America has the most expensive healthcare system and spends more than $2 trillion dollars annually on healthcare, yet 47 million Americans are uninsured.In 2000, the World Health Organization (WHO) ranked the U.S. health care system 37th in overall performance, right next to Slovenia, and 72nd by overall level of health (among 191 member nations included in the study).
In 2017 the government created program known as Medicare will run out of money.
Right now health care of the United States is in what many deem a “state of emergency.”
After months of waiting for Congress to create a health care plan, president Barack Obama created his own healthcare bill.
Many members of Congress have come out against this bill, but Congress has had plenty of time to create its own bill.
Each Congress since president Roosevelt attempted to pass some sort of health care reform only to end up procrastinating, and creating more bipartisanship.
Obama’s plan can be broken down into three main parts quality, modernization and promoting prevention. The president wants to increase the quality of healthcare by creating a sort of “National Health Insurance.”
Obama seeks to create a uniquely American system combining both private and public health care systems in an attempt to shift the cost to the government. Obama also want to implement prevenative care,seeks to emphasize making healthier decisions.
Through this we can see Obama’s plan is far from universal healthcare or the dreaded “socialized medicine.” It does incorporate some good ideas but the question of plausibility goes unanswered.
The Obama plan seeks to get everyone covered sooner rather than later. Healthcare will still be a choice for consumers but it will also bring the responsibility of coverage to the government.
The president’s plan also seeks to fix the current system. More than 65 percent of Americans agree.
Republicans have offered no alternative plan. They only see this as closing the market on what has become a money grubbing healthcare system.
Obama’s plan doesn’t seek to make the government a monopoly in health insurance coverage but rather to make sure everyone is covered and has safe access to quality health care.
Healthcare however must always start with the individual making responsible health choices.
The government can come together to overcome the bipartisanship that threatens to leave our health care system in a “State of Emergency.”
Janaya Scott is a senior mass communication major from Cincinnati.