Health Care Issues: Right or Privilege
Running head: HEALTH CARE ISSUES: RIGHT OR PRIVILEGE
Health Care Issue: Right of Privilege
“America is the technological superpower, the wealthiest nation in the world, and spends significantly more of its gross national product, and spends more per person, than any other nation in the world on health care. So where, then, does America stand on health?” (Lerner & Loman, 2005, p. 1). The purpose of this essay is to discuss and explore whether U.S. health care should be a right or a privilege. Many Americans feel that although the United States leads most of the world in medical advances and technology, the healthcare system is broken. A great number of people go without the care they desperately need, due to a lack of adequate insurance.
Uninsured Americans Lack of health insurance coverage for 46 million Americans is one of the nation's most pressing problems. While most elderly Americans have coverage through Medicare and over 60% of non-elderly Americans receive health coverage through employer-sponsored plans, many workers and their families remain uninsured because their employer does not offer coverage or they cannot afford the cost of coverage. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (2011) reported that the “ percentage of children under 18 who are uninsured rose from 10.8 percent in 2004 to 11.2 percent in 2005, while the number of uninsured children climbed from 7.9 million in 2004 to 8.3 million in 2005” ( ¶ 2). Lack of insurance is much more common among people with low incomes. “Some 24.4 percent of people with incomes below $25,000 were uninsured in 2005; almost triple the rate of 8.5 percent among people with incomes over $75,000” (Center on Budget and Policy, 2011, ¶). African Americans and Hispanics were much more likely to be uninsured than white, non-Hispanic people. As a result, millions of Americans go without health insurance.
The High Cost of Healthcare
Health Care Issue: Right of Privilege
“America is the technological superpower, the wealthiest nation in the world, and spends significantly more of its gross national product, and spends more per person, than any other nation in the world on health care. So where, then, does America stand on health?” (Lerner & Loman, 2005, p. 1). The purpose of this essay is to discuss and explore whether U.S. health care should be a right or a privilege. Many Americans feel that although the United States leads most of the world in medical advances and technology, the healthcare system is broken. A great number of people go without the care they desperately need, due to a lack of adequate insurance.
Uninsured Americans Lack of health insurance coverage for 46 million Americans is one of the nation's most pressing problems. While most elderly Americans have coverage through Medicare and over 60% of non-elderly Americans receive health coverage through employer-sponsored plans, many workers and their families remain uninsured because their employer does not offer coverage or they cannot afford the cost of coverage. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (2011) reported that the “ percentage of children under 18 who are uninsured rose from 10.8 percent in 2004 to 11.2 percent in 2005, while the number of uninsured children climbed from 7.9 million in 2004 to 8.3 million in 2005” ( ¶ 2). Lack of insurance is much more common among people with low incomes. “Some 24.4 percent of people with incomes below $25,000 were uninsured in 2005; almost triple the rate of 8.5 percent among people with incomes over $75,000” (Center on Budget and Policy, 2011, ¶). African Americans and Hispanics were much more likely to be uninsured than white, non-Hispanic people. As a result, millions of Americans go without health insurance.
The High Cost of Healthcare
References: http://www.photius.com/rankings/healthranks.html Johnson, Nancy J.; Johnson, Lane P. (Eds.) 1st Edition., 2010, XVII, 285 p. [pic][pic]