Luna 1

Joe Dee Ann Luna

Ms. Cowart
ENG 1301
26 March 2016
Universal Healthcare in the United States
Universal healthcare in the United States is a highly debatable topic. Universal healthcare
is defined as a system that will provide a basic level of healthcare to all people. Many people
argue whether or not this is a good idea. This has also been a debatable topic with politicians
during this election period. This topic has stirred up a lot of controversy among the American
people. Many Americans do not have access to basic health care and it is time to revisit the
importance of universal healthcare for all Americans. A universal healthcare system in the
United States would serve the people of this country well. This would promote positivity in the
healthcare crisis many people are faced with.
Millions of Americans are not covered by health insurance plans, many cannot afford to
purchase health insurance, and many employers do not offer such coverage due to high costs,
especially for small businesses. It is the poor and those at the lower end of the socioeconomic
bracket who suffer the most from the inability to afford health insurance. As the population ages
and more people have to rely on social security, it has become increasingly difficult for this
group of people to afford medication and healthcare services. As a nation we need to be very
concerned about the health of those in the lower socioeconomic bracket. They are the people
who work in the service industry, attending to our daily needs. They also are the ones mingling
with the rest of the population on a daily basis. It would be prudent then to provide these

Luna 2
individuals with healthcare coverage. The middle class is not without its share of problems
either.
The United States is one of the most prosperous nations in the world, yet its government
is unable, unwilling, or incapable to providing adequate, affordable, basic health care to all its
citizens. According to experts, The money to support a universal healthcare program is
available, and yet the United States remains the only industrialized nation that does not provide
health care for its citizens (Rashford 3). However, Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal
programs have been shown to improve health for the citizens who are eligible. Therefore,
governmental involvement in healthcare seems to be effective.
Americans are concerned about the state of our healthcare delivery system. Rising costs
for services and prescription medications and access to adequate medical care has left the
uninsured patient without the ability to pay for primary healthcare. Individuals without
insurance typically use the emergency department as a primary source for their healthcare needs.
This leaves fewer resources for people who may actually need emergent care. This is making
many emergency departments into an After-hours clinic. A study of emergency department
physicians reported that one in three patients were uninsured and one in four children were also
uninsured (Anonymous, 2003). The services provided by the emergency department may or may
not solve the medical problem at hand because referral to specialists and prescriptions given to
the patient may not be affordable and the underlying medical problem may go untreated. This is
evident by repeat visits to the emergency department by the same uninsured individuals. The
overcrowding of emergency departments has also become a problem because of this, increasing
the cost of healthcare to the population in general, and certain patients do not get the appropriate
care as the cost of health care rises. If individuals could get adequate healthcare insurance these

Luna 3
emergency departments would not be so overcrowded and would decrease in numbers. Also,
according to experts, Emergency department physicians are in agreement that uninsured
patients have more serious medical problems that worsen because they are not receiving routine
health screenings, earlier interventions, or any preventative care and that Americans would
benefit immensely if basic health care was afforded to all people (Rashford 5).
The number of uninsured Americans remains high and continues to grow. Also, we
cannot neglect the thousands of undocumented individuals that reside in this country; they get
sick and seek medical care at the many emergency departments in their communities. If so many
individuals are not receiving basic health care, this could lead to major public health crises in the
near future. Without healthcare reform more and more diseases are going to be on the rise.
On the other hand, may people believe that a universal health reform would be a big
mistake. In hindsight, it would cost too much money and is not in the best interest of the
American people (Purdy 257). The people in the highest socioeconomic bracket would be the
ones to suffer as they pay the most in taxes. We cant take from Peter to feed Paul. Middle class
people would also suffer from this as well.
With the government regulating repayment, many physicians would not be able to afford
malpractice insurance and would be forced to go elsewhere. The Medicaid program, is
currently a government program that is the lowest of all payers (Purdy 257). Many new
physicians come out of school already owing so much debt, they would not be able to repay with
a government reformed system. Hence the fact that there would be fewer physicians and
specialists for us to choose from. So many communities are already underserved. This would
hinder quality healthcare.

Luna 4
Many people believe that healthcare is not a right that American people are entitled to.
Just because you live in America doesnt mean you are entitled to healthcare. There are
numerous government programs to help the people that cannot afford health insurance. All a
reformed healthcare program would do is increase the amount of taxes we pay. We already pay
social security which is a dwindling program in itself. Also, we pay Medicare taxes as well. So
it would decrease the amount of cash flow coming in to our homes and put a hurt on the current
economic status.
What about patients who dont adhere to the doctors orders, miss scheduled
appointments, dont fill prescriptions, or use illegal substances? Should tax payers be forced to
pay for these peoples medical bills? Of course not. Personal responsibility is never a
consideration in entitlement programs. What about the people who exercise, eat right, follow
physician orders, are high wage earners paying a disproportionate amount into the system, and
use only a fraction of the health system the average citizen does? Should these individuals get
rewarded? Of course not. Entitlement programs by definition reward those who use them and
penalize those that dont. The issues we face today are the high cost of healthcare, a social
welfare system that cant sustain itself. Experts believe the government needs to step out of the
way and let individuals decide for themselves (Purdy 262).
Healthcare reform would definitely promote positivity in the health care crisis American
people are faced with. The benefits of health care reform being, less crowded emergency
departments, preventative health care, as well as, affordable healthcare. The down side to health
care reform would be increases in taxes and fewer doctors. The health of the nation is at stake
when citizens do not receive primary care, routine health screenings, and preventative care, and
this may lead to a resurgence of diseases. It is imperative that health care providers and

Luna 5
American citizens continue the fight for a more just system of health care that provides health
care to all people. Americans deserve a universal health care system.

Luna 6
Works Cited
Purdy, John. Universal Healthcare-A Clear Path to Disaster The PM Forum 27.5.
(June/July 2008):257-262 CINAHL Plus with Full Text. Web. 26 March 2016.
Rashford, Marleise. A Universal Healthcare System: Is it Right for the United States? Nursing
Forum 42.1 (January-March 2007):3-10. CINAHL Plus with Full Text. Web. 26 March
2016.