Zach Sturm
Period 6
CP Economics
11/26/13

A Contrast of Universal Healthcare and Privatized Healthcare

Healthcare is a huge controversy and yet one of the most important aspects of being healthy. Shouldn’t such a necessary part of life be more efficient in providing healthcare? A lot would argue that the U.S does in fact have one of the worst healthcare systems ever. Most citizens would agree that it’s most definitely one thing: expensive. How about the other countries? To most Americans, universal healthcare is a fantasy. Believe it or not, most Europeans and Canadians are living that fantasy with healthcare supplied by the government free of charge. I know, amazing isn’t it? But does cheap healthcare equal cheap health service? And are those other countries being taxed some crazy amount of money like we do for our healthcare? In this essay, I will get to the bottom of this controversial topic. It’s no surprise here in the USA we have prices on medical bills that will make your jaw drop. In fact we were ranked terribly by the World Health Organization (WHO) in a 2000 study. They ranked the United States 37 in general performance and ranked 72 in general level of health. Thirty-seven might not seem that high of a number, but for the richest and one of the most competitive countries in the world, there are many countries with more efficient heath care systems. The one perk of having expensive treatment here gives you excellent treatment. In 2008, the Commonwealth fund ranked the states last among other competing countries such as Germany, the UK, and China. It is a complex problem for the US and is I dire need to be fixed. Since we have a mostly privatized healthcare system in the US with exceptions of public programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, the market for heath insurance is received through private companies with profit intentions. You can’t pay attention to all the negatives of our healthcare because there are however pros of our outrageous healthcare system. Do to our currant health system we have doctors, physicians, and surgeons etc. that give excellent care if you are able to afford it. Another advantage to our system is all the money that is put in goes to our incredible medical research. The United States is the only developed country without free healthcare provided to all of its citizens.