Should Governments Provide a Universal Healthcare System?
Should Governments Provide a Universal Healthcare System?
Universal health care is the provision of medical services by governments that are usually either free or subsidised. Many countries around the world provide this type of service to their citizens including the UK, Canada, Spain and most Nordic countries. The UK’s National Health System, for instance, was founded over 60 years ago with the promise of caring for the British people ‘From Cradle to Grave’ (Adds 1998). Europe has some of the world’s best hospitals and has made great progress in medical research, but the concept of universal healthcare is often debated. It is an important issue to consider because there are many differing opinions about how healthcare can be funded to make it fair, effective and accessible. Many believe that a free healthcare system is unfair and that people should take responsibility for their own wellbeing. However. This essay argues that governments should provide a universal healthcare system by considering two main points: equality and the cost of healthcare, and patient behaviour and preventative healthcare. Findings show that universal healthcare is an equitable and long-term solution.
An initial area of discussion relates to equality and the funding of national healthcare. Many argue that universal healthcare is never free it is funded through taxation. Young (2010) contends, “Providing free healthcare through taxation is unfair to those who are healthy and have little use for medical care”. Another common objection to free healthcare is that many people have enough money to pay for their own medical expenses or to purchase private health insurance “Medical insurance removes the burden of responsibility for healthcare from the government to the individual” (Sam 2003). These arguments; however, fail to consider the true cost of healthcare. Many people, especially those in low-income jobs, or the elderly cannot afford the cost of private insurance.
Universal health care is the provision of medical services by governments that are usually either free or subsidised. Many countries around the world provide this type of service to their citizens including the UK, Canada, Spain and most Nordic countries. The UK’s National Health System, for instance, was founded over 60 years ago with the promise of caring for the British people ‘From Cradle to Grave’ (Adds 1998). Europe has some of the world’s best hospitals and has made great progress in medical research, but the concept of universal healthcare is often debated. It is an important issue to consider because there are many differing opinions about how healthcare can be funded to make it fair, effective and accessible. Many believe that a free healthcare system is unfair and that people should take responsibility for their own wellbeing. However. This essay argues that governments should provide a universal healthcare system by considering two main points: equality and the cost of healthcare, and patient behaviour and preventative healthcare. Findings show that universal healthcare is an equitable and long-term solution.
An initial area of discussion relates to equality and the funding of national healthcare. Many argue that universal healthcare is never free it is funded through taxation. Young (2010) contends, “Providing free healthcare through taxation is unfair to those who are healthy and have little use for medical care”. Another common objection to free healthcare is that many people have enough money to pay for their own medical expenses or to purchase private health insurance “Medical insurance removes the burden of responsibility for healthcare from the government to the individual” (Sam 2003). These arguments; however, fail to consider the true cost of healthcare. Many people, especially those in low-income jobs, or the elderly cannot afford the cost of private insurance.