Should the U.S. Adopt a Universal Health Care System By: Scott Steele CMP 230 Cambridge College

1. Should the U.S. Adopt a Universal Health Care System By: Scott Steele CMP 230 Cambridge College

2. What is Universal Health Care? • Universal Health Care is defined as health care made available to all Americans regardless of an individual’s social or economic status

3. The Debate • The question of whether Universal Health Care should become America’s Health Care Policy in order to cover the 40-50 million Americans who lack adequate health care coverage is hotly debated.

4. The importance of Health Care: America’s opinion • 1000 respondents defined the American dream as: close family, having the freedom to make decisions about your life, and being able to provide for yourself and your family. • respondents indicated the greatest threat to these ideas: The high cost of Health Care. • The threat of terrorism.

5. References Chau, K (February 10, 2006) Overview of the U.S. Health Care System.Retrieved November 16, 2007, from AMSA.org Web site: http: www.amsa.org/uhc/HealthCareSystemOverview.pdf Chau, K (2007). Arguments and Counterarguments about Universal Health Care. AMSA, retrieved November 15, 2007, From http: www.amsa.org/uhc/uhc_counterarguments.pdf Gaskin, D & Needleman, J (2003). A Shared Destiny: Effects of Un-insurance on Individuals, Families, and Communities. IOM, Retrieved November 15, 2007, from http: IOM.edu/ Object.file/master/5/uninsured.pdf Miller, W. (Ed.). (2002). Care Without Coverage: Too Little Too Late. In Care without Coverage: Too Little too Late National Academy Press. Smedley, B. (2003). Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care. Washington D.C. Retrieved August 2, 2008, from NAP: http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=10260&page=84

6. Who’s Insured?

7. Who’s Insured? • Author Kau-Ping Chau states in 2003, 62% of non-elderly Americans received private employer-sponsored insurance. • 5% purchased insurance, and 15% were enrolled in public insurance • 18% were uninsured (about 2 out 10 americans), and individuals over the age of 65 were almost uniformly enrolled in Medicare.

8. The Social and Financial cost of Health Care • More than 80% of the uninsured are people under the age of 65 and members of working families. Their employers do not provide insurance, and purchasing insurance is too costly • purchasing an insurance policy can exceed more than 10% of a family’s income (Gaskin, Needleman, 2003). • Racial and Ethnic disparity: The uninsured population breakdown by percentage: Non-Hispanic White (12.7%), Non-Hispanic African American (22.4%), Hispanic (35%), Other (24%), General Population (17.5%) (Smedley, 2003)

9. The suffering of the uninsured • the uninsured suffer higher Cancer rates, Diabetes, HIV infection, and otherwise treatable childhood infections afflict our children. (Gaskin, Needleman, 2003). • Financial stability of the family is placed in jeopardy due to the high cost of emergency medical care. As a result, there is a ripple effect which adversely affects the fiscal health of the community • “Care without Coverage: too little too Late,” the Institute of Medicine summarized a review of 130 research studies. Their conclusions demonstrated that those not insured suffered from the lack of preventative, chronic, and acute services that the insured enjoy.

10. Possible Problems with Universal Health Care • Expenses for health care would have to be paid for with higher taxes or spending cuts in other areas such as defense and education. • Government mandated procedures will likely reduce doctor flexibility and lead to poor patient care. • Healthy People will have to pay for the burden of those who choose not to live healthy lives. • Universal Health Care may expose the government to legal liability, and the possibility to invite multiple lawsuits

11. Possible solutions: Four Models • Single-Payer system: The government is the singular source that finances the medical costs of the community • Multi-payer system: Allows those that choose to either participate in the single payer system or purchase their own private insurance • Tax Credits: Allow the public to purchase health insurance • Medical Savings Accounts, or MSA’s: Here, the government or an employer deposits money into a private account to be used at the individual’s discretion

12. Summary • Approximately 18% of the population is uninsured • More than 80% of the uninsured are people under the age of 65 and members of working families. Their employers do not provide insurance, and purchasing insurance is too costly. • Some problems implementing UNHC may be: Higher Taxes, poor patient care, expensive litigation etc.. • Possible Universal Healthcare system Models: Single Payer, Multi-payer, Tax Credits, and Medical savings Accounts.

13. Conclusion • The need for UNHC is obvious • The particular solution remains up for debate