Universal Healthcare in U.S.

Introduction

The question of Universal Healthcare in the United States has valid and non valid arguments with supporters on both sides of the issue. Millions of Americans do not have affordable health care insurance. The main question is who is responsible to provide this? Is it feasible for government to pay for the lack of health care by taxpayer's dollars? Should you be responsible for yourselves or should you be compensated by the government? Unemployment is at record high making health insurance less attainable or affordable than ever. In most cases, additional restrictions or taxes will be placed on goods and services to pay for the Universal Health Care plan. By addressing each side of the argument and discussing the benefits, risks, and effects of Universal Health Care in the United States a fair conclusion can be made.

Discussion

Rising health care cost has made it difficult to maintain adequate health care and eventually has driven many Americans into bankruptcy. More than 62% of the individuals who filed bankruptcy filed because of medical expenses and 78% who filed had medical insurance. The high cost of medical expenses today often drives many families into bankruptcy because they cannot afford the high expense of medical costs." (Starfield 457-502) Medical problems were the contributing factors why bankruptcy rose by 50% during the years 2001 through 2007. With the rising costs of health care in the United States, it is a defining factor on how many new bankruptcies have occurred in the twenty-first century.

In today's economy there are about 45 million Americans who are uninsured, which lets us know the current problems that we are have within our health care system. It is very important that the United States of America implement a Universal Health Care system to help its citizens gain access to basic health care. Universal health care is a system that allows the poor, elderly, single adults and family's health care access to any physician services, preventative services, specialist services, surgical services, hospitalization, rehabilitative services, long-term care, and prescription medications. (Shi 321-35)

Implementing a universal health care system in the United States will help eliminate increasing premiums rates that private insurance companies raise every year to their clients. In today's economy is very difficult to keep insurance premiums if an individual is laid off from his or her job it makes it difficult to keep making monthly payments it is even worse on a family that has only one spouse working. The rising cost of services, prescriptions, and adequate care has left uninsured patients with no way to pay for their primary care. These types of burdens make it difficult to keep not only one's coverage but also one's dependents covered, which has raised many concerns with the American public.

Concerning whom really benefits from our current health care system it is obvious that the insurance companies and private practice firms are reaping a financial windfall. In a 1999 report by Woodhandler and Associates it was discovered that private insurance companies retained ...