Right to Health Care Paper

Right to Health Care Paper

HCMG 3301. N1

Professor Brian Carr

Andi Linn Scarborough

It is a well-known fact that the United States is one of the most prosperous and wealthiest nations in the world. Yet there are over forty-six million Americans that are uninsured, this is a shocking sixteen percent of the population (Merino, 3). As the number of uninsured individuals continue to increases, it become more apparent that the need for universal healthcare also increases. Universal health care is defined as a "system that will provide a basic level of health care to all people" (Rashford, 4). According to Noel Moreno, the United States pays more for healthcare than any other nation. Where does this money? The government is either unwilling or incapable of comprehending the benefits that would follow if the nation were to choose follow a universal healthcare plan.

In today's society, almost half of the small businesses are no longer able to offer their employees with healthcare due to the rising costs of health insurance. According to a recent study, American pay more than fifteen billion dollars in taxes as result of all those who go uninsured (Gerdes). As mentioned before, the United States pays more for healthcare than any other nation. Unfortunately, all this money obviously does not mean that Americans are not any "healthier" than citizens from other countries nor do we receive "more" medical attention than those countries that have adopted universal healthcare system (Merino, 3). In short, "medical care in this country is inequitable and inefficient" (Merino, 4)

After reading several positions on whether the United States should adopt a universal healthcare system. With the current state of the economy and healthcare system, I think the nation would benefit from such a step. Everyone one has the right to develop and maintain a standard of living that is adequate for the wellness and health of each individual and their families. Such a standard of living most definitely includes medical care and the right to feel secure in the case that unemployment, death, disability and even old age. Americans, regardless of their socioeconomic status, are concerned about the every rising price services, access to medical attention and prescriptions for insured, under-insured and the uninsured. The current system grants the wealthy access to a wide variety of medical services while those who lie below the poverty line have limited access and receive as much as help as possible from Medicaid (Gerdes). As a result, many choose not to apply for health insurance. A universal health care system would eliminate such discrimination by making health care services available to every man, woman and child.