U. S is one of the developed or industrialized countries that do not offer universal health care to her citizens. Government assistance is only offered to the poor, aged and the children. The current performance of the U. S healthcare in terms of quality, efficiency and cost is very poor according to the Commonwealth Fund Commission. Deaths that would have been protected are still registered, a condition that could have been solved if efficiency and timeliness issues were considered. Various debates surround the health care system in U. S with some advocating for universal health care as others oppose it firmly.
Opponents of universal health care argue that it would create inequality in society as the proponents argue that the current problems in the U. S healthcare can be solved if it was made universal. Medical care in U. S is in most cases funded by the out of pocket approach, which brings about much inequality in accessing healthcare services. The poor are marginalized as they cannot afford quality and timely healthcare. Most of them lack health insurance that would cater for their healthcare expenses.
Healthcare systems have become a highly politicized issue in the U. S with the liberals advocating for it as the conservatives advocate for change in the current system. (Brock B, 2005). According to the UN’s declaration of human rights healthcare ought to be a basic need and all nations should provide for their citizens. (www. unhchr. ch). It’s therefore up to the federal government to ensure that all people in need of medical care can easily access it regardless of their race, gender, economic or social background.
Liberals and other proponents of universal health care in US argue that it would work to benefit the whole economy. The existing system sees most people underinsured and approximately 40 million Americans lack healthcare insurance and accessing quality health care for them is difficult. Preventable illnesses that are accountable for numerous deaths among the poor would be minimized if health care was made universal in US. The poor people lack the finances to enable them acquire appropriate skills that are needed to earn a decent wage.
They live on merge wages that hardly provides them with basic needs like food, shelter and clothing and health care services. (Coon J, 2004). They only tend to seek medical attention when critically ill and report higher presence in the emergency room. Among the diseases that the poor faces is tuberculosis which can easily be contained and controlled when addressed at the initial stages. Curative approaches in addressing health issue are more costly than preventive approach to medical care or attention.
Expensive or costly medical care forces the poor who cannot afford it to opt for over the counter or dispensing form of acquiring treatment, which may have adverse effects on their health. Effective treatment is offered after effective testing has been made and the root cause of an illness determined. There is need to improve on the efficiency of the healthcare selected as without it the intended benefits would not be enjoyed. The poor would not feel excluded from the society of which they are part of, a feeling they experience with the current system.