Universal Health Care Analysis

The United States is considered to be one of the richest countries in the world, but is lacking in how many Americans actually receive quality access of care and many Americans can’t afford health insurance at all. In 2012, 47.3 million people in the U.S. under age 65 lacked health insurance. This is largely related to the increasing costs, lack of access and concerns about the quality of healthcare. The majority of these uninsured were working families who can’t afford or don’t have access to health insurance (Obamacarefacts.org). The United States is also one of the only developed countries that does not provide universal health care coverage, yet we still have some of the best quality of care and facilities. The United States health care …show more content…
Many people argue that a right to health care would stop medical bankruptcies, improve public health, reduce overall health care spending, help small businesses, and that health care should be an essential government service (healthcare.procon.org, 2017). According to Sharma & Atri (2010), pros to the American care system include but are not limited to the fact that many people with insurance coverage believe that the United states offers the best care in the world. Also, another pro of the US care system involves how many vulnerable sections of the population do receive health care coverage through programs previously discussed. There is considered to be many cons to our health care system compared to many other countries. Due to high amounts of uninsured or underinsured individuals and families, many people face delays in seeking out care and receiving quality care. Also, with many emergency departments willing to see the uninsured, there is an influx of foot traffic in those departments and can lead to an increase of unpaid bills/administrative costs that might end up being paid by the physicians. Another con to our system is that due to the fact many people are uninsured, there are many health disparities in rural and minority populations. Along with little access in some areas, there is limited insurance coverage to those with mental illnesses. Today, many …show more content…
The United Kingdom uses the Beveridge model of health care, which is when health care is provided and financed by the government through tax payments. Many of the heath care facilities are run by government doctors and the government themselves. With the Beveridge model, there are no costs incurred by families and individuals for care, but higher taxes are paid to the government than that of the United States. Many families in the United States have to file for bankruptcy due to high medical bill debt, but people in the United Kingdom have no debt due to medical bills are many of their services require no copayment. Some other differences between the United States and United Kingdom’s health care system include that the when receiving care in Britain, you have longer wait times, limited choice in providers you wish to be treated by and administrative costs are low. Though both systems are very different, they both use