UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE IN THE UNITED STATES

2573 WORDS

Nearly 45,000 annual deaths are due to lack of health insurance, according to a study published by the American Journal of Public Health, more than doubling an estimate from the Institute of Medicine in 2002 (Cecere). Forty-five thousand people per year are the same as 120 people per day, or 5 people per hour dying because they do not have health insurance. More people die every year from not having health insurance than people dying of kidney disease (Wilper, Woolhandler, and Lasser). The United States has the power to bring this number down drastically if it were to provide basic healthcare insurance to all its citizens. The United States was built on beliefs of self-reliance and sustainability, and when the constitution states, “promote the general Welfare,” it is further fortifying these beliefs. The bible says in Mark 12:31 “love your neighbor as yourself.” Children are taught to love, not fight, to help, not hurt, to fix, not break. Healthcare is a human right, and denying that right is unconstitutional, unethical, and inhumane.

Universal healthcare is defined by the World Health Organization as a system in which every citizen can receive health services, without incurring financial hardship. The United States should provide basic healthcare to every citizen, regardless of income or health status. Basic healthcare includes physical healthcare, as well as mental healthcare. If a person were to experience a trau