Healthcare has emerged one of the most divisive issues in America. Americans cannot seem to reach an unanimous conclusion as to whether all Americans should have access to healthcare irrespective of their economic status or it should only be available to those who can afford it. While it is important to understand the concerns of the critics, the best approach to healthcare in America is to provide it free to all Americans irrespective of their economic, social, and employment status. Free healthcare is not only morally the right approach but also logical because the benefits exceed the costs.
Free healthcare should be provided because there are some goods and services that should be provided by the public sector to advance the overall interests of the country. High school education is free in America even though education and other services like personal security are also provided by the private sector. High school education is free in America because first of all it is a fair thing to do (The Economist) as it gives an opportunity to poor children at a better future than their parents. Second, developed countries like America understand educational investment in their children will enhance their economic competitiveness in the long run. Healthcare should be free for the same reasons that it is fair to give access to healthcare to everyone and second, healthier citizens are happier and also more productive workers (Formosa Post).
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The rising costs of healthcare in America is an open secret. Free healthcare system in America will help lower the healthcare costs because the government will be able to negotiate better terms with the pharmaceutical companies. In fact, U.S. could save $1.3 trillion dollars in healthcare spending if it had emulated the healthcare system of Canada, its neighbor in the north. In addition, the quality of healthcare will improve despite lower healthcare costs. America’s healthcare system ranked last in the list of eleven developed countries that was compiled by Commonwealth Fund even though other countries spent less on healthcare than America (Khazan).
Free healthcare should be provided because many developed countries like Canada and U.K. already do that and even some developing countries like Nepal have made significant progress in this regard. UN passed a resolution in 2012 that urged all countries to move to Universal Health Coverage (Nicholson). America is the leading economic and political power in the world so it is an embarrassment for millions of people to be without healthcare coverage in the economic superpower of the world. America is alone among the industrialized countries to not provide healthcare to all of its citizens (McClanahan). In other words, all other industrialized countries have acknowledged the fact that healthcare is a basic human right and should be available to everyone. It is time for America to arrive at the same conclusion as well.
Healthcare is a politically divisive issue in America even though it should not have been. Healthcare should be free like high school education because it is fair and advances the overall interests of the society. Healthcare should be free because such a system will help bring down healthcare costs in the U.S. while also improving the overall quality of healthcare. Other industrialized countries spend less on healthcare than America yet they have better healthcare indicators. Even developing countries have been making progress towards universal healthcare system. It is time America accept healthcare as a basic right that should be free for everyone irrespective of their economic and social status because the failure to do so is an embarrassment for the country.
