PASSAGE 1: Government-Funded Healthcare
By Diane Tew
There are many countries that have publicly-funded healthcare systems. Some countries have social insurance—it is funded by taxpayers and covers most costs.
Government-funded healthcare (or what is known as “a publicly-funded healthcare system”) is a form of healthcare financing created to apply the costs of civic healthcare needs from publicly handled funds. In most countries, the government directly controls the fund in which the benefits are allotted among the population. There are different approaches to where the funds come from. This could be through major government revenues (such as in Canada) or through the government’s social security system (like in Australia, Belgium, France, Japan, and Germany).
The Canadian healthcare system is a body of socialized health insurance plans that is intended to provide health coverage to all its citizens. This means that the National Healthcare System covers every Canadian citizen, regardless of background or age.
The system covers different aspects of healthcare wherein all citizens are covered up to the same level. It also provides accessibility to all healthcare facilities and physicians. All attending health workers are also covered with justifiable compensation for the services they are providing.
Having a government-funded healthcare system offers beneficial and favorable aspects of quality healthcare for everyone. Essentially, it would improve the basic system by offering balanced, quality healthcare for everybody. To be fair, it would cost taxpayers a good deal of money to enact this system in the United States, but should we really put a price on health?
The biggest issue for the average person is being able to afford health insurance premiums, out-of-pocket expenditures, co-payments, and prescriptions. It can be incredibly hard. It has become a big deal just to afford to go to a doctor’s office for a check-up, never mind having to deal with the immense costs of emergency room visits, hospital stays, or dealing with chronic ailments.
Another advantage is that it regulates insurance companies. Insurance companies tend to overcharge policyholders, deny coverage for chronic conditions, increase premiums, and refuse customers with pre-existing medical conditions. A government-subsidized plan would force insurance companies to be liable for these transgressions, while ensuring healthcare for everyone—including children, seniors, and people with pre-existing conditions.
A government-funded healthcare system also eliminates competition among healthcare providers because there is only one primary healthcare organization. This eliminates the disposal of multiple claims, allocations for insurance forms, mediating contracts, and going through the process of understanding insurance regulations. This would grant more time for medical experts to focus on the treatment of their patients instead of concentrating on irrelevant structures of insurance methods—which only benefits the insurance companies.
Granting access to a unified healthcare system would be beneficial to everyone, regardless of their economic background.
PASSAGE 2: Private Healthcare
By Ella White
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) is also called the Affordable Care Act (ACA). It was passed as a law in 2010 and signed by President Obama. Along with the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act amendment, it changed the US healthcare system. Significant changes like these had not been seen since 1965 when Medicare and Medicaid were introduced.
When considering private healthcare, there are important points to think about. The first thing to think about when getting private health insurance coverage is to consider what you can afford and sustain every month. Government-funded insurance will reduce the expense somewhat, while private healthcare is likely to be quite high.
Private healthcare is healthcare administered by medical management companies other than the government. Private health insurance usually covers hospitalization, universal treatment and medical procedures, and ambulance coverage. Ambulance coverage may be autonomously unrestricted if it is incorporated with other alternative policies or is enclosed in the state laws.
A large percentage of the US population has private health insurance. This can be quite a considerable monthly expenditure, but it has superiority over universal health insurance. Dependent children, teens, and adults are covered in private healthcare policies.
One of the best advantages of having private health coverage includes being able to choose your own doctor. This works well for patients who want to have the same physician all the time. In addition, if specialists are needed, your primary doctor will easily refer you.
Another advantage is the shorter waiting time for non-life-threatening situations. If a patient is having a surgery that is not life-threatening, there is no need to wait for medical facilities to be unoccupied. Customarily, doctors will schedule procedures as soon as possible.
Most private health insurance service providers also cover health conditions that are excluded in coverages such as Medicare or Medicaid. Additional medical services (such as dental, chiropractic, and optical) are among other health concerns covered by the private sector. If you are using any of those services and need assistance with the costs, extra coverage is the only way to go about that.
Private health insurance coverage is also fast and reliable with services such as access to doctor appointments, treatments, and diagnostic exams. To schedule such services, simply give the medical office a call to receive a specific appointment date.
Private healthcare providers also frequently have newer facilities. Since the public system is subsidized by government funds, they typically do not have access to as much funds as the private health providers. Public- or government-funded medical facilities are usually congested and fall short on certain convenient amenities. On the contrary, private healthcare facilities are usually spotless, well maintained, and in pristine condition, including private wards and bathrooms. Other conveniences (like phones, TVs, Internet, and Wi-Fi) are also offered.
