Universal health care is when a country dictates coverage for its population. Various forms are seen in different countries, either through state-sponsored programs paid for by taxation or compulsory coverage. The United States does not offer its citizens universal health care and spends the highest percentage in the world on health care compared with similar-size countries.
Function
The fundamentals of universal health care are to provide health care coverage to eligible citizens through a mandate by a governmental authority. Universal health care coverage can range from basic coverage, in which an individual may incur out-of-pocket expenses, to full coverage, with all expenses paid by the state or government. Many industrialized countries provide health care to all citizens as a right, not a privilege or choice. This would allow you access to care at clinics and hospitals regardless of your financial situation.
Features
Universal health care coverage varies from country to country, depending on the type of implementation the government has in place. Most governments take steps to grant the largest possible health care coverage for the majority of its population. In most cases, regulations and legislation mandate the coverage. The health care coverage is paid for by either taxation, creating a publicly funded system, or through single-payer health care by the individual. Sometimes the government will directly manage the health care system, or else private and public industries work together to offer coverage to the population.
Considerations
According to the Connecticut Coalition for Universal Health Care, access to health care in the United States is directly related to race and income, resulting in minorities and the poor not being as healthy as the wealthy and white people. Harris Poll number 78 on October 20, 2005, as well as other polls, show that between 60 percent and 75 percent of Americans want universal health care. While the United States does not offer universal health care, as of 2010, the U.S. does provide health care coverage to approximately 28 percent of the American population based on income levels, veteran status or age through state-sponsored programs. President Obama recently signed into law new health care reform legislation, although it is not total universal health care. As of 2010, the new health care reform introduced by Obama has not been implemented yet.
Misconceptions
The primary disagreement of universal health care is fear of socialization of the health care industry. Private health care companies claim that if the government mandates health care coverage, profits would be slashed, which would damage the infrastructure in place and damage the quality of care provided to the United States. Some states in the U.S. already have begun to implement their own universal care. Massachusetts already has created a compulsory program in which residents must purchase health care coverage or face financial penalties. Programs have been introduced in other states to cover a portion of their residents with health care that is sponsored by the state. The result has created a healthier population and driven down the cost of health care to taxpayers.
Benefits
One prime motivator is driving down the cost to taxpayers by implementing a universal health care system. As stated before, approximately a quarter of the U.S. population is covered by state-sponsored programs, so by covering the remaining portion of the population, it may prevent health care expenses from increasing. Abusing the use of emergency room services by uninsured individuals has caused a burden on the government. Alleviating this type of abuse will help cut health care costs. Universal health care coverage may also help decrease the unsustainable levels of inflation, reducing the cost to taxpayers.
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