The United States is considered a wealthy and industrialized nation. However, the healthcare system in the United States is somewhat flawed compared to other countries since it doesn’t have a universal healthcare system. According to the US Census Bureau, “the percentage of Americans without health insurance was 16.3%, or 49.9 million uninsured people in 2010”. Basically, the rich percentage of the population have the best access and quality of healthcare and medicine. However, if someone doesn’t have money, and is dying because of an illness, he or she will not get treated. Unlike the majority of European countries, or even Kuwait, the United States does not offer free healthcare and treatment for everyone; one has to pay for their treatment and it can be very expensive especially for the working class. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, “in 2005 the main reason given for lack of health insurance coverage in was cost (more than 50%)”. Also related to health in the United States is the profit motive. According to a Marxist theory, the theory states that the real problem other than access is the capitalist economy in health and medicine, which makes the main goal of medicine profit instead of health. Statistics show that around three-fourths of 25 million of surgeries performed annually in the U.S. are elective and not urgent. This Marxist theory shows that medical procedures depend on the financial interests of doctors and hospitals not just the needs of patients. In addition to social class, race also has a part in health and medicine in the U.S. According to a study done from 2008 to 2012, Hispanics are the largest group not covered by health insurance (29%) followed by African Americans.
