Premium Essay

Universal Health Insurance In The United States

Submitted By
Words 1593
Pages 7
Having universal health coverage means that the country provides all their citizens with some form of health care and offers them financial protection. With the United States as an exception, every developed nation in the world has some form of universal health insurance provided to the people living in that country. Having a universal health care program typically benefits the spending cost of each person, maintains a healthy population, and keeps the majority of their citizens happy. Providing more competition for competitors helps keep health care more affordable in universal health care environments. If the citizens of a country have to pay health insurance, then that would ultimately mean that the health insurance companies would have …show more content…
In Taiwan, a study of hospitals showed that the usual citizen admission numbers went up from ten per 1000 in 1994 to 120 per 1000 in 1996 (Lu 3). In other universal health insurance nations, like Canada and Japan, the government provides citizens with their medical needs by, “directly providing the medical goods and services for the entire population,” according to Laurence Kotlikoff, author of the book The Healthcare Fix: Universal Insurance for All Americans (Kotlikoff 59). With France following this same guideline in a way as well, french hospital admission rates, prescription purchase rates, and the consulting of citizens with their doctors are often. This provides citizens with healthy care and a healthy lifestyle. (Rodwin 35) If a country has universal health care, then they provide maternity leaves. Providing maternity leaves with pay allows citizens to stay financially stable, which then helps the economy directly. (Stevens …show more content…
In Taiwan, their version of universal health coverage receives a 70 percent public satisfaction rate (Lu 1). Since “Doctors in Taiwan are not allowed to make a profit on the basic plan for health care,” as Palfremen says, it helps with making sure the basic plan stays affordable with the lower-income families. This helps the satisfaction rate score that high. In Germany, the surveys show that the large majority of Germany is happy with their health care. Everyone in Germany gets offered health care, and 90 percent of its citizens decide to stay with the main national system. (Palfremen 1) A universal health care system covers most of their citizens by making a person’s payments based off their income and providing certain users with

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Universal Healthcare

...“Universal Healthcare” Synopsis: The essay, “A Universal Healthcare System: Is It Right for The United States?” by Marleise Rashford describes the positive effect of universal healthcare. In the essay she explains how a universal healthcare system will help this country. The United States is the only industrialize nation that does not provide healthcare for its citizens. She criticizes the American healthcare system. “The current American system cost too much, cover too little and excludes too many” according to Rashford. Marleise Rashford emphasizes that money is not the issue why America has not reform its health system. Corruption, lobbyist, and private insurances are the ones responsible for this. The essay mentions that 45 million Americans are uninsured. This essay will analyze and critique Rashford’s essay. I support the universal healthcare system. The United States is the only industrialized nation without universal healthcare. The United States ranks poorly compare to other industrialized nations on healthcare. Universal healthcare will cover all the American citizens. It will benefit the underprivileged citizens of this country. American citizens will have a longer life expectancy. Infant mortality rates will decrease. The United States is the only industrialized nation without universal...

Words: 788 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Healthcare

...Health Care Necessity for a Universal Health Care System in America Health care reform has recently become top priority for policy makers, and health administrators. The current health care system faces many costly problems for the uninsured/underinsured, employment-based insurance coverage, and financially burdened health service providers. Although policy makers have made many attempts to raise the number of insured, through programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, the number of uninsured Americans continues to rise. Currently 45 million American have no health insurance and children make up approximately 10 million of that number reported by the U.S. Census Bureau (8-10). The politicians and largely the medical societies, appear to be unable to decide what society’s responsibility in health care should be to those who are unable to purchase basic coverage. Surveys conducted by institutions like the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation have noted that the proportion of people named the uninsured as the single most important domestic issue. Additionally, the Woods and Kaiser Foundation study concludes 55% of the participants expressed willingness to pay some level of taxes to cover the uninsured (1-4). The majority thought that the uninsured should be offered a federal funded health care package. Universal health can enhance health and well-being by promoting access to high-quality care that is cost effective, efficient, safe,...

