Should the United States Have Universal Healthcare?
posted by Shakenna Moore | November 7, 2023 | In OpinionFormer President Barack Obama once said: “I’ll end the outrage of one in five African Americans going without the health care they deserve. We’ll guarantee healthcare for anyone who needs it, make it affordable for anyone who wants it, and ensure that the quality of your healthcare does not depend on the color of your skin.”
Universal Healthcare should definitely be implemented! It’s not just a necessity, it is a right!
The Declaration of Independence declares “…that all men are created equal and that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that amongst these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Without healthcare there could be no life, liberty, or happiness.
Healthcare is a basic human right. Healthcare systems are designed to protect health, social well-being, and dignity. Access to healthcare must be universal to protect everyone’s health on an equal basis. Services must be affordable and comprehensive for all, and easily accessible when and where they are needed. Healthcare providers must respect dignity, provide appropriate care, be responsive to diverse needs, follow medical ethics, and protect patient’s rights.
The National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine, and National Center for Biotechnology Information published a study titled, “Universal Healthcare in the United States of America: A Healthy Debate”. According to the study, the most striking advantage of a universal healthcare system in the U.S. is the potential to address the epidemic level of non-communicable chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, type II diabetes, and obesity, all of which strain the national economy. A single-payer system could save the country billions of dollars. The United States spends more money per capita on health-related costs than any other industrialized country. The vast majority of the country’s uninsured are hard-working citizens. Many of these people work jobs that offer little or no insurance. The lack of coverage makes it hard for them to get medical treatment for their ailments.
The lack of health coverage leads to a lack of preventive care, which could lead to advanced-stage diseases. Diseases such as these could lead to long-term care or potential death. Much of this would be prevented in a country with universal healthcare.
We are a country torn on this subject, but we are still a great nation, in my opinion.
Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Winston Churchill said: “The Americans will always do the right thing…after they’ve exhausted all the alternatives.” These are words to reflect on.
It may take this country years to get it right, but on this issue, let’s hope we do!
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