Iqra Rafey/The Cougar
Universal health care is a human right that should be prioritized.
As health care costs rise, about one in four Americans are avoiding going to the doctor because they cannot afford the costs of medical care.
This is concerning. As the pandemic lingers, a country should prioritize keeping their citizens healthy.
Although the after effects of COVID-19 are still undergoing study, scientists have reached a common conclusion regarding the long term effects of the disease.
Many people report symptoms of fatigue, joint pain, anosmia, chest pain and sleeping issues even after recovering from the virus. Worst case scenarios include organ damage and blood vessel problems.
The pandemic heightened the low-quality medical care in the U.S. which cost the lives of a million people.
President Joe Biden’s plan to provide health care to Americans includes lowering premiums, increasing the range of providers, lowering the medical debt of Americans and protecting Americans from low-quality coverage.
However, a recent study has shown that the U.S. has one of the lowest rates of satisfaction among its citizens compared to other countries in the world.
This low rate of satisfaction is attributed to the high waiting times, lack of choice in physicians, and the rising burnout rate of doctors across the country.
All of this is to say that the health care system in the U.S. has a lot to work on before it can become a reliable system for its citizens.
There is not a single thing that can fix health care in one go which is why universal health care is difficult to accomplish.
Although other countries have achieved universal health care, it has come at the cost of higher taxes, premiums and underpaid doctors.
America has managed to secure these disadvantages even without universal health care.
In order to provide universal health care to Americans, the government needs to eliminate low-quality care, provide a better environment for doctors and work on preventative measures to keep people healthy.
If America is unable to address these issues, universal health care will not be achievable.
Cindy Rivas Alfaro is a journalism sophomore who can be reached at [email protected]
