Activism Argumentative Essay: Universal Healthcare in the United States

The Case for Universal Healthcare in the United States

The healthcare system is one of America’s most contentious and consequential concerns in the country. As one of the richest nations in the world, America runs an inefficient and costly healthcare system, and in consequence, an enormous section of its population is uninsured or underinsured. According to a report prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2022, almost 27 million Americans did not have any kind of health cover, thus widening inequality in access to medical care and general well-being (Blumberg et al., 2). Unlike most developed countries, whose governments have embraced a model of care underpinned by universal access, America continues to run a private care model that values profit over patient care. This model disproportionately touches poor persons, minorities, and persons with long-term ailments, and in consequence, creates an unjust environment in terms of care delivery (MARCIA & ANGELL, 130). To promote fair access to care and promote public welfare, as well as reduce the overall medical costs for both citizens and the state, America should implement a system of universal care.

The Ethical and Moral Obligation to Provide Healthcare

A fundamental justification for supporting universal healthcare stems from an ethical necessity to ensure everyone has access to basic medical care. The current system of care prioritizes profit over patient care, with significant gaps in access to care in relation to socioeconomic position. Private payers for medical care regularly exclude important interventions and drugs, thereby putting patients at financial deficit (World Health Organization, 72). On the other hand, countries with operational universal healthcare structures, including Canada and the United Kingdom, provide full medical care with no out-of-pocket payments, effectively allowing for no one to have to sacrifice medical care for payment of rent.

From a human rights view, medical care cannot be considered a privilege for persons with enough financial assets but an absolute right. Historically, the World Health Organization (WHO) supported a model of universal healthcare in an effort to promote health equity (Eckelman, Matthew et al., 228). Empirical observations have proven that access to preventive medical care reduces admission and overall wellness improvements. Universal healthcare in the United States would allow a larger proportion of citizens to access routine medical evaluation, early disease detection, and access to affordable care, effectively freeing up an overburdened system for acute care and in-patient care Activism argumentative Essay Example – Universal Healthcare in the United States.

Economic Benefits of Universal Healthcare

Critics contend that a single-payer model for universal care for all Americans will burden taxpayers with an unsustainable financial burden. Nevertheless, according to empirical studies, such a model can actually reduce overall healthcare expenses over a period of years. According to a report in The Lancet, America could save over $450 billion a year through a publicly funded model (Eckelman, Matthew et al., 233). All these savings will occur through reduced administrative costs for private insurance, simplification of medical billing, and negotiated discounts for drugs.

Moreover, universal care will not only ease individual medical expenses, but also ease financial hardships for families. Today, an average American family pays about one thousand dollars a year in copays, deductibles, and medical insurance payments. Under a publicly funded model, such expenses will fall, and increased disposable income can stimulate America’s economy (Berwick & Gilfillan, 83). Publicly funded nations have characteristically lower per capita medical spending and, at the same time, enjoy better medical care compared to America, therefore, it can be seen that efficiency and price can go together (Assefa, Yibeltal, et al., 92).

Improved Public Health Outcomes

A universal healthcare model would significantly boost public health outcomes through a guarantee that everyone can access preventive care, early diagnoses, and timely intervention. In the current system, many forego medical care for prohibitively high expenses, allowing disease to develop and worsen, and in many cases, go undiagnosed in its early stages (World Health Organization, 69). Common long-term ailments such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and cancer often go undetected in early stages and go through to mature stages, and in many cases, go undiagnosed in its early stages, culminating in high mortalities and increased healthcare expenses (Blumberg et al., 4). Universal care enables routine check-ups, vaccination, and early tests, and therefore reduces both the prevalence and severity of infectious disease, a move promotes a healthy overall population. With an increased number of persons accessing medical care, a reduced level of infectious disease transmissions, and a healthy overall population, nations with a model of universal care, such as Canada and Germany, have continued to record better overall medical care statistics, including infant deaths and increased life expectancy compared to America (Gluck et al., 139). By prioritizing preventive care, universal care not only helps save lives, but also helps remove long-term strains from hospitals and ERs, and when persons receive medical care in its early stages, then the medical care system runs effectively and economically, and is therefore an investment in a healthy society, with both social and financial payoffs for future generations.