Words: 2631 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Healthcare Utilization

...Health Care Utilization Kelly A Faust HCS/235 July 21, 2015 Dr Lisa Church Health care in the United States is teetering on the edge; it will either turn into universal health care or become too expensive for the majority of Americans. Recent health care reform has been developed to lower the cost of health care and make it more widely available. However, health care in the United State may start trending towards becoming a universal system. There are many arguments to both sides of health care reform and universal health care. The Affordable Care Act is one of the most recent and controversial of the health care reform acts. The Affordable Care Act was created to lower the costs of health care for patients, providers, and the United States government. The Affordable Care Act is estimated to “reduce the federal budget deficit by more than $100 billion over the first decade and by more than $1 trillion between 2020 and 2030” (Orszag & Emanuel, 2010, para. 3). On top of saving the government money the Affordable Care Act also expands the access to health care. Starting in 2014 patients cannot be decline health insurance coverage due to a pre-existing condition. This will allow patients who have been without health insurance for at least six months to get insurance no matter their income (The United States Department of Health and Human Services, n.d.). Allow all patients to get health insurance will help lower the cost of premiums for those who already have insurance...

Words: 1171 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Universal Healthcare

...Universal Health Coverage: A Possibility for the United States Brittannie DePew Eng 122 David Moskowitz 9/21/2013 Medical costs are getting too expensive. Ever fought with your insurance providers because they refused to pay for care, or struggle to find an “in-network” provider? I know a woman whose name I will change for her privacy and the struggles she is going through are a perfect example of an issue many people face when dealing with insurance; Nancy’s (name changed for privacy) story is a perfect example of how our healthcare system is no longer working for the people. Nancy is this woman whose husband recently passed away. Nancy used to work for county and county workers cannot receive social security; and Nancy is too young for Medicaid by six years. Unfortunately, when Nancy’s husband passed away her healthcare began to go with him. Unless Nancy can find a way to pay the provider over a thousand dollars a month Nancy will lose her health care, because it was healthcare provided through her husband. She has tried searching for other providers but she cannot get the same coverage for any less money, when she found a couple that were close to the same coverage they did not accept pre-existing medical conditions. As a matter in fact many companies do not accept pre-existing medical providers. There are no options for Nancy; and that is wrong. There are many reasons why the United States should seriously consider Universal healthcare. Universal healthcare should...

Words: 1965 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

The Pros And Cons Of Universal Healthcare

...adopted the system of Universal Health Care, including Europe, the powerhouses of Asia, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. The United States (U.S.) is not one of them. Funded through taxes and run by the government, health care proves vital to all countries across the world. Unlike other first world countries, the U.S. falls behind in attempts to providing a single-payer health system, a type of Universal Health Care. Health care affordability continue to drastically decrease for United States citizens, becoming less affordable due to its high costs. Other first world countries are able to provide their population with adequate amounts of medical attention without the high expenses like the current system...

Words: 1770 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Universal Health Care

...Universal Healthcare Systems Abstract In 2007, more than 45 million Americans did not have health care insurance. The United States is the only industrialized nation in the world without health care, and the debate about changing that has become a popular topic recently. The difference between the two sides is a difference in values; those for universal health care desire to see the government help others, and those who do not, wish that private companies be allowed to continue taking advantage of the status quo for profit. In this paper I will argue why the Government should put in place The Universal Healthcare Systems. Health care reform to provide universal coverage was first proposed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt's "New Deal" in 1938, then again by President Harry S. Truman's "Fair Deal" in 1945, by President Richard Nixon in 1971, and more recently by President Bill Clinton's administration in 1993 and during the second presidential debate on Oct 7, 2008, US President Barack Obama, then presidential candidate, said health care should be a “right for every American.” Each attempt faced staunch opposition from varying interest groups and did not result in the passage of universal health coverage legislation. www.healthcare.procon.org In my research it states, it’s no secret that health care costs are spiraling out of control in this country. On average, we now spend more per person on health care than both food and housing...

Words: 1804 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Health Care

...Except for Health Care America, dubbed the “land of the free” by the Star Spangled Banner, is known for democracy, freedom, and the American Dream. American citizens have the right to free speech, free press, the right to bear arms, and the right to religious freedom to name a few. The Declaration of Independence states that American citizens have the rights including “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” America promises equality and freedom and the protection of their rights as outlined in the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. But with all the rights and freedoms that American citizens enjoy, there is one particular area where the United States seems to be lacking. That area is health care. The United States is the only industrialized nation that doesn’t have some form of legal recognition of a right to health care (Yamin 1157). Health care reform in the United States has become a major controversy for politicians, health care professionals, businesses, and citizens. Those in opposition to reform claim that health care is not a human right, therefore the government should not be involved. Supporters of reform believe that health care is most definitely a human right and should be available to everyone in the United States instead of only those who can afford it, and that it is the government’s responsibility to uphold that right. Out of all the industrialized countries in the world, the United States is the only one that doesn’t have a universal health...

