Today manyAmericans are concern with health care. This includes individuals that havehealth care insurance and those who cannot afford health insurance.
Unfortunately, health care premiums are rising, and coverage is limited. Thecare and coverage we are receiving as individuals is poor and it has become asensitive topic in our country today. While the Affordable Act was meant toincrease the quality of care individuals receive and to increase the number ofindividuals insured, today healthcare is not what it was meant to accomplish. Many Americans pay for healthinsurance but have high co-pays and high deductibles. This in turn causes manynot to seek medical care. Due to high premiums and deductibles, many Americanscannot afford health insurance. President Obama said in his preceding, “Wewill pass reform that lowers cost, promotes choice, and provides coverage thatevery American can count on. And we will do it this year.
” President Obamasigned the Affordable Act into law in 2010 to “provide universal access tohealthcare, control the rising cost of healthcare, regulate the privateinsurance industry, improve the quality of healthcare, and to make healthcarechoices more consumer friendly and easier to understand.” The Act is meantto increase the quality of care individuals receive and to increase the numberof individuals insured. It ensures that every American has either a governmentor a private insurance. Unfortunately, the goals of the Affordable Act have notfully taken place and has disappointed many Americans. All individuals should have accessto affordable and high-quality medical care.
Most Americans believe thateveryone should have health coverage and no one should be omitted from having healthcoverage. Health care should not be mandated, but it should be a right. Ashumans, have the right to pursue and obtain healthcare but regretfully, it isnot a right that has been given to us. Individuals should not have to be forcedto have coverage. This is an ethical dilemma because many political partiesbelieve that individuals should not have the right to choose. David FosterWallace talks about such argument in his article, “Consider the Lobster.”Wallace writes about the ethical dilemma regarding how lobsters should be preparedand whether it is cruelty to an animal to boil a lobster alive. Wallace’s essayincorporates decision making regarding several methods individuals can use tokill a lobster.
By using Wallace’s essay as a tool to explore differentmethods, an individual can evaluate several options regarding healthcare inAmerica. Currently,the United States has a “managed care” healthcare system that allows theircitizen to choose private insurance. It is the only wealthy country that doesnot offer a universal healthcare system that aims at ensuring that all citizensobtain health services that they require without having financial suffering andhardship when paying for these services.
Many other civilized countries offertheir citizens medical health care that provides their citizens with medicalcare needed at an affordable cost relieving the burden and stress of highpremiums, deductibles, and poor medical care. Germany was the first countrythat implemented national healthcare insurance program in the year 1880. Eachof these countries that have either a universal or national healthcareinsurance program have a unique way to accomplish the goal of universalhealthcare. Furthermore, some countries have even banned private healthcareinsurance companies. There are other countries who goal is met throughlegislation and regulation of insurance companies. There are many ways to accomplishuniversal healthcare that will be beneficial to the medical and financialwell-being of their citizens. As an American, we should have the right to beinsured at an affordable cost.
Americans should not have to worry about medicalcost and expenses which increasingly consume a substantial portion of theirincome. The burden of already having a disease is already stressful enough. Toadd more stress regarding premiums and deductibles to worry about on top ofwhat is going on in your body, is very stressful and frustrating.
The lack ofcoverage many of us have, seriously affects the mental health of everyone.Unfortunately, there is an overwhelming fear and increase in anxiety levels.Many Americans do not go to the doctors because they cannot afford the medicalcare needed. And there are others who have been paying for medical insuranceand when medical treatment is needed, the insurance will not cover thenecessary treatments needed.
The high premiums, yearly deductibles, and out ofpocket expenses can ruined a family financially. Decisions should not have tobe made for us because ultimately, the governments and insurance companiesconcern is not the people but it’s main concern is making money and hugeprofits. The healthcare industry abuses and financial profits from allAmericans. Our health care system is focused on cures rather than onprevention. The complexity of the health caresystem and its rapid increase of health care cost and poor insurance coveragewill require significant improvements in our health care system. The healthcare reform should be assessed and evaluated. We should develop a system thatis comprehensive, organized, and administered equally between all citizens.
Itshould provide individuals with a healthcare system that covers medicalnecessities to all Americans regardless of income and it should individualsshould be able to obtain coverage in an affordable and workable way. Everyone should be entitledto proper healthcare regardless of their income status. Coverage should include doctors, treatments, hospitals, long-term andshort-term facilities, dental, and prescriptions, as well as preventative care.Health care reform should enable Americans to rely on the coverage they have.It should be affordable and provide high-quality health care without the burdenand stress of high deductibles and co-payments.
It should focus on the concernsof the people whose well-being and health we all seek to improve.
