...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...
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...National healthcare has been a debate for many years. Several countries provide healthcare for their population. There have been attempts in the US to emulate this program. Several presidents have tried this, but all failed. Recently, President Obama was able to get a bill through a bi-partisan congress requiring all US residents to have some sort of healthcare. While this is not a single payer plan, it can be viewed as a step in the right direction. There were millions in the US without access to affordable care, and now they can at least get a plan that covers basic healthcare. As the years have gone by there have been issues with the program, and how it was implemented. Healthcare is something all should have access to, but the government...
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...Sunnie Merritt English102 (online) Expository Essay July 29, 2010 Confusion Over the US Health Reform Bill The latest poll out today from the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health-care-policy research organization, says only 27 percent of the public has been following the 2010 health reform debate closely. Despite this, more than half (56 percent) of Americans think health reform is more important than ever. Very smart people are zoning out of the health care reform debate because they think it’s just too complicated. The complexities of US health reform are a problem, because American citizens and politicians cannot make good decisions about an issue they do not clearly understand or have been misinformed. Defining the goals of reform is relatively easy. Implementing them is tough and that’s where people are made to feel stupid - partly by special interest groups who intentionally or unintentionally confuse the debate. According to John Lapook in an article posted on CBS News.com, at least one senator admits he has no intention of reading it. "I don't expect to actually read the legislative language because . . . the legislative language is among the more confusing things I've ever read in my life," Sen. Thomas Carper (D-Del.) quotes to online news service in the article. Carper told CBSnews.com that the bill was "incomprehensible" and "hard stuff to understand. Carper stated he doubts his fellow members of the Senate Finance Committee will read their handiwork...
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...A Case Against Universal Health Care Melody Hicks MHA-620 Health Policy Analyses Dr. Martha Plant February 23, 2015 Change within the healthcare industry is occurring at an exponential rate. Although change is not new to healthcare, the underlying reasons for change are diverse compared to other industries. Consumer perception that healthcare is a right has inspired regulatory changes that affect both access and quality of care, adding to the already escalating costs. The entry of investor-owned companies into the acute-care markets in the late 1960s has created a challenging and changing healthcare environment, which threatens the survival of those unable to adjust to the trends of the industry (Johnson, 2009). Other factors contributing to unpredictable changes in the healthcare industry include the exclusive expertise of the providers, the physician/hospital relationship and related referral patterns, the absence of a traditional competitive market, and the fragmentation of the industry. The concept of change is far too broad to justify any one definition. Extenuating circumstances and unpredictable shifts within the healthcare industry require a strategic management model that addresses both change and changing. Visionary leaders must be alert to external change and have the organization prepared to respond by changing internally. Consequently, everyone in the organization plays a role in change management. Among the many definitions of change reported...
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...14, 2012 Should the United States Have Universal Healthcare? According to the Institute of Medicine there will be 18,000 unnecessary deaths this year, in the United States. This is solely because we as Americans have a healthcare system that leaves millions of citizens with no health insurance. There are 54.5 million people in the U.S. that are most uninsured or have poor health coverage. These citizens are left to decide whether they should spend thousands of dollars on a medical visit or hope the body fixes itself. We are supposed to have one of the greatest healthcare systems in the world, most of us believe anyway. However, the U.S. was ranked 37th out 191 countries, right in between Costa Rica (36) and Slovenia (38) on the World Health Organization (WHO) healthcare list in 2000. The United States was behind almost all of the other first world countries in the world and it was a far cry away from France who was held at number one, with Universal Healthcare. This was the first complete list of how all of the countries provide healthcare. Americans are denied everyday for healthcare coverage, if it is not provided through your job chances are you will be denied at least once, if not more by a healthcare provider. But who has the right to tell you whether or not you are allowed to have health insurance? All of us use it, some more or less than others, but every single person sees a doctor, so why can’t we have universal healthcare? Health care is a human right, it would...
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...Universal health care (UHC) coverage is a highly controversial issue all over the world, but of special interest in the United States. The U.S. is considered one of the few truly industrialized nations in the world which does not provide some form of comprehensive health care coverage for its citizens. This paper will examine some of the arguments and data against a universal health care. The U.S. has been in turmoil over the topic of Universal Health Care for some time now. The idea sounds simple enough; government provides coverage for everyone, rich or poor and everyone gets the services they require. However, many citizens may think twice about such a program when they look into the details of how it is funded and delivered to the public. One proposal, popular among many on the political left, is “Medicare for All,” a proposal that would put most, if not all, Americans under the auspices of the government-run health insurance program for the elderly and disabled. Before the U.S. adopts such a system, it is important to evaluate these claims. Taxes and the price of anything medical would sky rocket! This would make everyone unhappy. Before getting in too deep in this subject it is important to understand the term Universal Health Care (UHC). Universal health care refers to government mandated programs intended to ensure that all citizens, and sometimes permanent residents, of a governmental region have access to most types of health care. Patients may pay for...
