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Universal Healthcare for
America
By Catherine McKeller
English 102, Section 5232
Why the US needs universal
coverage




Millions of Americans
are without adequate
healthcare.
The cost of healthcare
in the US is too
expensive.
The current system is
inefficient.
The economy &
society are worse off
without everybody
having healthcare.
How are Americans covered now?



61% private
insurance
23.5%
Government
funded insurance
15.5% NO health
insurance!!
(Clemmitt, 2007)
Private
Govt.
None
How does US spending compare?


$5,635 per person
(15% GDP) 44%
from Govt.
Other nations:
$2,307 per person
(8.6% GDP) 72%
from Govt.
$6,000
$5,000
$4,000
U.S.
$3,000
Others
$2,000
$1,000
(Chua, 2006)
$0
Per person
How does US quality of healthcare
compare?

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More infant deaths
Shorter life expectancy
Fewer doctors, nurses,
& hospital beds per
person (Chua, 2006)
Ranked 37th in overall
quality by the World
Health Organization
(Clemmitt, 2006)
Private insurance is too expensive
for:




Employees
Patients
Employers
Healthcare
Providers
High costs to employees




High deductibles,
premiums, and outof-pocket payments
Less coverage
Increased
insurance denials
Fewer/smaller
raises
High cost to patients





Less preventative care
due to cost
Worsens illness
Worse illness increases
cost treatment
Few can afford
expensive treatment
2005: 46.2% of those
bankrupt due to medical
reasons (Chua, 2006)
High costs to employers causes:





Reduced employee
benefits
Lower wages & fewer
raises
Less productivity
Smaller profits
Competitive
disadvantage globally
High costs to providers




Excess paperwork
More personnel
required
Higher
administrative
costs
Less time with
patients
Insurance companies are inefficient





High overhead
Increase price to
customers
Less coverage
Minimal pay to
providers
Maximize profit
Uninsured costly to society


Cost $125 billion a
year
Pay for only 26% of
services received
(Clemmitt, 2006)


Providers must write
off services not paid
for
Costly to providers &
increases prices for
those who can pay
Uninsured costly to society (cont.)


Ill and disabled
unable to work and
contribute
Heavier load on
government
programs such as
Medicare and
Medicaid
Universal healthcare saves money

Heavier stress on
preventative care
will keep people
healthy and avoid
expensive
treatment!
Universal healthcare saves money


Extremely low
administrative
costs!
Less money
needed to provide
care!
How much can be saved?

Harvard Study:
$286 BILLION
every year!
(Himmelstein &
Woolhandler, 2006)

Dr. Kenneth Thorpe
(economist) study:
$1.1 TRILLION in
ten years! (Chua,
2006)
Universal healthcare is morally
right



Everybody has the
right to be healthy!
Everybody needs
access to quality
healthcare!
A healthy
community is a
happy community!
United Nations Declaration of
Human Rights (article 25):

“Everyone has the
right to a standard
of living adequate
for the health and
wellbeing of himself
and his family,
including… medical
care” (Mueller, 2006)
Sources:
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Angell, M. Government-funded single-payer health care would benefit America. Health.
Ed. Auriana Ojeda. Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2004.
Opposing viewpoints resource center. Thomson Gale. Glendale Community College. 4
July 2007
Chua, K. (2006, February 10). The case for universal health care. Retrieved June 17,
2007, from http://www.amsa.org/uhc/CaseForUHC.pdf
Chua, K. (2006, February 10). Overview of the U.S. health care system. Retrieved June
17, 2007, from http://www.amsa.org/uhc/HealthCareSystemOverview.pdf
Clemmitt, M. (2006, April 7). Rising health costs. CQ Researcher, vol. 16. Retrieved July
02, 2007, from CQ Researcher Online.
http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/cqresrre2007040700.
Clemmitt, M. (2007, March 30). Universal coverage. CQ Researcher, vol. 17. Retrieved
June 17, 2007, from CQ Researcher Online,
http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/cqresrre2007033000.
Harris, N. (Ed.). (2006). Does the United States need a national health insurance policy?.
At Issue Series. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2006. Opposing Viewpoints. Thomson
Gale.
Sources Continued:
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Himmelstein, D. and Woolhandler, S. National health insurance could save billions of
dollars. Does the United Stated need a national health insurance policy?. Ed. Nancy
Harris. At Issue Series. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2006. Opposing Viewpoints.
Thomson Gale.
Mueller, R. America should model its health care system after those of other developed
nations. Does the United States need a national health insurance policy?. Ed. Nancy
Harris. At Issue Series. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2006. Opposing Viewpoints.
Thomson Gale.
Sullivan, K. A national health insurance policy would be superior to market-based plans.
Does the United States need a national health insurance policy?. Ed. Nancy Harris. At
Issue Series. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2006. Opposing Viewpoints. Thomson
Gale.
Wikipedia home page. (June 2007). Publicly-funded healthcare. Retrieved June 16,
2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Publicly_funded_health_care