Words: 2282 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Universal Healthcare in the United States

...Universal Healthcare in the United States Larrissa McBride HCS 235 Monday January 23, 2012 Margaret Meador Universal Healthcare in the United States Healthcare is on the minds of every American in today’s society. Everyone worries about what they will do to afford healthcare and even if they will receive healthcare. America has some of the greatest technological advances and in trained professionals. However, American only ranks 20th in life expectancy and we rank almost the lowest in healthcare availability to its citizens. This causes me to believe that American needs to adopt some type of universal healthcare reform. According to the department of Health and Human Services the United States is one of the only industrialized countries to not give every individual healthcare coverage and access. The United States currently has a system of government sponsored and private insurance companies. The “poor” Americans fall under the care of government based programs. Those who are poor but are considered too wealthy for government sponsored programs are forced to turn to for-profit insurance companies. These for profit companies have strict guidelines and or co-payments and are likely to turn down medical care for any reason they see fit without explanation. I feel that some kind of universal health care system would regulate and control these organizations and could potentially save billions. Currently in the United States a large majority of citizens are uninsured. According...

Words: 1312 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Universal Health Care

...In the wake of Obama Care, United States battled with the questions of universal health care for all. Why do other countries less influential like Cuba have universal health care and we do not? What is the stakes behind not having that kind of coverage for all U.S. citizens? Investigating country of France, there are plenty of reasons why we should as Americans have universal health care. What are some pros and cons of universal health care? Pros of universal health care are the number of uninsured U.S. residents has grown to over 45 million. Health care has become increasingly unaffordable for business and individuals. We can eliminate wasteful inefficiencies such as duplicate paper work, claim approval, insurance submission, etc. Medical professionals can concentrate on healing the patient rather than on insurance procedures, malpractice liability, etc. Free medical services would encourage patient to practice preventive medicine and inquire about problems early when treatment will be light; currently patients often avoid physicals and other preventive measure because of the costs. Cons of universal health care are there is not a single government agency or division that runs efficiently; do we really want an organization that developed the U.S. Tax Code handling something as complex as health care? Free health care is not really free since we must pay for it with taxes, expenses for health care would have to be paid for with higher taxes or spending cuts in other areas...

Words: 2834 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

Universal Healthcare in America

...The United States having universal healthcare Michelle Garbarino Eng 122 James Meetze February. 25, 2013 Should the United States have Universal Healthcare? 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. The Arguments for Universal Healthcare in the United States, Rising health care cost has made it difficult to maintain adequate health care and eventually has driven many Americans into bankruptcy (Frosch, Dan, 2005). 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," (Himmelstein...

Words: 720 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Free Healthcare

...back into recessions. Health is one of the most talked about public policy topics. Health care is topic that affects local and state governments for many reasons. First of all, health care is insurance for people that are injured or ill. Each county has their own type of health care. There are many different types of health care organizations that are offered to people all over the world. Some of these organizations include: the health maintenance group, provider group, and a proposal that combines aspects from both the health maintenance cgroup and the provider group. The most important type of health care insurance is a universal health plan. Universal health care is what will eventually save Americans a large amount of money and it will also guarantee that every American is insured. The number of uninsured citizens has grown to be above 40 million people. Health care is becoming unaffordable and we can eliminate wasteful inadequacies. A centralized national database can be established to make life easier for doctors, and medical professionals will only have to worry about the patience and not who’s paying for the medication for people. There are many people today who do not like the idea of universal health care and refuse to get it. America is known for having the best medical physicians and people are afraid that it will change drastically if we all share one universal health care plan. Also, if the insurance were to decrease in the universal health plan then taxes should...

