Opinion: Universal healthcare in U.S or Iraq?
November 29th, 2007 4:56 pm by Jason B.Note: I posted this on my graduate studies discussion board as an opinion piece.
Despite the tremendous cost that healthcare is in our country, I believe that it is still a basic human right to receive it. This includes everything in our healthcare system including, but not limited to medications, technology, long intensive care stays, neonatal intensive care units, and dialysis machines. I do not doubt that there are valid arguments on both sides, including the financial impact and quality of healthcare, but my basic fundamental belief in healthcare for all defines my position regardless of financial considerations. To put it simply, the premise of healthcare for all comes no matter what and it is up to us to figure out how to contain costs.
An analysis done by Smith, Cowan, Sensenig, Catlin, and Health Accounts Team (2005) of our current, predominately entrepreneurial healthcare system revealed an expensive system, costing 15.3% of our country’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2003. The same team found that the per capita expenditure was $5670 in 2003 (Smith et. al, 2005). This is an expensive investment considering 47 million Americans are still uninsured, with the number rising every year (U.S Census Bureau, 2007).
Government spending has been fluctuating recently in light of the Iraq/Afghanistan war. To compare spending, translating per capita expenditure for healthcare in 2003 to a family of four will yield $22,680 ($5670 multiplied by four) per year. A recent report from Senator Schumer and Representative Maloney from the Joint Economic Committee Majority Staff (2007) shows the total economic cost of the Iraq/Afghanistan war from 2002 to 2008 for a family of four to total $20,900 for these years.
Complaints about how much we spend in healthcare can be paralleled with complaints that we spend too much for war. Our priorities need to be questioned if we need to spend such large amounts in foreign countries when our domestic healthcare system is failing. Some may be surprised to hear that through our estimated family contributions of $20,900 to the government for the war, we have paid for universal healthcare in Iraq! The U.S has “spent nearly US $1 billion on Iraq’s healthcare system but more than $8 billion is required over the next four years to fund the current healthcare structure [in Iraq]” (IRIN, 2006, para. 3). The U.S is now burdened with two healthcare systems, both failing, and both needing more funds. The question is not only do we support certain proposals to cover all Americans, but instead, does our government have their priorities straight when it comes to our money.
IRIN. (2006). Iraq: Country’s healthcare system rapidly deteriorating. Retrieved on November 27, 2007, from link
Schumer, C. E., Maloney, C. B. (2007). War at any price? Retrieved on November 27, 2007, from link
Smith, C., Cowan,C., Sensenig, A., Catlin, A., & Health Accounts Team. (2005). Health spending growth slows in 2003. Health Affairs, 24(1), 185-194.
U.S Census Bureau. (2007, August). Household income rises, poverty rate declines, number of uninsured up. Retrieved November 27, 2007, from link
August 17th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
I agree totally that every American must have health care coverage -rather than funding a foreign country’s coverage! This is sheer insanity, does the US government hate its own people so much as to let them suffer, lose their homes, and life’s savings to get medical care?
The same Republicans that fought to invade Iraq -are the same ones denying Americans health care. These people should run for office in Iraq- for they are fighting for Iraq’s and have betrayed Americans. The right to “Life” is in the US Constitution - its not about carrying guns!
Americans should fire - back any way they can at the Senators who are denying basic human compassion -health care-medical care- and are getting kickbacks and campaign contributions from the insurance and drug companies that don’t wish to lose their gigantic profits. Who said that insurance companies control health care in the USA -who allowed them to take over control of who lives and dies?
The very criminal acts of these people -like Mitch McConnell and Dick Armey who receives bribes from drug companies -are lining their own pockets. They are destroying the lives of Americans every day.
Who gave these people - the power to dictate what happens in your life?
IF you don’t fight for universal health care this time -America -you are doomed to repeat the failures of the past and many more will die without medical care.
I think it is the cruelest example of Greed - in American History.
Fight for your rights -to health care. Don’t let the lobbyists win -
don’t let insurance companies run the government for you.
PN