Introduction
In the United States, approximately 28 million people, or about 8.5% of the national population lacks health insurance. The health care system is one component of the federal government that exposes the inequalities that abound in the nation, originating from the effects of private insurance, politics, and public initiatives that inflate medical costs. This denies a large percentage of the American citizenry access to quality health care. The disparities are an amalgamation of poor political policies, unemployment, and differences in income and socioeconomic status. The issue of universal health care (UHC) in America has been discussed for many decades. Opponents and proponents have presented contrasting views, arguing to validate their sentiments. The US needs universal health care because it would stop medical bankruptcies, lower overall health care costs and spending, improve public health, and fulfill every citizen’s universal right to health care.
Elimination of Medical Bankruptcies
According to statistics released by the National Bankruptcy Forum, the number one reason for why people file for bankruptcy is medical bills. Moreover, more than 2 million Americans with medical bills cannot afford basic human necessities, including housing, food, and clothing, because of severe financial pressure (Heitkamp, 2018). Approximately 62.1% of bankruptcy cases reported annually are due to medical expenses (Glassman et al., 2017). The findings of a 2019 study conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) showed that mounting medical bills compelled 9% of those interviewed to file for bankruptcy, while 20% of them reported having encounters with debt collection companies (Colton, 2019). Wages have increased significantly in the past few years. However, the residual income has done little to mitigate the need for quality medical care, amidst the rising costs of medical care (Sainato, 2019). In the first 14 days after the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in the US, millions of Americans became unemployed. In that regard, they lost their health care because it is mainly tied to their employment.
Universal health care would eliminate the more than 530,000 bankruptcy cases that are reported every year in America. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has improved health insurance coverage significantly. However, more than 30 million Americans are not covered (Sainato, 2019). Systems such as single-payer system and Medicare-for-All would eradicate this problem completely (Colton, 2019). Moreover, Americans would not be pushed into financial distress because the government would cater for all treatment expenses. They would be protected over their lifetime because uncertainties such as the lapse of coverage due to job loss would be nonexistent (Glassman et al., 2017). The main fear that Americans contend with while undergoing treatment is the high cost of certain services. UHC would eradicate worries about health care because Americans would not have medical bills, insurance companies, or collection agencies to stress them.
Reduction of Health Care Costs and Spending
Research has shown that universal health care would lower the overall health care costs and spending in the US. A study conducted by the University of Massachusetts at Amherst revealed that a single-payer system would lower spending by about $1.8 trillion over a span of 10 years (Colton, 2019). This would be possible because its implementation would lead to lower administration and drug costs. According to the American Medical Association, administrative costs consume 11.7 % of premiums paid by subscribers (Glassman et al., 2017). In contrast, public health programs spend a paltry 5.3% on similar costs (Colton, 2019). The argument for the system can be supported by statistics from countries that provide universal health care. Data released by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) revealed that Canada and the United Kingdom spent a fraction of what the US spent on health care in 2017; 47% and 42% respectively. South Korea, another country that provides universal health care spent 28% (Colton, 2019). UHC would lower health care costs at the federal level because of two main reasons. Frist, the government would control the price of medications (Glassman et al., 2017). Second, it would also control the cost of medical services. This realignment would benefit doctors because they would hire less staff and lower administrative costs significantly.
In the United Sates, the major challenge that households face is paying for health care. A 2018 survey conducted by Becker’s Healthcare revealed that 22% of Americans described paying their health coverage deductible as either very difficult or unmanageable (Colton, 2019). A further 64% stated that they sought treatment late or never did because of the high costs that could not be covered by their paltry incomes. Government statistics have shown that between 2003 and 2013, family health insurance premiums went up by 80% (Glassman et al., 2017). Similarly, between 2013 and 2017, coverage costs for individuals who are not covered through employment rose by 105% (Heitkamp, 2018). The statistics are proof of the disparities that exist in the US health care system. In order to mitigate these challenges, the government should provide universal health care. Research has suggested that the implementation of a single-payer system would lead to more than $500 billion in savings from administrative expenses (Heitkamp, 2018). This money could be alternatively used to improve the quality of health care and the expansion of insurance coverage.
