Universal Health Care

Kristin Jerzycke
October 29, 2008
Final Paper Draft 1

With todays economy, it is hard to say that anything is guarenteed anymore. Ideally it would be comforting to say that the things we cherish the most have some kind of worth to us. However, things like our home, our family, and our health can be taken away in an instant. As uneasy as it is to think about losing such prized posessions, but in todays society, the economy can leave us with nothing. The corruption of the American economy is leaving many people struggling. For example, the corruption of the health care system in the United States is enough to make one sick. The cost to become insured is sky rocketing. Even if citizens can afford individual health insurance, there is no guarentee the company will stick through it. The current health care system is like a mirror of our society. Much of society is more worried about only themselves that the well-being of society as a whole. The United States should adopt a Universal health care system because the current health care system has become more about making money than the health of the people.
Since health care premiums are out of control, many employers are choosing not to offer a health plan. If employers do offer a health plan, it is often more costly to the employees. The lowest priced Blue-Cross family coverage plan costs an employee $2,400 a year (Abelson). In America today, there are 43 million uninsured citizens (Messerli). The number of uninsured will continue to rise along with the rising rates of insurance policies. The number of uninsured continues to rise because people cannot afford to purchase health insurance on their own or they have been dropped from their current claim. Uninsured citizens are able to receive medical attention from hospital emergency rooms. However, hospitals charge uninsured patients four times as much as they do patients with coverage (MSNBC). If a person cannot afford health insurance and they get sick, how are they going to pay a rate that is so much higher than what the hospital charges the insurance company? Also, if a patient is paying a ridiculous amount for health insurance, why does the insurance company have to pay a quarter of what the patient would have to pay himself? With universal health care, all citizens will be able to receive medical attention when necessary and not have to worry about unexpected expenses.
Although some people will argue that a universal health care system will still not provide “free health care”, nothing today is free. Currently, if a citizen has a job and pays for his or her own health insurance, he or she is still paying taxes toward clinically owned offices and hospitals.
The number of uninsured citizens is also due to insurance companies dropping patients’ coverage. Health Net, an insurance company providing about 1,600 customers with coverage, is rewarding its employees with bonuses for cancelling patients’ coverage. Patsy Bates, a former Health Net customer, had her plan eliminated during her breast cancer chemotherapy treatments (Edwards). By eliminating her plan, Health Net left Bates with over $200,000 in unpaid medical bills which caused her to be unable to finish her treatment. This is not unusual for insurance companies to withdraw promises. Many companies hire employees strictly to look at patient’s records when the patient requests for a pricey procedure. With universal health care, patients will receive the treatments that are needed to keep patients healthy. Many cancer treatments are extremely expensive. With universal health care, doctors will be more focused on curing the patient than how they are getting reimbursed.
In order to increase our guarantee for health, universal health care can help citizens receive preventive medicines. Without an insurance plan, a citizen may not take the proper precautions to prevent major illnesses. With a universal health care system, citizens will be able to receive preventive treatments. These treatments can have a major effect on the health of America. For example, women need to have annual mammograms in order to screen for breast cancer. If an uninsured woman cannot afford a mammogram, then she may not know she has breast cancer until it is too late to be treated. The uninsured women who do not receive routine mammograms may find out about their cancer in a later stage, costing them more in treatments. Another common preventative procedure is the flu shot. Preventing ourselves from getting influenza can also keep us from getting more serious illnesses such as pneumonia. Preventive medicine is a vital part of keeping American’s healthy. Many uninsured American’s may not be able to afford these preventative treatments and many insurance companies do not provide these to patients.
The health care system is in dire need to change. The corruption of insurance companies has caused American’s to become uninsured. If American’s do something now we can help the 43 million uninsured and as save money ourselves. The number of uninsured and rate of private insurance policies will continue to grow the longer we take to take action.