The Observer, March 9, 2007
Volume XXXIX, Issue 20
Universal healthcare beneficial for all
As in many election years, the beginnings of the 2008 presidential elections are revisiting the same old topics. Lower taxes, more affordable post-secondary education, and equality and improvement in education are traditional forerunners of the presidential campaigns. One topic in particular that has popped up again after a lengthy period of silence is the idea of nationalized health care.
Proposed in an unsuccessful bill in 1994 by President Clinton, nationalized health care has been a political dead zone for several years. However, with the number of uninsured Americans rising with the costs of healthcare, a national plan is beginning to sound more appealing.
Many Americans are hesitant to have the government in control of their health care. After all, other governmental benefit programs like Social Security have had serious financial difficulties. These other benefit programs also have a tendency to be adopted as "rights" by the public several years later – becoming what is known as an "untouchable" spending program.
However, one must wonder, should affordable healthcare be a right to the American people? We are one of the most affluent countries in the world. But the wealth has become even more disproportionately distributed with many extremely rich and many extremely poor. One of the largest growing sub-groups of the uninsured are middle-class working families. With the average person working and supporting their family unable to afford health insurance, the current health system seems wrong.
Many other industrialized nations have adopted universal healthcare programs withvarying success. Countries like the United Kingdom have had great success with their programs, whereas Canada's has had financial difficulties. But even with the financial problems, the Canadian government has not sought to terminate their program. They are instead trying to fix it.
Some health care programs are already in place for the poor and elderly (Medicare and Medicaid respectively), but there is beginning to be an increasing gap of the middle class with no insurance. Many of the uninsured are also not that way of choice. Instead, many are working people whose profession does not offer health care benefits, like realtors or small business workers. These workers, without company benefits, are not immune to getting ill. Many may develop diseases that require extremely costly treatments.
Presidential hopefuls like Barack Obama and John Edwards, are making the idea of a universal healthcare system a large section of their campaigns. These campaigns are generating much attention and it has made citizens wonder if it really is possible.
Universal healthcare would be wonderful. To have few worries about people being taken cared for and receiving quality treatment would be fantastic in real life. In addition, if preventative measures like routine check-ups were implemented, Americans could lead healthier lives. In this case, traditionally small problems are treated instead of festering into larger issues that would require a costly trip to the emergency room.
Davis is a first-year student and has yet to decide on a major. She is a member of the Spartan Tappers and the Case Camerata Orchestra and enjoys writing, reading, watching movies, and good debates.