Counterarguments and Rebuttals

Critics of a universally accessible healthcare system claim that its establishment will cause lengthy waits for medical procedures, potentially in turn eroding both effectiveness and value of care delivered (Blumenthal, David et al., 76). They cite examples in countries such as Canada and the UK, where, for instance, patients sometimes face waits for non-emergency operations. It must, however, be appreciated that such waits involve predominantly non-emergency interventions, with immediate medical cases tending to receive timely care. In addition, long waits for medical care have become a widespread problem in America, specifically impacting uninsured citizens who rely on overcrowded emergency departments for basic care (World Health Organization, 63). Well-planned universal care can address such an issue through expansion of medical infrastructure, hence raising availability of medical professionals, and leveraging electronic medical technology for efficient patient flow and minimizing systemic barriers (Eckelman, Matthew et al., 253). Universal care countries have implemented alternatives such as a single-payer referral system and telehealth to promote efficiency, and have proven that efficient management of waits can be attained.

A common criticism of universal care programs holds that a single-payer, government-run model will discourage medical innovation, and most specifically, in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries (Gluck et al., 144). Detractors claim competition in the private marketplace spurs medical and pharmaceutical innovation, arguing that a single-payer model will remove incentives for investing in research programs. However, it must be considered that a lot of cutting-edge medical research in America comes at least in part with public funding, including through such entities as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) (Blumenthal, David et al., 64). Medical breakthroughs most often arise through publicly-funded studies, with private companies then commercializing them afterward. Implementing universal care will not only discourage medical innovation but also can potentially re-allocate funding towards studies with a focus on patient concerns, allowing medical advancement for everyone (Gluck et al., 151) Activism argumentative Essay Example – Universal Healthcare in the United States. In moving towards a system of universal care, America can maintain its leadership in medical innovation and assure everyone access to quality, life-saving therapies and medical technology.

Conclusion

In a recap, universal healthcare is not only an ethical imperative but also a pragmatic solution to overcoming the long-standing healthcare issue in the United States. The current model, prioritizing profit over patient care, has seen millions go uninsured, suffer through curable ailments, suffer financial hardships, and face unnecessary deaths. Implementing a model for universal care would ensure that everyone can access basic medical care, and in doing so, alleviate inequity and the overall public health improvements. Detractors claim widespread coverage will mean long waits and will slow medical innovation, but many examples in several countries have proven such complications can be avoided through careful planning, additional investments in medical care, and integration of technology in medical practice. Universal care doesn’t require an end to competition and private sector innovation but can make medical technological breakthroughs accessible to everyone, not just a monetarily advantaged group. By putting in place a model acknowledging medical care as a fundamental human right, America can have a healthier and productive citizen base and, at the same time, save overall medical expenses in the long run. There is a necessity for reform, and it is imperative for lawmakers to make citizens’ health and wellbeing a priority over big corporation interests.

Works Cited

Assefa, Yibeltal, et al. “Community health extension program of Ethiopia, 2003–2018: successes and challenges toward universal coverage for primary healthcare services.” Globalization and health 15 (2019): 1-11.

Blumberg, Stephen J., and Julian V. Luke. “Wireless Substitution: Early Release of Estimates from the National Health Interview Survey, January-June 2022.” (2022). https://dx.doi.org/10.15620/cdc:121999

Blumenthal, David, et al. “A Portrait of the Failing US Health System: Comparing Performance in 10 Nations.” (2024). http://commonwealthfund.org/ Activism argumentative Essay Example – Universal Healthcare in the United States

Eckelman, Matthew J., et al. “Health Care Pollution And Public Health Damage In The United States: An Update: Study examines health care pollution and public health damage in the United States.” Health Affairs 39.12 (2020): 2071-2079. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2020.01247

Gluck, Abbe R., Mark Regan, and Erica Turret. “The Affordable Care Act’s Litigation Decade.” Geo. LJ 108 (2019): 1471.

