Persuasive Essay Presidential Health Care Reform Running head: PRESIDENTI ! HE !

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Persuasive Essay Presidential Health Care Reform

Persuasive Essay Presidential Health Care Reform &stra't meri'an health 'are reform has &een a main to(i' of dis'ussion among meri'ans for many years) The rising 'ost of health 'are insuran'e* along +ith the in'reasingly high rate of unem(loyment* has for'ed (eo(le into a life +ith little or no health 'are insuran'e) ,ith the staggering amount of meri'ans that either have lo+ 'overage health insuran'e* or have no health insuran'e at all* it is time for the higher (oliti'al (o+ers to reform the meri'an health 'are system)

Persuasive Essay Presidential Health Care Reform Presidential Health Care Reform It is a shame that all meri'ans do not share the right to have good medi'al 'are insuran'e) There are meri'ans that are underinsured and many that do not have any form of medi'al 'are insuran'e) In these hard e'onomi' times* +hen (eo(le are losing their .o&s and insuran'e (remiums s/yro'/eting* it is time to loo/ for ne+ health 'are reform) To ensure that all Americans have affordable, accessible health care, President Obama has proposed a health plan that will benefit all.

The 0nited States of meri'a has al+ays &een the land of o((ortunity) It has &een a (la'e +here one 'an (ros(er and have the same o((ortunities as their neigh&or) Times have 'hanged and not all meri'ans 'an afford (remium health 'are insuran'e or 'annot afford to have any ty(e of health'are insuran'e at all) $any of these (eo(le are +omen and 'hildren) There are many more that are +or/ing families that 'annot afford the 'o1(ay insuran'e that is offered &y their em(loyer and they ma/e too mu'h to &e eligi&le for any state aided (rograms) Due to rising health insuran'e (remiums* many small 'om(anies 'annot afford to offer health &enefits to their em(loyees) Com(anies that do offer health insuran'e* often re2uire em(loyees to 'ontri&ute a large 'o1(ayment to+ard their 'overage) s a result* an in'reasing num&er of meri'ans 'annot afford the 'overage and have o(ted not to ta/e advantage of 'om(any1&ased health insuran'e) Therefore* they go +ithout) 3a'/ground Nearly 45 million meri'ans* or 16 (er'ent of the (o(ulation under the age of 57* +ere +ithout health insuran'e in %889* the latest government data availa&le :DeNavas1,alt* %886;) #ver 6 in 18 uninsured (eo(le 'ome from +or/ing families almost 98 (er'ent from families +ith one or more full1time +or/ers and 11 (er'ent from families +ith (art1time +or/ers :<aiser*

Persuasive Essay Presidential Health Care Reform %886;) The la'/ of insuran'e 'om(romises the health of the uninsured &e'ause they re'eive less (reventive 'are* are diagnosed at more advan'ed disease stages* and on'e diagnosed* tend to

re'eive less thera(euti' 'are and have higher mortality rates than insured individuals :Institute of $edi'ine* %88-;) Health'are &enefits President #&ama=s (ro(osed (lan +ill eliminate the a&ove mentioned 'onditions and (rovide afforda&le health'are to all meri'ans) His (lan strengthens em(loyer 'overage* ma/es insuran'e 'om(anies a''ounta&le and ensures (atient 'hoi'e of do'tor and 'are +ithout government interferen'e :%88>;) The follo+ing (oints are ta/en from #&ama=s (lan as stated on the ,hite House ,e&site :%88>;) o Re2uire insuran'e 'om(anies to 'over (re1e?isting 'onditions so all meri'ans* regardless of their health status or history* 'an get 'om(rehensive &enefits at fair and sta&le (remiums) o Create a ne+ Small 3usiness Health Ta? Credit to hel( small &usinesses (rovide afforda&le health insuran'e to their em(loyees) o !o+er 'osts for &usinesses &y 'overing a (ortion of the 'atastro(hi' health 'osts they (ay in return for lo+er (remiums for em(loyees) o Prevent insurers from over'harging do'tors for their mal(ra'ti'e insuran'e and invest in (roven strategies to redu'e (reventa&le medi'al errors) o $a/e em(loyer 'ontri&utions more fair &y re2uiring large em(loyers* that do not offer 'overage or ma/e a meaningful 'ontri&ution to the 'ost of 2uality health

Persuasive Essay Presidential Health Care Reform 'overage for their em(loyees* to 'ontri&ute a (er'entage of (ayroll to+ard the 'osts of their em(loyees@ health 'are) o