Many countries have government-funded healthcare for everyone. Should the US do away with private healthcare and provide publicly-funded healthcare for everyone?
Weigh the claims on both sides, and then write an argumentative essay in your own words explaining whether the US should do away with private healthcare and provide publicly-funded healthcare for everyone or not and why.
Be sure to use evidence from BOTH texts in your argumentative essay. Write your answer in the space provided.
Before you write, be sure to:
think about ideas, facts, definitions, details, and other information and examples you want to use;
think about how you will introduce your topic and what the main topic will be for each paragraph;
develop your ideas clearly and use your own words, except when quoting directly from the source texts; and
be sure to identify the sources by title or number when using details or facts directly from the sources.
Now write your argumentative essay in the space provided. Be sure to:
introduce your claim;
support your claim with logical reasoning and relevant evidence from the texts;
acknowledge and address alternate or opposing claims;
organize the reasons and evidence logically;
use words, phrases, and clauses to connect your ideas and to clarify the relationships among claims, counterclaims, reasons, and evidence;
establish and maintain a formal style;
provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented; and
check your work for correct grammar, usage, capitalization, spelling, and punctuation.
Please use two line spaces (using the "enter" key twice) between each paragraph.
The issue of whether the United States should do away with private healthcare and provide publicly-funded healthcare for everyone is a highly debated topic. Both Passage 1 and Passage 2 present valid arguments for their respective healthcare systems. However, after considering the claims on both sides, it is clear that the US should transition to a publicly-funded healthcare system.
Passage 1 argues that a government-funded healthcare system offers beneficial aspects of quality healthcare for everyone. It states that such a system would provide balanced, quality healthcare and eliminate the financial burden on individuals. This is supported by evidence that healthcare costs, including insurance premiums and out-of-pocket expenses, are becoming increasingly unaffordable for average citizens. Passage 1 also points out that a government-funded healthcare system would regulate insurance companies, preventing them from overcharging policyholders and denying coverage for chronic conditions. This ensures healthcare for everyone, including those with pre-existing conditions.
On the other hand, Passage 2 argues that private healthcare has advantages such as the ability to choose your own doctor, shorter waiting times for non-life-threatening situations, and coverage for health conditions excluded in government-funded plans. While these advantages may be appealing, they are outweighed by the benefits of a publicly-funded healthcare system. Passage 2 acknowledges that private healthcare is likely to be quite expensive, which poses a barrier to access for many individuals. Additionally, it highlights the issue of limited access to funds for public healthcare facilities, leading to a shortage of resources and congestion. In contrast, publicly-funded healthcare can provide equal access to quality healthcare for all citizens, regardless of their economic background.
Transitioning to a publicly-funded healthcare system would have numerous benefits for the United States. Firstly, it would ensure that every citizen has access to healthcare, regardless of their financial situation. Passage 1 emphasizes the importance of not putting a price on health, and a government-funded system would eliminate the financial burden and stress of healthcare costs. Passage 1 also mentions that a unified healthcare system would eliminate competition among healthcare providers, allowing medical experts to focus on patient treatment rather than insurance regulations. This would lead to more efficient and effective healthcare delivery.
Moreover, Passage 1 highlights that government-funded healthcare systems in other countries have been successful in providing quality healthcare to their citizens. Countries like Canada, Australia, Belgium, France, Japan, and Germany have demonstrated that publicly-funded healthcare can work effectively and efficiently. The United States can learn from these examples and implement a similar system to ensure the wellbeing and health of its citizens.
Some may argue that a publicly-funded healthcare system would be costly and burdensome for taxpayers. However, passage 1 addresses this concern by acknowledging that it would require a significant investment but emphasizes the importance of prioritizing health. The current private healthcare system already places a heavy financial burden on individuals, making it difficult for many to afford necessary medical care. Additionally, Passage 2 mentions that private health insurance can be quite expensive. By transitioning to a publicly-funded system, the overall cost of healthcare could be reduced, as administrative costs associated with private insurance companies would be eliminated.
In conclusion, the United States should do away with private healthcare and provide publicly-funded healthcare for everyone. Passage 1 provides strong evidence that a government-funded healthcare system would benefit all citizens by providing equal access to quality healthcare and eliminating the financial burden of healthcare costs. Passage 2 acknowledges some advantages of private healthcare but fails to outweigh the numerous benefits of a publicly-funded system. The United States has the opportunity to learn from successful healthcare systems in other countries and prioritize the health and wellbeing of its citizens by transitioning to a publicly-funded healthcare system.