MARCIA. ANGELL. THE TRUTH ABOUT THE DRUG COMPANIES: HOW THEY DECEIVE US AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT. Random House, 2021.

World Health Organization. Global oral health status report: towards universal health coverage for oral health by 2030. World Health Organization, 2022.

Activism Argumentative Essay Example – Universal Healthcare in the United States

Introduction

The activism project consists of three parts: one is to write an argumentative essay targeting an academic audience in support of the campaign; the second is to design the print, electronic, and/or visual materials that support an activist campaign for a mass audience; and the third is to prepare a presentation on your topic for a live audience. Much persuasive writing (in fact, one of the the most challenging persuasive writing) can be considered as an activist project–writing designed to achieve social change. This assignment is intended to allow you the opportunity to imagine and participate in social change, to offer your own “small stone” to our world.

Topic

Your assignment is to invent an activist campaign and argue in support of your cause in a 5-7 page essay. My hope is that your choice of activism will spring from your own interests, but social justice topics seem to work best and are best supported by our readings and examples. In any case, avoid the obvious (smoking, abortion, three strikes law, legalizing marijuana, steroids, stem cell research, and so on). You may be inspired by the texts we read, or you may already have some ideas about how you can contribute to a more just and equitable world. Thus, the following examples are intended only to demonstrate the range of what might be available, not to limit your choices in any way. You might think of organizing a letter-writing campaign to protest a social injustice either locally, nationally, or globally; you might become involved in an event to honor Women’s History Month in March; you might advocate support for a community-based organization which works on problems of literacy, homelessness, immigration issues, domestic violence, local or overseas working conditions; you might organize a public presentation to introduce others to some of the authors we are reading or the issues they raise; you might encourage participation in a public protest (war, government spending, animal rights)—and so on. You may choose to work individually, or you may form a group with some of your classmates. Note that this is a three-part project, involving designing campaign materials, making a presentation and writing an argumentative essay; all parts are equally important.

Part 1: Argumentative Essay (5-7 pages) (200 points)

Your argumentative essay should be done individually, written for and academic audience, well-researched with at least 6 outside sources (see “Key Features” below), and in MLA format, providing the specific documentation and supporting evidence that your campaign materials may have discussed only superficially. Your goal is to convince your readers that they need to take action and that apathy, ignorance, and other points of view are wrong.

Key Features for Argumentative Essay:

An introduction that gives needed background information about the topic and appeals to your audience.

A thesis statement that takes a clear position on the issue that you’ve chosen: tell readers what you want them to do and why.

Clear reasons and sufficient evidence to support the claim in your thesis. This evidence can come from personal experience, fieldwork, articles from the textbook, or library/Internet research. It is best to have a mix of different types of evidence.

Quotes or paraphrases from at least four articles from a library source, such as Proquest or EBSCO. At least two should be from academic journal articles.

Quotes or paraphrases from at least two reliable Internet sources.

Appropriate organization and paragraphing, including use of clear topic sentences. The paragraphs should be in a logical order and use transitions to show links between ideas.

At least one example of counterargument – one or more objections to your own argument that are fairly represented and then refuted.

A conclusion that provides closure to the essay and considers the implications of the argument.

Consistent, correct use of MLA style.

Observance of the conventions of standard written English.

Suggested steps to get started

Alone or in a group, select a topic that has some significance to you—the issue that you argue for and campaign for should interest you and have some personal relevance for best results. You’ll want to frame your argument as a solution to a problem with a specific action as a remedy.

Begin your research. Once you have a good sense of the issues involved with your topic, make a chart that lists the pros and cons of your topic (make sure to have at least four entries under each column). These are your key reasons—and the opposing arguments that require refutation.

After completing the chart, look over your two lists and decide which side makes a stronger argument – that will become your position. Write a tentative thesis based on your ideas so far.

Develop reasons to support your argument. Think of your reasons as responses to someone questioning you about why you believe in your thesis statement and why that person should get involved (your reasons may come from your chart in #2 above but you may also want to include more). Make sure to list at least four reasons.

