Should the United States have Free Universal Healthcare? In the United States, hospitals and other medical fees are incredibly expensive. Many people cannot afford these costs and avoid seeking aid for their illnesses in fear of medical debt or even bankruptcy. America needs free universal healthcare (UHC) to cover the expenses and give these people the help they need. Many people who oppose free UHC are convinced that it will do more harm to the country than good. They claim that other countries with this system have many problems, and they believe that more patients will lead to longer wait times for medical care. UHC opposers argue that a government run medical system would lead to rationing of supplies, budgeting, and service restrictions …show more content…
These individuals are unaware of the benefits of free UHC that far outweigh the disadvantages. Although none of the numerous free health care systems around the world are perfect, America can use them as examples. In the modern Western world, the United States stands out as one of the few countries without some type of national health coverage plan. Countries like Canada, the United Kingdom, and Germany all have different forms of government-run insurance that cover various medical fees (“Foreign Countries with Universal Health Care”).
With so many models, the US can take the positive elements from each system and adapt them to fit the country. In addition, the long waiting times that worry opponents are proven false when looking at statistics from other countries. According to an international survey conducted by the Commonwealth Fund, 76% of people in Germany and 72% of people in New Zealand reported getting same-day or next-day appointments compared to only 48% of Americans, and more people in Switzerland and the UK said they received a specialist appointment in less than four weeks (Schoen et al.). Other countries have UHC programs that are very effective, and they can be used as models to help America create its own. Free health