Why Health Care in America Should Be Universal Essay

At the heart of the declaration for independence, the founding fathers of the united states indicated that every human is entitled to some certain unalienable rights, among them life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And that to secure those rights are protected, a government shall be instituted among men, and it will exercise its powers according to the will and consent of the governed (Mackay, 2018). This declaration is as vital today as it was when Thomas Jefferson first wrote it down more than two centuries ago. Nonetheless, the people of the United States have not been guaranteed some of these rights by the governments in which they have imposed on themselves to govern them as they deem fit. A significant right which has been subdued is the right to life; which has been subverted by the inability of the government to ensure that all its citizens have access to health care (Mayes, 2004). It thus upon the government to provide all Americans with universal access to health care which ensures that both the rich and poor alike have equal access to better treatment and that all citizens are without the suffering brought about by financial hardship caused by expensive health care.

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According to the US Census Bureau, approximately 33 million Americans did not have health insurance in 2014. This figure equaled the number of people who occupy the state of Texas. Based on these shocking statistics, it is necessary for the lawmakers to formulate a bill that will ensure that such a high number is eliminated by providing insurance coverage that can be afforded by all Americans ("Right to Health Care ProCon.org," n.d.). This will bring an end to the many deaths which are caused by medical prices that the patients cannot afford to pay. Furthermore, America is a primary advocate for the human rights across the globe; it would be ironical to deny 33 million of its people access to health care, a service which has been categorized as a fundamental human right (Mackay, 2018). In spite of that, in a document signed by the united states and 47 other countries back in 1948, under the United Nations universal declaration, it was determined that "all humans have the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and wellbeing of a person and their family" ("Medicare vs. Non-Government (Private) Health Insurance - Obamacare - ProCon.org," n.d.). So, why then can the government of the United States fail to implement what it advocates for abroad?

The other reason why the government should embrace universal health care is to ensure that the critical pillars of a justice and fairness society are maintained. Already, the existing gap between the rich and the poor in the United States has created a sizable share of problems in the community (Dixon, 2009). This gap will continue to expand, and unless the government introduces measures like universal health care to bring about some level of equality. Despite that, the United States is among the wealthiest nations on earth, and thus ensuring there is some level of fairness and justice as far as health care is concerned would not be unsustainable (Mackay, 2018). Such measures have already been instituted in wealthy nations like Germany, Italy, England and France and the results of these efforts have created a more united nation and society.

Based on the research done in 2013, it was determined that under a universal health care system, the total public and private spending on matters related to health could be lowered by approximately $592 billion in 2014 and roughly $1.8 trillion in the next ten years due to lower prescription and administrative drug costs ("Right to Health Care ProCon.org," n.d.). Further data provided by the American Medical health proved that countries like Canada that has adopted the universal health care spend half of what a country like the United States spends per capita on health care. This statistical fact has been confirmed by the United Kingdom which also has universal health care that consumes 41.5% of what the United States spends per capita ("Medicare vs. Non-Government (Private) Health Insurance," n.d.).

Critics of the universal health care argue that providing a plan that includes all people would put a lot of strain on the government. They further indicate that, due to the massive population of the Americans, the government would have to borrow more money for the plan to be successful which in turn would increase the depts of the country or force the government to raise taxes (Dixon, 2009). However, this claims overlook the fact that in countries where the universal health care is in place, the governments do not have a financial burden and actually, it would cost less and ease the financial strain on the budget and the economy. Such critics' further downplay the value, and the importance of saving the human life, for no life should be lost due to lack of healthcare (Mayes, 2004).

Conclusion

In conclusion, the dreams of the founding fathers were to establish a nation that embodied the ideals of equity, justice, and respect to the human life. Such ideals must always be the guiding principle of every government instituted upon the people of the United States. Respecting the human life and guaranteeing that people live in freedom and prosperity entails embracing the universal health care ("Right to Health Care ProCon.org," n.d.). Such a move will see that everyone who is a citizen of America is treated equally and afforded the fundamental human rights of equal access to health. Citizens should let the politicians know that covering America will mean that the government shall take full responsibility for the wellbeing of its people.

References

Dixon, N. (2009). Why Mainstream Conservatives Should Support Government-Mandated Universal Health Care. International Journal of Applied Philosophy, 23(1), 1-15. doi:10.5840/ijap20092311

Mackay, T. (2018, March 1). Should the U.S. have free universal healthcare? Pro. Retrieved from https://www2.palomar.edu/telescope/2018/02/28/should-the-u-s-have-free-universal-healthcare/. Accessed 09 August 2018

Mayes, R. (2004). Universal coverage: The elusive quest for national health insurance. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.

Medicare vs. Non-Government (Private) Health Insurance - Obamacare - ProCon.org. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://healthcarereform.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=004083. Accessed 09 August 2018

Right to Health Care ProCon.org. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://healthcare.procon.org/#pro-04. Accessed 09 August 2018