List at least three pieces of supporting evidence for each of your reasons. Your support should be specific evidence that proves your reasons are valid. Your support may come from fieldwork, from Academic Search Complete (EBSCO) or Proquest, from the Internet, or from your own experiences. It is best to have a mixture of several different types of support. Remember: academic journal articles provide depth and strong credibility for background information or cause-effect relationships; newspaper articles and websites, generally, provide brief but up-up-date descriptions of current events; opinion pieces from experts provide expert testimony or solutions; blogs, social media posts, podcasts, interviews with people affected by an issue, and other primary sources provide eyewitness accounts, testimonials, urgency, and a personal angle;

List at least three possible objections to your argument (you may find it helpful to look at the chart you created for #3 above) and then your responses to these objections. You will probably not use all three in your essay, but this will give you some ideas to choose from.

Create an outline of your essay, listing the topic sentence and evidence/examples for each paragraph that will appear in the essay. See the essay outline below.

Look for opportunities to intentionally include logos, ethos, pathos, and kairos. Combining these elements helps prove that your argument is true, credible & ethical, and concerning enough to matter Activism argumentative Essay Example – Universal Healthcare in the United States.

Remember to present your reasons and evidence using a logic model, such as inductive or deductive. Use the Toulmin logic model to present evidence and quotes.

As you begin to create your campaign materials, identify who your intended audience is, what the main points of your campaign are, what types of appeals might secure your audience’s support, how best to reach that audience through print, visual, and electronic media. List these ideas. What would get the right people’s attention? Where would you find those people?

When designing the graphic materials for the campaign, determine what graphics or visual appeals will convey your message with the highest impact. Consider using shock value in both content (the wording) and visual support (the pictures) to get your audience’s attention as well as providing brief supporting information or reasons in bullet point form.

You might search through Google “Images” or visit the Los Angeles Public Library’s collection of photos (http://www.lapl.org/) to find useful photos or graphics for use in your promotional materials and presentation.

Sample Outline for Essay #4

Problem Solving (Proposal) Model

I. Introduction:

Begin with a creative hook to generate reader interest and concern; briefly provide any relevant background information (for instance: history, special concerns, specific problems that need to be addressed or which have plagued our community for a long time and which your proposal addresses); describe the current situation; provide overview of your argument; state thesis (What exactly do you want readers to do and why?).

II. Define the Problem

What is the problem? Use cause-effect reasoning to show the true causes and effects of the problem. (i.e. What are the issues associated with mass deportation, mass incarceration, the school-to-prison pipeline, or access to higher education, etc.?).

III. Establish the need for a solution:

Describe the community, focusing on the urgency of the ongoing problems that the community has, especially those that your proposal will seek to solve; identify your primary goals and outcomes for the community.

IV. Address the perspectives of people concerned:

Describe the needs that those concerned (such as citizens, government officials, police, homeless people, workers, bosses, users of a website, students, patients, prisoners) might have. Who is affected by the issue, how are they affected, and what might their concerns be?

V. Describe your plan (whether it is an action, “solution,” or strategy of resistance):

State in as much detail as necessary what you are proposing to address concerns.

VI. Explain the benefits of your solution:

Show how your solution will meet the needs and concerns identified in section IV (above) and address or solve the problem described in sections I and II. Argue convincingly in favor of your proposal. Use cause-effect reasoning to show that your proposed solution will address the causes of the problem.

VII. Acknowledge drawbacks, costs, or other objections to your solution and refute them:

Explain to those who might disagree with your proposal why your proposal will be effective and respond to potential objections.

VIII. Counterargue alternative solutions

Summarize any alternative solutions that you think could have been applied to this issue but which you have rejected in favor of your better proposal. Explain why your solution or action is the best choice of the alternative ways to move forward or progress toward change.

IX.. Conclusion:

Avoid summary. Consider, instead, one or more of these options: Describe an implementation plan, or issue a call to action urging your readers to support your solution. Re-emphasize the importance of the solution that you are proposing. Issue a heightened appeal for support. Look towards the future if action is taken. Consider including a conventional device (like your creative hook at the beginning) to frame your essay’s ending (i.e. if you began with an anecdote, end with another anecdote) Activism argumentative Essay Example – Universal Healthcare in the United States