Senator Bernie Sanders wrote a New York Times piece entitled “Why We Need Medicare for All” to persuade the general public to support a bill (called Medicare for All). While I believe Sen. Sanders’ overall desire for universal affordable healthcare is a valiant one and many of his points--on their surface--seem to make sense intuitively, his arguments are based more so on emotion than logic and I fervently disagree with his premises. In this paper I will briefly summarize Bernie’s premises and argument style, explain why I disagree with his stances and provide evidence as to why his plan will not work, and propose an alternate solution to socialized healthcare. Senator Sanders lays out the main ideas of his argument in his introductory paragraphs. …show more content…
One human right cannot impede on that of another. Take freedom for example. In the healthcare case, freedom to access healthcare is a human right (i.e. it would be wrong for the government to prohibit a certain party to access life-saving healthcare). It is not, however, a human right that the service of healthcare be provided for you, because that would diminish the rights of others. It would either increase taxes substantially (I’ll examine exactly how much of an increase momentarily) and therefore diminish the right to others’ private property, or force healthcare providers to care for the sick without compensation. A parallel example is food and shelter. While necessary for life, it would not be moral for someone to knock on your door and demand that you allow them to stay in your house and provide them food. If someone asked for this service and you charitably gave it to them, that is completely fine, the problem arises when it is forced upon you by the government or anyone …show more content…
The Urban Institute, which leans toward liberal policies, scored Bernie’s plan as causing an increase in healthcare spending of $32 trillion over 10 years, or an average of $3.2 trillion per year. (Urban Institute, The Sanders Single-Payer Health Care Plan: The Effect on National Health Expenditures and Federal and Private Spending). To put that number in perspective, the total amount of income tax currently generated in the United States is $1.5 trillion. Just to fund the first 10 years of this plan, there would need to be an over 100% increase in federal income taxes. Bernie has not commented on how much it would cost thereafter but there is little reason to expect anything but increases as our population grows and people live longer. I have now argued against Mr. Sanders’ plan on a moral as well as a practical basis, but I have not provided an alternative way to improve our current system. I believe that the way to make healthcare affordable for all is to allow a similar degree freedom in the healthcare industry that we do for other markets. Think about technology. It is a highly unregulated industry and the cost of goods and services in that sector have diminished
Universal health care is a topic that plenty of Americans are arguing over. In editorial one, the author uses anecdotal and logical evidence to help provide evidence for his claims about why America should have a universal health care system. In editorial two, the author uses the rhetorical appeals of ethos, logos, and pathos to argue against creating a universal health care system in the United States.
In the modern day, health care can be a sensitive subject. Politically, health care in America changes depending on whom is President. Obamacare and Trumpcare are different policies regarding health care, which many people have passionate feelings towards. However, not many Americans are informed about Norman Daniels’ view on health care. Throughout this paper I will be outlining Norman Daniels’ claims on the right to health care, and the fundamental principles in which he derives to construct his argument. By means of evaluating Daniels’ argument, I will then state my beliefs regarding the distributive justice of health care.
For example, airport screening is a violation to our right of privacy, but it is done to help save our own life as well as the life of others from terrorism and other dangers. A criminal’s right of liberty is infringed when they are sent to prison to serve a sentence for a crime committed and it is considered legal because it addresses a concern for public safety. Abortion is legal in some places, but in my opinion it shouldn’t be legal anywhere because it is a form of disrespecting an unborn baby’s right to live. The baby has not had the chance to experience life outside his or her mother’s womb and therefore its death can’t be justified as if it was done because he or she was a threat to society. No matter the reason behind the mother’s decision of wanting to abort her kid (if she was a rape victim, if she knew the fetus would be born with a severe illness or disability, or even worse, if this baby was simply an accident and she did not want the responsibility of taking care of a minor, etc) it still shouldn’t be lawful nor
Last year the average cost of an insurance policy for a family of four was $20,728.00 according to the Milliman Medical Index (2012 Milliman Medical Index, figure 1). The median household income for 2012 was $51,017.00 according to Steve Hargreaves for CNN Money (2013, para. 1). This means the average American spends almost 40.62 percent of health care premiums. This figure is simply too high to sustain. By comparison the median household income in 2005 was $67,019 according to the United States Census Bureau ( Median Income for 4-Person Families n.d.). The average cost of healthcare according to the Milliman Medical Index for 2005 was $12,214 which was only 18.22 percent. (2005 Milliman Medical Index, figure 1). The percentage Americans spend on health care has more than doubled since 2005. If we don't find a way to get the costs of providing health care under control, then this country cannot survive.
... For example, one right a may be able to override another right b at the individual level of rights; your right to enjoy doing z or your right not to be interfered with your enjoyment of z is “trumped” by my personal property rights to z. But one might ask: can’t rights be suspended or restricted? For instance, is it not permissible to use the death penalty or to restrict a person’s liberty when they have committed a crime? There may be other, perhaps utilitarian reasons to allow these things, but it doesn’t follow that these acts are morally justified at the same time.
The first side to the health care system is the Single Payer system. Many European countries, and our neighboring country Canada, have this type of system. This system has every citizen put his or her money into a fund that would be controlled by a federal agency. That agency would then pay for the treatment. Private insurance companies would basically be die off. The difference from this and our current health care system...
