Every year, the US government sets aside significant amounts for providing healthcare services to its people. In 2016, the country invested a whopping $3.3 trillion in healthcare (CMS, 2018). Given the huge amounts that it spends on healthcare, one would expect that the US would have one of the world’s healthiest populations. Unfortunately this is not the case. Compared to other developed nations with smaller healthcare budgets, the US performs poorly as regards health outcomes (“America is a Health-care”, 2018). It is understood that the country’s failure to implement universal healthcare is among the key factors to blame for its poor performance. There have been efforts by different governments to provide insurance coverage to all its citizens. It is sad that these efforts have suffered strong opposition from those who feel that universal healthcare amounts to a handout that encourages laziness. For the US to fully address the many healthcare challenges that it faces today, it needs to join the other developed countries which have adopted universal healthcare.
Before outlining the reasons why the US needs to adopt universal healthcare, it is helpful to begin with a historical overview of this issue. As already stated above, there have been concerted efforts aimed at introducing insurance coverage for all Americans. In the early 20 th century, the US witnessed some progress in the push for universal healthcare. For example, under Theodore Roosevelt, there were some initiatives intended to provide insurance coverage to the American people (“A Brief History”, n.d). While these initiatives failed, they ushered a new era where the government would lead efforts to bring universal coverage to the US. In the years and decades that followed, such organizations as the American Medical Association and the American Federation of Labor voiced strong support for universal healthcare (“A Brief History”, n.d). The debate regarding the need for universal coverage raged on for much of the 20 th century. This debate has been revived in recent years as different parties push for universal healthcare. For example, during the Obama presidency, the Affordable Care Act was enacted. This act is credited with expanding coverage to millions of Americans who would otherwise be uninsured.
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The case for universal healthcare in the US is as strong as it is valid. One of the reasons why the US needs to join such other countries as Canada which provide universal healthcare is that through universal coverage, the country will be able to develop a healthier population (McClure, Enthoven & McDonald, 2017). Today, millions of Americans remain uninsured. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of uninsured Americans stands at 41 million (CDC, 2017). Since they lack coverage, these Americans are unable to afford quality care. Consequently, their health suffers. Through universal coverage, the US will demonstrate that it is concerned about the wellbeing of its population, particularly the millions without insurance.
The need for the US to adopt universal coverage goes beyond promoting the health outcomes of the American people. As it embraces universal healthcare, the US will also be able to address the glaring inequalities that exist today. Wealthy Americans enjoy unhindered access to the best possible quality of care (Sanders, 2017). On the other hand, the poor and the marginalized are unable to afford even basic care. The US prides itself as a nation that is committed to justice and equality. Given this fact, it is therefore surprising and rather disappointing that the country has not done much to ensure that all its citizens have medical insurance. If the US is to redeem its image in the eyes of the international community, it must introduce universal coverage. A majority of Americans have expressed a strong desire for universal healthcare (Sanders, 2017). It is therefore upon legislators and policymakers to introduce laws that would make universal healthcare a reality in the US.
It is true that the US has been unable to make universal healthcare a reality despite concerted efforts from different stakeholders. However, the country has made some encouraging progress in delivering insurance to the most vulnerable populations. The success that these initiatives have yielded underscores the need for universal healthcare. Through such programs as Medicaid, the US has made it possible for poor Americans to access quality care (Friedman, 2018). The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) has also expanded insurance coverage. While small in their scale, these initiatives indicate that universal coverage works. For further evidence, the US should simply examine the situation in countries that have implemented universal coverage. For example, in Germany, the government has introduced a statutory health insurance program (Busse et al., 2017). Thanks to this program, this country has ensured that none of its people suffers ill health on account of inability to pay for medical services. Germany serves as evidence that universal healthcare works. Therefore, if the US is to replicate the success that such nations as Germany have witnessed, it needs to adopt universal coverage.
The US healthcare system is so complex that it hampers efficiency. The complexity of the system has received blame for the high cost of care in the country (Friedman, 2018). Universal coverage promises to simplify the system, and therefore reduce the healthcare costs. In such countries as Canada, authorities have implemented a single-payer system that simplifies the healthcare delivery process (Friedman, 2018). The success that Canada continues to witness in delivering affordable and high quality care to its people means that universal coverage holds the key to fixing the American healthcare system. If it fails to adopt universal coverage, the US will continue to spend huge amounts on healthcare every year. Furthermore, the country will be unable to improve the health outcomes of its people.
This far, the discussion has made and defended the case for universal coverage in the US. To be complete, the discussion needs to explore the case against universal coverage. After all, those opposed to universal healthcare must have some valid arguments. That universal healthcare causes patients to wait longer to receive treatment is among these arguments. Despite enjoying access to free healthcare, citizens in countries like Canada are forced to wait for hours (DePasquale, 2017). If the US follows in the steps of Canada, Americans will have to contend with longer wait times. Furthermore, Canada experiences high levels of staff shortage. This shortage has been blamed on the fact that its healthcare system does not offer adequate compensation to practitioners. Whereas it is difficult to predict that the US will suffer similar shortages, it is indeed likely that when universal coverage is finally adopted, the country will witness shortages. Therefore, the US should not be too quick to embrace universal healthcare. Instead, it should weigh the pros and cons of universal coverage. From the discussion this far, there is no doubt that offering coverage to all of its citizens is the best course of action for the US. The benefits of universal coverage far outweigh the drawbacks. Lawmakers in the country should partner with such stakeholders as the medical community to roll out coverage for everyone.
In conclusion, universal healthcare remains one of the most contentious issues that cause divisions among the American people. On the one hand, there are millions of Americans who feel that the time is right for the country to join the list of nations with universal coverage. On the other hand, there are those who feel that universal coverage will reduce the US to a welfare state that condones and rewards laziness. While the arguments that the two camps raise are sound, the side calling for universal coverage presents a stronger case. Universal healthcare presents a wide range of benefits that include improved health outcomes, enhanced equality and lower healthcare costs. Since universal coverage is mostly beneficial, the US should fast track its adoption.
References
A brief history: universal health care efforts in the US. (n.d). Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP). Retrieved August 14, 2018 from
http://www.pnhp.org/facts/a-brief-history-universal-health-care-efforts-in-the-us
America is a health-care outlier in the developed world. (2018). The Economist. Retrieved August 14, 2018 from https://www.economist.com/special-report/2018/04/26/america-is-a-health-care-outlier-in-the-developed-world
Busse, R., Blumel, M., Knieps, F., & Barnighausen, T. (2017). Statutory health insurance in Germany: a health system shaped by 135 years of solidarity, self-governance, and Competition. The Lancet. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)31280-1
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2017). The medically uninsured. Retrieved August 14, 2018 from https://www.cdc.gov/healthcommunication/toolstemplates/entertainmented/tips/MedicallyUninsured.html
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). (2018). Historical. Retrieved August 16, 2018 from https://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/Statistics-Trends-and-Reports/NationalHealthExpendData/NationalHealthAccountsHistorical.html
Friedman, G. (2018). The moral and practical case for universal healthcare coverage. Scholars Strategy Network. Retrieved August 14, 2018 from https://scholars.org/brief/moral-and-practical-case-universal-healthcare-coverage
McClure, W., Enthoven, A. C., & McDonald, T. (2017). Universal healthcare coverage? Why? HealthAffairs. Retrieved August 14, 2018 from
https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hblog20170725.061210/full/
Sanders, B. (2017). Most Americans want universal healthcare. What are we waiting for? The Guardian. Retrieved August 14, 2018 from https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/aug/14/healthcare-a-human-right-bernie-sanders-single-payer-system