Words: 2407 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Health Economics

...Essay: The Health Care, Universal Insurance and International Comparison of Health Care Syetem Introduction In recent years, the availability and affordability of health insurance in United States has becomes the subject of much debate. About one in seven American has no health insurance at all, and for many people who are insured, the cost of coverage is a financial hardship. This situation has led some people to call for the government to provide health insurance for all citizens like other developed countries e.g. Canada, United Kingdom, Japan, Germany etc. Under this type of system, the state government or the federal government would provide insurance coverage, fixed by taxes for everyone. Those who support government-run health care believe that it has many benefits, including universal coverage, lower costs, and greater efficiency. Opponents contend that such a system would require budgets controls, forcing the government to decide whether and when person can receive certain health service. They believe universal health care would lead to lower quality care, long delay, greater government bureaucracy, and greater tax increase. However, whether universal insurance or not, the current health care system needed a reform and I believe Most American will prefer Universal health insurance to any other health care system because it guarantee coverage for everybody. Thesis: the rising cost of health care is a very critical issue in public debate nowadays. The situation...

Words: 3993 - Pages: 16

Premium Essay

What Role Does Early American History Have to Play in the Quest for Universal Health Coverage in the U.S. During the 20th Century?

...What role does early American history have to play in the quest for Universal Health Coverage in the U.S. during the 20th century? Fiona Nelson-Lafuse ENG122 Emily Fancy 18th February 2013 INTRODUCTION The topic question for this research paper is, “Most developed countries have universal health coverage. Why doesn’t the United States have universal health coverage? There have been repeated attempts by many different legislators over the past 150 years to introduce some form of universal health coverage to this country; and given the successive failures, it seems crucial to investigate early American history to uncover the origins of this steadfast resistance to universal health coverage; and gain an understanding of the impact those early citizens have had from the time of the Constitution on down through subsequent generations in their quest to keep universal health care off the legislative table. Despite the fact that the Constitution does not explicitly provide for universal healthcare, and there has been constant resistance to any attempts to bring it in, during the period 1900 - 1920, it seemed likely universal health coverage would pass into law – then at the last moment it failed. In the period between 1902 and 1965, 19 attempts were made to push universal health care coverage into legislation; and before this paper moves on to examine the role of social, political and commercial interests in these failures, it is important to consider...

Words: 3168 - Pages: 13

Premium Essay

Sicko

...2007 documentary “Sicko” by Michael Moore address the different issues with American health care system. America’s health care system has been up for debate for quite some time now and still not much has changed. Michael Moore believes America’s health system is morally corrupt which is unreasonable for being the wealthiest country in the world. Throughout the film some of his main arguments include, the fact that the American health care system is subject to fraudulent decisions, aiming towards governmental funds, rather than the rights of American citizens. He also compares America’s health care system to others around the world, arguing that countries with the benefit of having health care are much better off than those that are not. Throughout the entire film, Moore is making an attempt to get through to the people of the middle class. He wants them to stand up for their constitutional right, health care. You don’t have to accept what they tell you, you should be aware of your rights. Moore uses many methods to support his argument that universal health care is better than government regulated health care. For example, he traveled around the United States to ask many different people about their health insurance. The most touching story was from a mother who lost her 4 year old because the hospital refused to care for the child due to lack of health insurance. If the government and insurance companies can refuse to give treatment to a mother and her sick child something is clearly...

Words: 861 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Health Care

...Health Care Through the decades there have been many public policy topics in our society that have a very large impact on the county as whole. They are reasons why American have either prospered and have been set back into recessions. Health is one of the most talked about public policy topics. Health care is topic that affects local and state governments for many reasons. First of all, health care is insurance for people that are injured or ill. Each county has their own type of health care. There are many different types of health care organizations that are offered to people all over the world. Some of these organizations include: the health maintenance group, provider group, and a proposal that combines aspects from both the health maintenance group and the provider group. The most important type of health care insurance is a universal health plan. Universal health care is what will eventually save Americans a large amount of money and it will also guarantee that every American is insured. The number of uninsured citizens has grown to be above 40 million people. Health care is becoming unaffordable and we can eliminate wasteful inadequacies. A centralized national database can be established to make life easier for doctors, and medical professionals will only have to worry about the patience and not who’s paying for the medication for people. There are many people today who do not like the idea of universal health care and refuse to get it. America is known for having...

Words: 2422 - Pages: 10