Universal Health Care
Universal health care is a system in which a country mandates coverage for its population. A variety of forms can be seen in different countries, either through compulsory coverage or state-sponsored programs paid for by taxation. The United States is the only wealthy, industrialized country in the world to not provide universal health care to its population, however, it spends the highest percentage of its GDP in the world to cover a small portion of its citizens.
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Instructions
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Function
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The principles of universal health care are to provide health care coverage to all eligible citizens in a specific region as mandated by a governmental authority. Universal health care ranges from providing basic coverage with out of pocket expenses paid by an individual to full coverage of all expenses paid for by the state. In most industrialized countries, health care is provided to all its citizens as a matter of rights. This allows for an individual to receive care at hospitals and clinics regardless of his financial situation. This is accomplished either through compulsory coverage as mandated by legislation or state-sponsored coverage paid for by taxation.
Features
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Implementation of universal health care varies from country to country. Most governments take action to provide the largest possible coverage for most of its population. Legislation and regulation is put into place to mandate coverage of an individual. This is either paid for by the individual in the case of single-payer health care or by taxation creating a publicly funded system. In some cases, the government itself directly manages the health care system, but in others a combination of public and private industry work together to provide coverage to its population.
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Considerations
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The United States stands alone as the only industrialized country in the world to not offer universal health care. It does provide coverage to approximately 28 percent of its citizens through various state-sponsored programs based on income levels, age or veteran status. Being as the United States has a for-profit private health care industry, the costs bore by the government outweigh those of other country's universal health care coverage. The U.S. government spends 15 percent of its GDP on health care coverage for only a quarter of its citizens. The private sector is responsible for half of the citizens through employer-based health insurance, while a quarter of the population remains uninsured by either private or public coverage.
By law, emergency services cannot be denied to an individual, so many uninsured patients utilize these services as de facto health care coverage, causing the costs on both the public and private sector to rise. Since 2001, premiums for coverage have risen 78 percent, while wages have increased 19 percent. This means Americans are paying approximately 8 percent of their net income on health care coverage. In addition, insurance companies have been allowed to deny coverage for pre-existing conditions, creating a rising health crisis among insured individuals.
Misconceptions
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The main arguments against universal health care are fears of socialization of the industry. The private health care companies argue that if there is a government mandate on coverage, profits from the system will be slashed, damaging the infrastructure in place. Also, the centralization of the health care industry could create a bureaucracy that would damage the quality of care provided in the U.S.
In light of federal inaction, many states in the U.S. have begun to implement programs of coverage. Massachusetts has created a compulsory system in which its residents must purchase health care coverage or face taxation penalties. Other states have introduced programs to cover portions of their residents with state-sponsored health care. This has driven down the cost to the taxpayers and created a healthier population.
Benefits
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Driving down the cost to taxpayers is the prime motivator in implementing a universal health care system. With a quarter of the population already covered through a government program, instituting further mandates may prevent costs from increasing. The abuse of emergency room services has caused a burden on the government, both at the state and federal level.
Proponents of universal health care feel that health care is a right to the citizenry and it is the responsibility of government to organize a way for the population to be covered. This creates a healthier citizenry and thereby a better work force. In addition, the cost to taxpayers and the nation's GDP has been inflated to unsustainable levels as opposed to other countries that have universal health care already implemented.
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