The ability to receive aid and medicine is a basic human right, but medical bills can be costly. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, fixing a broken leg costs around $7,500, a three-day stay in the hospital can cost up to $30,000, and treating cancer can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. For many, costs this high can leave them in debt. As reported by the United States Census Bureau in 2020, the average annual household income is $67,521. With state taxes, federal taxes, mortgage payments, and more, this doesn’t leave many households with a lot of disposable income.

Why should a basic human right be out of reach for so many citizens? How can the dilemma be solved? Simple solution: universal healthcare.

But what exactly is universal healthcare? Universal healthcare is when citizens receive access to healthcare without having to deal with the hardships of the cost. Under universal healthcare, no matter how much someone is able to pay, they will not be denied access to healthcare.

If implemented in the US, universal healthcare could benefit millions of citizens. To citizens, this would mean financial stability as well as standardizing receiving care, lowered overall healthcare costs, and an overall improvement to the quality of public health. To elaborate, standardizing acceptance of care would mean that every citizen would receive the same level of care. This action would eliminate hierarchy based on the ability to pay when receiving aid.

Lower overall healthcare costs would not only be directed at citizens but the government as well. With universal healthcare, the government would be able to determine the cost of healthcare and greatly reduce and regulate charges. Universal healthcare would also terminate administrative costs for doctors and nurses, leading to an absence for insurance. Despite how average salaries for both doctors and nurses can be quite high, there is still a certain amount they must pay to insurance in the case of being sued. Universal healthcare will lead to the improvement of public health as citizens will have easy access to both physicians and medicines to prevent sickness.

Although universal healthcare seems like the perfect solution to many of the US’s problems, it is not flawless. A universal healthcare system may lead to more costly and risky medical treatments being eliminated, longer wait times for treatment and aid, lower salaries for doctors and less motivation to stay healthy.

In a universal healthcare system, citizens pay the same amount for healthcare regardless of their actual health. To sum it up, this leaves healthier citizens paying for sick citizens to receive aid. This cost is sort of like a healthcare tax and isn’t more than other taxes that citizens pay. It may seem like a lot, but the cost of this tax is still tens of thousands of dollars less compared to the average hospital bill. However, this lowered cost leads to lower salaries for doctors and nurses which gives less incentive for many to pursue careers in the medical industry. Another downside of universal healthcare is that potential life-saving treatments could be eliminated since the correlating cost could be too high for such a low chance of success. If the US changes to a universal healthcare system, longer waiting times to receive medical aid would also follow since, under this system, patients with severe illness and injuries are prioritized. Although universal healthcare can lead to improved public health, there is also less reason to stay healthy, leading to people taking larger risks and making poorer decisions since all trips to the hospital and emergency room are taken care of.

In conclusion, the pros of universal healthcare outweigh the cons. Lower costs for all would give families more disposable income and not having to feel the stress that comes from paying hefty bills will just eliminate huge amounts of stress altogether. To receive medical aid should not be out of reach for millions of people. It is a basic human right as well as a necessity to live. Universal healthcare is a system that benefits everyone.