opposing view to a universal healthcare system is that it will increase government debt, carrying out this system, which is a single payer healthcare system will put an increase in taxes.
Throughout history it shows governments aren’t great at running large systems and by asking the government to run this healthcare system it could lead to a arise of problems. To run this system, cuts made in other areas of the government may be needed (Formosapost.com). Even though a universal healthcare system increases government debt it overrules the reason for having one, a universal healthcare system ensures the health of the people and gives them motivation to continue instead of money going into military for example. The money will be going into necessary needs. By implying a universal healthcare system there is a possibility it could lead to a Socialist State, with this system it leads to a increase on taxes for every citizen, which could drop the United States into becoming a socialist state, in which the government controls the distribution of goods and services. Currently, United States is a free market system, in which the market forces to determine the cost of healthcare and its availability along with other services, not the government (Formosapost.com). Even though switching to a universal healthcare system could be a step towards being a socialist economy, we still would have our free market system in other fields. The only thing being controlled by the government would be the universal healthcare system for the benefit for its citizens.
For America to step forward with a universal healthcare system, first create a single payer health care program which is federally administered. This program provides healthcare coverage for all Americans. It covers the entire line of healthcare in all its fields such as emergency, speciality, hearing, mental health, as well as prescriptions and medical supplies along with equipments. With this system patients will have a health care provider without worrying about if they will be able to get the care that they need without figuring out how they can pay for its costs. Being the patient, once you’re at the doctors all you need to do is show your insurance card. Creating this individual public insurance system, will move forward towards getting health care spending under control. With this system, government will finally be able to negotiate fair prices for its citizens. Also it would ensure that the federal government will be able to keep track of the access given to various providers and will be able to make smart investments in order to avoid provider shortages. This plan will make sure communities in America can have access to the providers in the time of need. This plan estimated that citizens and businesses will save over $6 trillion over the next decade. Along with that it would save businesses $9,400 and over in a year in health care costs for the average employee. To find a solution to this plan, it would be paid by the 6.2% income by employers which is based on the health care premium, 2.2% paid by households based on income, putting taxes on capital gains and dividends which is based on the same income from work, tax rates from progressive incomes, put a limit to tax deductions for rich, and the Responsible Estate Tax along with that the savings from health tax expenditures. (Bernie sanders-medicare-for-all)
A Universal Healthcare system is going to benefit Americans, not only is it a human right, which is addressed in many other countries, it will also improve public health. In other countries their citizens are ensured with a healthcare and have seen growth in their economic productivity because of the effects of having this system. Along with that this system would shift the probability of medicine and medical equipment to public benefit. With this system there will be a legal mediator between employer and employee which will keep the disputes within the system and not dragged out of proportion. This system would also cut overall healthcare spending. Overall a Universal Healthcare System would benefit Americans, they are more likely to visit a doctor sooner than later if they don’t have worry about how they’re going to pay for costs and have everything covered with this system. Universal healthcare will have a hand in doing more good for citizens and businesses which would increase economic productivity in many fields. As congresswomen of New York Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez once said, why is it we write blank checks for military and war along with billion dollar tax cuts and not for a healthcare system which would help its citizens. Why is it that we only have empty pockets for necessary needs and not for other issues?
