Topic of Choice

For my topic of choice, I would like to highlight the healthcare system in the United States and around the world. Prior to starting this course, I knew that healthcare was a human right and my opinion on this did not change. While my mindset regarding this issue did not change, I am able to confidently say that I learned new and valuable information regarding the system.

One piece of information that I would like to talk about regarding the healthcare system in the United States, is the price it costs. While I knew healthcare was notoriously expensive in the United States, I did not know that if it was possible to provide free healthcare to Americans, without raising taxes, which something many Americans dislike with free and universal healthcare. I think that this can very well be done by having congress allocate some of the tax-payer’s money. During one class period, I was surprised to learn how congress utilizes our money. One thing that shocked me the most, was how we spend billions of dollars on our military. I think a lot of this money can be used for better causes such as healthcare. By allocating some of the country’s money, the United States can be able to afford free healthcare to its citizens. I found it ironic how the United States spends billions of dollars on defense, to protect Americans, while having many Americans unfortunately die from illnesses that could have been prevented easily due to the lack of ability to pay for simple health insurance.  

Another fact I will certainly remember, is the class period when we talked more in depth about universal healthcare and comparing the healthcare system in the United States to many other developed countries. Unfortunately, the amount of money placed in healthcare doesn’t correlate the how well our healthcare system should be functioning, when comparing to other countries in Europe and Asia. Prior to starting the course, I always wondered why many Americans dislike the idea of socialized medicine. Was it due to the fact that many Americans think they won’t have a say on who treats them? Or was it because of the long wait times? Maybe the word “socialized” has a negative stigma, and we should replace it with the “people’s healthcare.”  Either way, because of taking this course, I am able to debunk many of these false claims and be able to share facts on this matter.

After listening to many of my fellow classmates give presentations on global healthcare, a common theme was that many nations provided an option to utilize private healthcare for a cost, in addition to a free, public one. Incorporating this process in the United States, can eliminate the fears of “no say in my treatment” mindset. With regards to the long wait times associated with socialized medicine, after much research and what we discussed in this class, one of the only countries that has a longer wait time is Canada. In fact, other nations that offer socialized healthcare have a much shorter wait time than in the United States – and this was something I never knew.

Overall, I was able to learn many new ideas and develop a deeper understanding in healthcare in the USA and around the world. There are many ways to issue a better healthcare system in our country, and it’s only a matter of incorporating them into our country.