Abuhaidar 1

Musa Abuhaidar

Professor Matthew

English Composition 1101

8 December 2020

The United States Needs to Adopt Free Healthcare

The United States uses its healthcare system more for business than for the individuals'

health. Health care should be accessible to anyone who needs it in the United States, however

there are millions without healthcare and are not receiving medical help due to that issue. Many

believe that the United States has the best healthcare, but it does not. The United States is not

ranked in the top for the best healthcare; instead most of the European countries such as Asturia,

United Kingdom, and Germany are leading with the best healthcare in the world. The United

States needs to make the change and adopt a free healthcare system to better help millions of

people, and to make our healthcare system better.

Adopting free healthcare can benefit the people who do not have healthcare, and make it

affordable for everyone. In the United States a 2018 survey found that 22% of Americans were

not able to pay for their deductible, and 64% reported that they were not able to seek medical

help due to the cost of the treatment (Pros & Cons - ProCon.org). Insurance providers are

sometimes unable to pay for expensive treatments just as cancer treatment, but with free

healthcare people are able to afford these types of treatments, and not worry about the deficit that

comes with the treatment. Moreover, “...Harvard researchers, “lack of health insurance is

associated with as many as 44,789 deaths per year,” which translates into a 40% increased risk of

death among the uninsured” (Pros & Cons - ProCon.org). The lack of health insurance is causing

an increase in mortality, especially in the older generations. In countries such as, Spain, France,
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Australia, Israel, and Norway, their free healthcare system has proven that their citizens are

living up to five years longer than the people in the United states (Pros & Cons - ProCon.org).

Free healthcare has provided statically numbers that people are living longer and receiving better

medical help than the United States healthcare system.

Free healthcare is less expensive compared to the United States healthcare system. The

United States healthcare costs are extremely high because the healthcare system is run as a

business. The United States runs their healthcare through Pharmaceutical companies, Insurance

companies, Hospitals, and even your local doctors’ office, which all these examples are

businesses (Point Turning Point). All of these companies are sustained by healthcare, they are

paid by our medical needs as individuals. With the United States healthcare being so expensive

the effect is that millions of people are left untreated, undertreated, and facing financial hardship.

As a result, “Some 37 percent of American adults went without recommended care, did not see a

doctor when sick or failed to fill prescriptions in the past year because of costs…” (Deliver Us

From Injustice). Thirty-seven percent of American adults went without recommended care

because they were not able to afford the treatment, but Britain had 4 percent and Sweden had 6

percent (Deliver Us From Injustice). These European countries have free healthcare and they are

representing that it has done much better at providing its citizens with medical care statically.

Furthermore, in America nearly a quarter of the adults were not able to pay their medical bill or

had issues paying them, but France has 13 percent (Point Turning Point). This is significantly

lower than the United States and it proves that free healthcare is less expensive.

Nonetheless, there are several that disagree with the United States adopting a free

healthcare system. Free healthcare can boost the economy in several ways. First, free healthcare

lowers the costs of the medical market. Better prices can be negotiated for cheaper medical
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products, but still get the same quality. Lowering the cost of medical products, then, “... lowers

the cost of care because services and medication tend to be lower”(17 Universal Health Care

Pros and Cons). This helps the economy by reducing the amount of money spent on medical

products. In relation to free healthcare lowering the cost of medical products and service, it will

also decrease the percentage of people filing for bankruptcy. In America, “A comprehensive

study conducted in 2018 found that 62% of bankruptcies are due to medical bills…” (Point

Turning Point). Since the medical product prices become lower it decreases the cost for medical

service, which makes paying for medical bills cheaper.

Moreover, with free healthcare everyone receives the same type of treatment. In the

United States there are multiple different types of insurance that limits a person to what type of

medical treatment they can receive. Receiving equal medical treatments keeps everything

balanced. No one is getting better treatment or worse treatment than the person next in line.

Adopting the same type of healthcare will make the economy much simpler and easier for money

transfers, rather than having hundreds of different types of insurance. For example, “... U.S.

doctors spend four times as much as Canadians dealing with insurance companies” (Why

America). As a result having the same healthcare will make the life of a doctor much easier

because they do not have to see what patients insurance covers. Also, having the same

healthcare, “Forces hospitals and doctors to provide the same standard of service at a low cost”

(Why America). This ensures that everyone is receiving equal treatment, which also makes the

life of a doctor easier not having to worry about using top of the line methods to cure a cold.

If the United States adopts a free healthcare system taxes will increase (Pros & Cons -

ProCon.org). Yes, taxes do increase because free healthcare comes from the taxes that each

citizen pays, but wages are increased to counteract the rise in taxes. The wait for medical
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treatments becomes long and it could be weeks until I receive treatment. Even though treatment

time increases, each person is ensured to be treated and everyone is treated equally. The adoption

of free healthcare could cause an increase in the United States debt (Pros & Cons - ProCon.org).

As stated before free healthcare comes from the tax money, so the money is being reused. The

United States is not losing money because the money is coming straight from the economy.

As a result, The United State needs to adopt a free healthcare system. There are many

positives that the United States can benefit from. Free healthcare provides everyone with

healthcare, which allows for everyone to receive medical help because there are millions in the

United States without healthcare to receive medical help. Also, there are less expensive medical

bills and products. With free healthcare everyone is receiving the same healthcare, so pricing for

medical service is the same and is usually less expensive. Lastly, free healthcare helps the

economy because medical service is less expensive and is paid for, less people become bankrupt,

which is extremely negative towards the economy. With free healthcare millions of people will

benefit from the decision and this can become the new start of a better healthcare system for the

United States.
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Work cited

Amadeo, Kimberly. “Why America Is the Only Rich Country Without Universal Health Care.”

The Balance, 13 Mar. 2020, www.thebalance.com/universal-health-care-4156211.

Gaille, Louise. “17 Universal Health Care Pros and Cons.” Vittana.org, 14 Apr. 2020, vittana.org

/17-universal-health-care-pros-and-cons.

LiPuma, Samuel H., and Allyson L. Robichaud . “Deliver Us From Injustice: Reforming the U.S.

Healthcare System.” Shibboleth Authentication Request, 10 Feb. 2020, link-springer-com

.sinclair.ohionet.org/article/10.1007/s11673-020-09961-2.

ProCon.org. “Pros & Cons - ProCon.org.” Right to Health Care, ProCon.org, 5 June 2020,

healthcare.procon.org/.

Sousa, Lorie A, et al. “Point Turning Point: the Case for Universal Health Care.” U.S. News &

World Report, U.S. News & World Report, 13 May 2020, 9:16 a.m.,

health.usnews .com/health-care/for-better/articles/the-case-for-universal-health-care.