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...American healthcare system is enormous, complex and plagued by inefficiency in utilizing resources. Leiyu Shi and Douglas A. Singh lay out some compelling facts about how the system works. The complexity of healthcare delivery stood out because of the intricate web of players involved, each with a separate agenda. These agendas have contributed to the system focusing largely on individual rather than collective needs ensuring no guaranteed right to healthcare. Basic healthcare should be a right, but it is not, even though life is the most important thing we have. I equate being able to afford healthcare to right to life because the major determinant to access of care is insurance. The writers’ suggestion that universal healthcare is a theoretical concept is interesting but one that I disagree with because as the writers point out Emergency Departments already serves as universal providers for the uninsured Americans during acute crisis. Same guarantee can be extended to every American but geared towards primary care. Also, healthcare could use the same set up used in auto insurance. Although no one system is perfect other developed countries have been able to offer coverage for their citizens...
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...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...
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...Analysis of Bill: Universal Healthcare Act The purpose of this analysis is to discuss the impact bill HB0942, Illinois Universal Healthcare Act, will have on the healthcare system in Illinois. This bill will allow easy healthcare access to all individuals living within the state. While there are many positives that can result from this new bill, there are also unintended consequences that could arise that must be taken into consideration. Many groups currently oppose the bill, yet others offer full support and hope to see it in action soon. Funding is a major issue since all citizens of Illinois will be covered by the plan. There are specific provisions included within HB0942 which range from medical services to long term care to job placement for anyone affected. Overview of the Problem Today, many Illinoisans are facing an enormous problem: the rising cost of healthcare. Currently, our state’s medical care cost, as of all America, is outrageously expensive while the quality of care is inadequate compared to other countries around the world. Using the latest statistics by the Physicians for a National Health Program Illinois (PNHP), approximately 1.8 million of the 13 million citizens of Illinois are lacking healthcare coverage ("A Single-Payer Statewide," 2013). It is very clear that the system the state is currently using is not working. For this reason, a new bill is in the process of being passed. The rising cost and lack of access to healthcare is causing a...
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...Lastly, America needs to adopt universal health care because it will help take a tremendous weight of stress off of physicians and medical staff, when it comes to patients paperwork and medical information. Allison Diana gives us an insight on how universal health care will help take off a big load for medical workers: “states creating health information exchanges that ultimately will connect, will allow professionals from throughout the country to access records regardless of location or insurance”(Diana). Adopting universal health care will help make doctors work easier, as universal health care will create a centralized system where doctors from the West Coast to the East Coast can access a patient’s medical record no matter what insurance...
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...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...
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...people uninsured. This leaves many questioning whether the current free market health care system or a universal health care system is better for the citizens of America. Universal healthcare is where every citizen receives the same health care regardless of their race, social status, age, gender, pre-existing conditions or the money they have. A free market system creates a price driven by demand and need. To determine which system is better adapted to the United States, it is important to recognize the strengths, weaknesses and costs of each type of system. What are the pros and cons of a universal healthcare system? According to the essay, “Pros and Cons of Universal Health Care”, the main advantage of universal health care is that all people receive health care regardless of their economic...
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...Nearly the entire developed world has 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...
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...I will argue for a universal healthcare system in the United States through a comparison of feminist ethics and traditional ethics. I find that the following considerations from Virginia Held’s Ethics of Care, and Kant’s view on autonomy provide a convincing argument for universal healthcare coverage. Held In Virginia Held’s Ethics of Care, she makes six distinct statements on care ethics through a feminist point of view. 1.) “Moralities built on the image of the independent, autonomous, rational individual largely overlook the reality of human dependence and the morality for which it calls.” (Camp, 2011:48) Held is describing how interdependence is primary and one is not in control of caretaking relationships. The majority of caretaking relationships are not chosen (parents and siblings) and we have a responsibility of care to these unchosen relations. We are all interdependent on each other, not autonomous. An argument relating to health care according to the view presented by Held on feminine ethics directly confirms the point that we are not autonomous beings: “Children in particular are harmed by familial stress and developmental delays from not receiving health care, both of which can lead to behavioral problems and loss of potential. When one member is uninsured or becomes ill, there is a financial burden put on the rest of the family” (http://www.amsa.org). Universal health care coverage would allow for this family burden of stress and finances to be decreased...
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...Universal healthcare is a very debated topic in the US as we are one of the few countries who have not adopted some sort of system for national healthcare thus creating very high prices for consumers of healthcare. There are compelling and sensible sides to each argument, as there isn't necessarily a correct answer to this problem yet so it is hard to decide what is right. These 2 editorials give the 2 different sides to the idea of universal healthcare and I will be stating the different view points and comparing the two. The idea of universal healthcare is a morally good idea in theory, everybody gets free or inexpensive healthcare and if an accident occurs or you are injured from anything you would not have to worry about large bills once...
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