US should implement Universal Health Care

I have to admit that this issue runs very deep in me. While I do look for a great debate, I really hope that I can change the readers' and my opponent's stance on this issue. But I'm not naïve to assume that my arguments would have any factor at all (sigh). Contention 1: The Moral Argument for Universal Health Care The main argument for Universal Health Care (UHC) is that it's fundamentally a moral issue. Just as an example, someone may not receive a transplant if he or she is uninsured! A 22 year old was "refused a transplant evaluation" because he was uninsured [1]. In an article titled "Need an Organ? It Helps to Be Rich" the writer explains that "[p]atients who are uninsured or unable to pay are sometimes denied lifesaving treatment because hospitals can't afford to foot the bill for the surgery or the extensive recovery" [2]. It speaks about the story of an uninsured patient who's in a dire need for a transplant, but can't receive one. He explains it: "There's really nothing I can do. I don't have the insurance to do it right now. They are treating the symptoms. I'm managing, but I know I'm slowly getting worse and it's not going to get any better. " This is not so different that the story of a New Jersey woman who had a 51 pound tumor removed [3]. What does this have to do with the contention? I'll let the woman explain it herself: “But I couldn’t go to the doctor right away because I was going to be 65 in June and had to wait for the Medicare to kick in. ” Healthcare costs have caused bankruptcies and financial distresses. A study has shown that "medical bills are the main cause for bankruptcies" [7]. The main cause! How can this be moral? How could anyone stair at these facts and shrug their shoulders: "It's their faults that they don't have the cash! "? Contention 2: The Health Argument for Universal Health Care WHO reports that UHC leads to "better access to necessary care and improved population health, with the largest gains accruing to poorer people" [4]. UHC facilitates access to preventive care. IOM reports that "uninsured adults are less likely […] to receive recommended screening services" [5]. In fact, not even all health insurance plans cover all preventive care (they are required to provide some). Preventive care is extremely important for the health of an individual [6]. Uninsured patients are likely to have regular checkups to manage their diseases. Up to 25% of diabetes patients go without a checkup for two years! Uninsured women have 30-50% higher risk of dying. Insurance reduces mortality by 71-85% of HIV patients in the first 6 months. I didn't mention the impact to mental health, hospital care, traumatic injuries…etc. These numbers are real and they are significant [5]. Contention 3: The Uninsured Insured Many focus on the impact of UHC on the uninsured. But as long as you are insured, you have absolutely nothing to worry about. Right? Well, sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you are wrong! Many health plans have high deductibles. ACA's bronze plan has an annual deductive of $6,600 (with some exception). Joe Schmick, a Republican, says: "Do I really have insurance when I have to pay this much out of my pocket? It doesn’t feel that way" [8]. These insured citizens face the same challenges I've listed above of skipping care and avoiding preventive care. Do we only care when things get really bad? Only a true UHC will solve this problem. An individual's goal and focus would be to promote their own health only, and for the government to facilitate that ability. No one would have to evaluate the pros and cons on DDO to see if they should check a doctor or not, or whether they should do preventive care. Contention 4: The Economic Argument for Universal Health Care The impact of a lack of a UHC on the economy is significant. Here's just a few: 1. Competitive Advantage US spent more than 17% of its GDP on health care, higher than any developed country [9]! This is expected to rise to 25% by 2025. Autoweek reports that "Japan's health care gives Toyota edge [over GM]". GM could have launched 3 additional new-model programs every year if it didn't have to pay for its retirees' health care [10]. Do I need to say more? 2. Strain on Business GM claims that healthcare costs add between $1,500 and $2,000 to the sticker price of every automobile it makes [9]. Health-care premiums are skyrocketing [11], and ironically, insurance brokers blame ACA. This causes a real strain on businesses, leading to more businesses cut health benefits [12] and cutting jobs. 3. Job lock and Loss of Productivity Job lock is "the inability of an employee to voluntarily terminate employment with a particular company because he or she would lose current health care benefits" [13]. This leads to a reduction in entrepreneurship, and it can be close to 4 million Americans [14]. One study showed that, in California alone, in 2002 job lock affected 179,000 people, with $772 million in foregone productivity [15]. Contention 5: The Greatest Nation in the World Ought to Be Great The United States is the only nation in the developed world without a universal health care. As I've shown earlier, the US spends more than any country in the developed world. You would expect with all this spending that the US citizens are faring better than the rest of the world. Wouldn't you? At least you would be ranked (somewhere at the top, or the middle). But the US was ranked 37th in the world [16]! US ranks below France, Italy, Spain, Austria, UK, German and Canada. This is embarrassing. All of the countries that have fared better, have Universal Health Care. I argue that if someone is doing something right, and you're doing it wrong… copy what they do! Sources [1] . http://healthaffairs.org... [2] . http://abcnews.go.com... [3] . http://www.nydailynews.com... [4] . http://www.who.int... [5] . https://www.iom.edu... [6] . http://www.wrf.org... [7] . http://www.cnbc.com... [8] . http://khn.org... [9] . http://www.cfr.org... [10] . http://autoweek.com... [11] . http://www.forbes.com... [12] . http://www.forbes.com... [13] . http://www.businessdictionary.com... [14] . http://usatoday30.usatoday.com... [15] . http://www.huffingtonpost.com... [16] . http://www.businessinsider.com...