Should The United States Offer Universal Health Care Essay

The US is falling behind the rest of the world. We are one of the only advanced countries that does not offer universal health care. Universal healthcare can be defined as a system which provides healthcare for all citizens of a country. Countless numbers of people go bankrupt every year due to medical bills and our economy is damaged due to the high costs of healthcare. People should not have to worry about how they will afford the care they need. We need to move past our outdated system and catch up to the rest of the world. The number one cause of bankruptcy in the US is medical expenses. Medical expenses account for 62 percent of the 1.5 million bankruptcies filed each year. Of the 62 percent who filed for bankruptcy, 72 percent already had health insurance. The fact is that the price of medical care here in the US is extremely high, especially when compared to countries who have adopted a universal health care system. A study was conducted comparing the US to 12 other high income countries (Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK). The US spent more in all categories of health care than any other …show more content…
But we disagree on how it should be done. The problem is our current system leaves a large portion of people behind. Why is it completely fine that a struggling family should be subject to health problems throughout their lives because the increasing costs of medical care prevent them from getting the services they need? Should a child born into a rich family be guaranteed a healthier life while a child born into a poor family has to face the reality that any major medical problems they may run into will either bankrupt their family or have to go unanswered? Is that fair? Can we really say that we believe in equal opportunity for all but then continue supporting a system that only truly works for the