Healthcare in America Essay

Document Type:Essay

Subject Area:Law

Document 1

The US is one of the more advanced and most developed countries worldwide regarding economic power, natural resources, manufacturing and technological advancement. Despite this achievement in many aspects of the economy, the health sector in the US is not well developed. This is because medical services in the US has been financed publicly although healthcare services are not provided publicly. Furthermore, the US lack uniform healthcare system. This is because the healthcare coverage in the US is not universal. 5 million people, Medicaid representing 61. 65 million people, as well as Veterans Administration care representing 14. 14 million people. In 2014, approximately 32. 9 million people lacked health insurance in the US (Angell, 1993). For instance, during the presidential debate, Barrack Obama was asked whether healthcare is a right, privilege or responsibility? He answered by arguing that healthcare should be a right for every American citizen.

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He supported his argument by saying that a nation as wealthy as the United States should not have a problem with the provision of health insurance to its citizens. He said that the US citizens becoming bankrupt and failing to clear their medical bills shows something is wrong with the US healthcare system (Berdion, 2007). For every American citizen to enjoy a quality life, healthcare is at the center stage. The healthcare of citizens plays a crucial role in the growth of the economy and development of infrastructure. Since the citizens contribute massively to the growth of the economy and overall GDP of the country, they have a right to have access to quality healthcare. According to Pope Francis, he supported the argument that healthcare is a basic right for all human being.

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He argued that health is a universal right rather than a consumer good (Berwick and Hackbarth, 2012). Thus, access to healthcare services should not be considered as a privilege. According to AWHONN, they perceive access to quality healthcare as a fundamental human right. He also suggested that the existing healthcare framework has not been fully exploited and that reforms should not be the top priority in the healthcare sector. Furthermore, he suggested that half of the American workers opted out of the healthcare scheme that was provided by their employers (Epstein,1997). According to his argument, he meant that if the existing healthcare framework is not fully exploited, there would be no issues concerning the healthcare framework. Healthcare is a privilege to the majority of Americans because it is not a necessity just like food, water, as well as shelter.

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Healthcare can make people healthier, prolong life, as well as relieve pain and suffering, although it is not necessary on a day-to-day life activity. Epstein (1997) suggest that the poor people will not be able to have access to healthcare services as result of their inability to afford the services offered in the healthcare sector. Therefore, if we can consider healthcare as a responsibility, then we can assume that it is the duty of the American citizens to offer or provide healthcare services to the less fortunate and cannot afford the cost of medical services. Healthcare can also be considered as responsibility if the citizens or people are responsible of their own health. They do so by not depending on healthcare system or framework to cater for their healthcare services (Fahnestock, 2010).

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They achieve this responsibility by taking the necessary or essential preventive measures to tackle emerging health issues rather than committing themselves to pay more to treat and cure a health problem that could have been avoided or prevented. (2013) argue that this will improve and promote the quality of healthcare of American citizens and prevent any emerging and hidden costs to spring up since people who are uninsured are utilizing funds that could be utilized on other sectors of the economy. Ultimately, healthcare is the sole responsibility of both the people, as well as the government. It is their duty to ensure that healthcare system is successful. Personal View In my view, it is the sole responsibility of the government to ensure that it achieves the universal healthcare through provision of insurance cover to its citizens.

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This will assist in protecting the society at large. This is because almost every other developed nation worldwide has achieved provision of universal healthcare to its citizens. It is quite interesting and embarrassing that the US, one of the wealthiest country globally is the only developed country that has failed to attain global health insurance. Several factors have been suggested by experts to support this argument. This includes the US vast and diverse population and geography, the national history involving uneven individualism, as well as the fear of government control (Young and Kroth, 2017).   Conclusion Finally, if healthcare is considered as a right, then it should be provided equally to all American citizens, and there should be no existence of disparities between all individuals regarding health care provision.

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