Medicare is a social policy many of our seniors look to for their stability when they reach 65
Medicare and Medicaid are one of important government programs. According to Medicaid.gov site, there are more than 4.6 million low-income seniors enrolled in Medicare and about 8.3 million people that are enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid. Anyone that enrolled with Medicare and limited income and resources are eligible to get assistance paying for their premiums and out-of-pocket medical expenses from Medicaid. Not only does Medicaid cover additional services, but, services covered by both programs are first paid by Medicare with Medicaid in the difference up to the state’s payment limit (Medicaid.gov, 2015) .
Universal health care refers to any system of health care managed by the government. The health care system may cover different programs including government run hospitals and health organizations and programs targeted at providing health care. Many developed countries such as Canada and United Kingdom have embraced universal health care with the United States being the only exception. The present U.S health care system has often been considered inefficient in terms of cost control as millions of Americans remain uncovered. This has made it the subject of a heated debate characterized by people who argue that the country requires a kind of socialized system that will permit increased government participation. Others have tended to support privatized health care, or a combined model of private and universal health care that will permit private companies to offer health care for a specific fee. Universal healthcare has numerous advantages that remain hidden from society. First, the federal government can apply economies of scale in managing health facilities which would reduce health care expenses. Second, all unnecessary expenses would be eliminated by requiring all states to bring together all the insurance companies into a single entity whose mandate would be to provide health insurance to all people. Lastly, increased government participation will guarantee quality care, improve access to medical services and address critical problems relating to market failure.
Healthcare professionals want only to provide the best care and comfort for their patients. In today’s world, advances in healthcare and medicine have made their task of doing so much easier, allowing previously lethal diseases to be diagnosed and treated with proficiency and speed. A majority of people in the United States have health insurance and enjoy the luxury of convenient, easy to access health care services, with annual checkups, preventative care, and their own personal doctor ready to diagnose and provide treatment for even the most trivial of symptoms. Many of these people could not imagine living a day without the assurance that, when needed, medical care would not be available to themselves and their loved ones. However, millions of American citizens currently live under these unimaginable conditions, going day to day without the security of frequent checkups, prescription medicine, or preventative medicines that could prevent future complications in their health. Now with the rising unemployment rates due to the current global recession, even more Americans are becoming uninsured, and the flaws in the United States’ current healthcare system are being exposed. In order to amend these flaws, some are looking to make small changes to fix the current healthcare system, while others look to make sweeping changes and remodel the system completely, favoring a more socialized, universal type of healthcare system. Although it is certain that change is needed, universal healthcare is not the miracle cure that will solve the systems current ailments. Universal healthcare should not be allowed to take form in America as it is a menace to the capitalist principle of a free market, threatens to put a stranglehold on for-...
In recent years, the number of Americans who are uninsured has reached over 45 million citizens, with millions more who only have the very basic of insurance, effectively under insured. With the growing budget cuts to medicaid and the decreasing amount of employers cutting back on their health insurance options, more and more americans are put into positions with poor health care or no access to it at all. At the heart of the issue stems two roots, one concerning the morality of universal health care and the other concerning the economic effects. Many believe that health care reform at a national level is impossible or impractical, and so for too long now our citizens have stood by as our flawed health-care system has transformed into an unfixable mess. The good that universal healthcare would bring to our nation far outweighs the bad, however, so, sooner rather than later, it is important for us to strive towards a society where all people have access to healthcare.
Bernie Sanders is promising an opportunity to all Americans to obtain healthcare. Universal health care will be a great relief for those who do not have health care and cannot afford it. Many people and families go on living without having health care because it is too expensive. For those who do not have Health care, are constantly in fear knowing that if they get sick, it complicates the situation of where to go and get help or better themselves because it is so expensive for them. As of right now, there are approximately Over Thirty-Three Million Americans that still do not have insurance, Seven million, which happen to be immigrants coming from poor families. (Barry-Jester, Casselman). Bernie Sander believes “ Health care is a right, not a privilege.” (Sanders). He stands for equal treatment, everyone should be able to obtain health care at a reasonable and affordable price so that all people can get the help that they need without having to struggle their way to pay for it. Not everyone chooses where they are born and what family income they come from, it shouldn’t have to be that way with healthcare. The Affordable Care
Medicare is the nation’s largest health insurance program. Generally, you are eligible for Medicare if you or your spouse worked for at least ten years in Medicare-covered employment and you are 65 years old and a citizen or permanent resident of the United States. Medicare-covered services include hospital insurance, inpatient hospital care, skilled nursing facility care, home health care, hospice care, and medical insurance (Medicare U.S.) With such an encompassing effect on the health insurance field, Medicare provides a haven for older individuals, and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients who require the best medical care for whatever possible reason. The only problem with this scenario is that doctors are turning many older patients away because they have Medicare. Why do doctors turn away Medicare patients? Is there a reason why certain doctors turn away certain patients?
Harper Lee believes that being the bigger person is more beneficial than not. Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee demonstrates how there are way more good things coming out of being mature in a conflict than giving in. When Scout saw Cecil Jacobs on the playground, she took Atticus’ advice and the text read, “I drew a bead on him, remembered what Atticus had said, then dropped my fists and walked away…” (Lee 102). By Scout walking away, she is taking a more mature route than giving into Ceci
…rights which are inherent to the human being ... human rights acknowledges that every single human being is entitled to enjoy his or her human rights without distinction as to race, [color], sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. [To add on, human] rights are legally guaranteed by human rights law, protecting individuals and groups against actions that interfere with fundamental freedoms and human dignity (Human rights for