Improvement of Public Health
The World Health Organization (WHO) presented a proposal in 2005 that advocated for the provision of universal health care across the globe. They argued that the program would aid in the achievement of “the right to health.” One of the major benefits of universal health coverage is a healthier population that is highly productive (Colton, 2019). Documented benefits of broad health care coverage include enhanced population well-being and increased access to quality care, especially among the vulnerable and people from poor socioeconomic backgrounds. In particular, research has shown that it could increase life expectancy, and lower rates of children and maternal mortality (Glassman et al., 2017). These are key aspects of public health that could be enhanced through the implementation of universal health coverage. In the case of uninsured people, the program would reduce premature deaths due to untreated illnesses (Heitkamp, 2018). This stems from the argument that quality health care is the bridge between a good life and death.
A research study that surveyed over 100 nations and published in the Lancet stated that there is enough evidence to show that UHC generally leads to increased access to care, and better population health, especially for poor people. In the US, statistics regarding access to health care are indicative of the dire situation. For instance, the likelihood of Americans having a regular doctor is 33% and they are 50% more likely to lack access to medicines, compared to Canadians (Glassman et al., 2017). Moreover, they are 25% more likely to have unaddressed health needs due to economic constraints. A related study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine showed that millions of uninsured, working-class Americans with chronic illnesses faced higher risks of death due to early disability and lack of medical care (Glassman et al., 2017). One of the outcomes of improved public health due to UHC is a decrease in deaths caused by lack of access to care. Harvard researchers estimated that about 45,000 people die every year due to lack of health insurance (Colton, 2019). These statistics mean that uninsured Americans are at a 40% higher risk of dying, owing to untreated illnesses. UHC could improve public health by increasing access to preventive, therapeutic, diagnostic, health maintenance, and rehabilitative services (Heitkamp, 2018). These could play a significant role in saving lives and enhancing the well-being of Americans.
Fulfilment of the Universal Right to Health Care
The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 states that every human being has the right to live a life that that promotes their health and well-being, as well as that of their family. This declaration included medical care, which is critical in promoting human welfare. In 2005, the passage of the World Health Assembly resolution 58.33 fostered the need for UHC (Glassman et al., 2017). The involved stakeholders agreed that every individual should have access to health care services that are affordable and readily available. Therefore, the provision of universal health coverage can be described as the fulfillment of obligations that are stipulated by human-rights law (Heitkamp, 2018). Among all the OECD nations, the US is the only country that does not provide UHC. It is not a constitutional right as it is the case in more than 130 countries across the world. The Coronavirus pandemic
One of the main disadvantages of the current health care systems is that it favors the employed and the wealthy. The American structure is complex, as citizens are insured under an assortment of insurance systems that can sometimes overlap (Heitkamp, 2018). Moreover, an individual’s place of employment can determine whether they are insured and the type that they have. In 2015, statistics showed that 55.7% of insured Americans relied on their employers for insurance coverage, 16.3% received it through Medicare, 4.7% through the military, 19.6% through Medicaid, and 16.3% purchased their insurance directly from vendors (Glassman et al., 2017). These disparities are harmful to people from low socioeconomic groups that cannot afford one of the aforementioned options. Universal health care would mitigate this challenge because physicians would not only cater to wealthier clients, but also to poor individuals. In that regard, Americans would receive the same level of care, regardless of their economic status. The United Sate’s government is wealthy enough to support universal health coverage.
Conclusion
Universal health care is one of the hotly-debated issues that the United States has to contend with. The issue of insurance coverage has been discussed for decades, with many advocating for the establishment of universal health coverage. Currently, millions of Americans are uninsured, and suffer a high risk of disability and early death due to untreated illnesses. Many welcomed the enactment of the Affordable Care Act in 2010. However, it has not mitigated the issues of the rising number of uninsured Americans fully. The United Sates should implement universal health care because it will eradicate medical bankruptcy, improve public health, lower health care costs and federal spending, and fulfill the right to health care as provided by the World Health Assembly resolution 58.33. Hundreds of thousands of Americans declare bankruptcy every year because of high medical bills. The US is a wealthy nation that should be able to provide free access to health care to every American regardless of their social or economic class.
References
Colton, D. (2019). The case for universal health care. SCB Distributors.
Glassman, A., Giedion, U., & Smith P. C. (Eds.). (2017). What’s in, what’s out: Designing benefits for universal health coverage. Brookings Institution Press.
Heitkamp, K. L. (Ed.). (2018). Universal health care. Greenhaven Publishing.
Sainato, M. (2019). “I live on the street now”: How Americans fall into medical bankruptcy. The Guardian. Web.