Esta&lish a National Health Insuran'e E?'hange +ith a range of (rivate insuran'e o(tions as +ell as a ne+ (u&li' (lan &ased on &enefits availa&le to mem&ers of Congress that +ill allo+ individuals and small &usinesses to &uy afforda&le health 'overage)

o o

Ensure everyone +ho needs it +ill re'eive a ta? 'redit for their (remiums) !o+er drug 'osts &y allo+ing the im(ortation of safe medi'ines from other develo(ed 'ountries* in'reasing the use of generi' drugs in (u&li' (rograms* and ta/ing on drug 'om(anies that &lo'/ 'hea(er generi' medi'ines from the mar/et)

o o o

Re2uire hos(itals to 'olle't and re(ort health 'are 'ost and 2uality data) Redu'e the 'osts of 'atastro(hi' illnesses for em(loyers and their em(loyees) Reform the insuran'e mar/et to in'rease 'om(etition &y ta/ing on anti'om(etitive a'tivity that drives u( (ri'es +ithout im(roving 2uality of 'are)

s 'an &e read in the many (oints in #&ama=s (ro(osed health 'are (lan* he is 'onfident in the fa't that his (ro(osal +ill lead the Nation=s health 'are (rogram in the dire'tion that is &enefi'ial for all meri'ans) rguments $any meri'ans argue that #&ama=s (ro(osal +ill not +or/ and that the health 'are in meri'a +ill remain as it is today* +ithout 'hange) There are many meri'ans that +ant a universal health'are system* as the one used in Canada) They &elieve that (roviding uniform health'are for all* regardless of +ealth* is the &est health 'are system for the (eo(le of this

Persuasive Essay Presidential Health Care Reform

Nation) In reality* this ty(e of health 'are system +ould not +or/ effi'iently in the 0nited States) #ur health 'are system is* and al+ays +ill &e* driven &y the (rofits of insuran'e 'om(anies* do'tors* (harma'euti'al 'om(anies* hos(itals* and even la+yers) $al(ra'ti'e suits are another 'ontri&utor to the high 'ost of 'urrent insuran'e (remiums) ,ith the in'reasingly high amount of mal(ra'ti'e suits that are filed ea'h year* the do'tors that are losing these suits are raising their (atient rates* and in turn raising insuran'e (remiums) 0ntil la+s 'an &e 'reated to eliminate the (rofiteering and mal(ra'ti'e suits in this 'ountry* the universal health 'are system +ill not +or/) Con'lusion #&ama=s (ro(osed health 'are (lan is a straight for+ard +ay of im(roving the health 'are of our great nation) ,ill it &e a solution to eliminate all the (ro&lems that 'urrently (lague so'iety=s health 'on'ernsA No) ,ill the (lan set a ne+ dire'tion for the im(rovement of health 'are and the o((ortunity for those in need to re'eive the medi'al hel( that they re2uireA Bes) #&ama has laid out a great (lan that +ill (rovide all meri'an 'itiCens to have the o((ortunity to o&tain afforda&le health 'are) He has done an e?'ellent .o& in realiCing the immediate needs of the (eo(le and a'ting u(on those needs +ith great resolve)

Referen'es

Persuasive Essay Presidential Health Care Reform DeNavas1,alt C)* Pro'tor 3)* Smith D) :%886* ugust;) In'ome* Poverty* and Health Insuran'e Coverage in the 0nited States) %889) 0)S) Census 3ureau) Retrieved "e&ruary 87* %88>* from htt(:EE+++)'ensus)govE(rodE%886(u&sE(581%-7)(df The Henry D) <aiser "amily "oundation) :#'to&er* %886;) The 0ninsured: Primer* <ey "a'ts

a&out meri'ans +ithout Health Insuran'e) Retrieved "e&ruary 87* %88>* from htt(:EE+++)/ff)orgEuninsuredEu(loadE9471184)(df Institute of $edi'ine) :Dune* %88-;) Hidden Costs* Falues !ost: 0ninsuran'e in meri'a) The National 'ademies Press) Retrieved "e&ruary 87* %88>* from htt(:EE+++)iom)eduERe(ort)as(AidG1%-1The ,hite House of the 0nited States of meri'a) :%88>;) $a/e Health Insuran'e ,or/ for Peo(le and 3usinesses 1 Not Dust Insuran'e and Drug Com(anies) Retrieved "e&ruary 87* %88>* from htt(:EE+++)+hitehouse)govEagendaEhealthH'areE