"It's no secret that health care costs are spiraling out of control in this country. While the quality and availability of medical care in the United States remains among the best in the world, many wonder whether we'd be better off adopting a universal government-controlled health care system like one used in Canada"(Messerli,J. 2011).The two most prevalent arguments have been a fear of decrease in the quality of healthcare provided by physicians and an increase in taxes. During research on maternal and child healthcare, I have discovered those that oppose such form of healthcare are those who have healthcare coverage and are receiving adequate healthcare which therefore attacks the credibility of their argument.
What about the families with one or more incomes who can't afford healthcare for themselves or their children and don't qualify for government funded programs because their income exceed the minimum qualifications? Let us not forget about the million of people that are our of work, are they not worthy of having adequate healthcare. We stand to a pledge of allegiance that states we are one nation, undivided, with liberty and justice for all, Inadequate healthcare is an injustice to all. It is our social responsibility to see ensure justice in this arena.
Researchers from Harvard Medical School say the lack of coverage can be tied to about 45,000 deaths a year in the United States — a toll that is greater than the number of people who die each year from kidney disease (Wilper, 2009). In addition to these facts, "One out of every 10 women who work full time is without health coverage. Even with health insurance, there are often disparities in benefits covered by her plan, out-of-pocket costs and access to the services she needs—almost 16 percent of insured women have been denied approval or payment for a health care service. And while the majority of women carry some form of heath coverage, a whopping 17 million women over the age of 18 are without health insurance in the United States"(Insureme, 16September, 2011). Even more alarming, the Children Defense Fund show 18.97% of children in living in poverty with an additional 8.5% living in extreme poverty within the United states.8,300,000 are without healthcare. With such devastating numbers, it my desire to begin a movement to promote affordable healthcare for all.
References
Insureme (16 September, 2011) Women and health insurance falling through the cracks
http://www.insureme.com/health-insurance/women-health-insurance
Messerli, J.(2011 November 16): Should the government provide free universal healthcare for all Americans? Retrieved: December 27, 2011
www.balancedpolitics.org/universal-health-care.htm
Wilper, A. (2009, September 17). Harvard medical study links lack of insurance to 45,000 u.s. deaths a year. Retrieved fromhttp://www.prsicriptons.blogs.nytimes.com
