Public healthcare is a system where the Healthcare of citizens is funded by the whole population of a district or country through a small tax. A vast majority of developed countries have public healthcare or universal healthcare.
Many Americans say that their privatized system of healthcare is broken. In the US, a single month of life saving insulin costs at least 450 dollars. In Canada, the price of the same amount of insulin is just 35 dollars. In countries like Norway with publicized healthcare, this would cost 0 dollars. An epipen costs around 130 dollars in Canada, and about 66 US dollars in Denmark. Another example is the drug remdesivir. Remdesimvir is one of the only covid treatments publicly available. The average price for 1 day out of the 5 days of treatment is 520 dollars. That's 3120 dollars. To put this in perspective, a study showed that 40% of Americans can’t afford a surprise 400 dollar fee.
To make matters worse, America has one of the worst minimum wage systems in the world. Instead of accounting for inflation every year, we have to have a whole complicated process where people vote on whether or not we should increase the minimum wage. The minimum wage is $7.25 In the US. This hasn’t changed Since 2009. Denmark Increases its minimum wage every year to account for inflation. The minimum wage is 110 DKK per hour. This comes to about 16 US dollars.
US citizens pride themselves on being the best, and living in the best country; However, if you look into the facts and nothing else, more often than not, the US ranks low on lists. We don’t have required paid maternal leave. We have a low minimum wage, we don’t have affordable healthcare (even with the Obamacare Act) and our college tuitions are exorbitant in price.
Most Europeans think that our system is crazy, and most Americans with an advanced education agree with the way most of Europe handles it.
Sources
Europeans react to US healthcare
Americans react to public healthcare
Questions
What do you think of Universal vs privatized healthcare?
Why do you think the US has such high prices accross the board?
If you tried to defend the US system, how would you?
(please stay respectful and try to keep away from bickering about US parties)
Replies
Our health care system is out if control with how expensive it is. Soemthing needs to happen. Good story choice and good summary. You didn't reply to the one comment you had so always be sure to check it the last day. I do tink your topic is one that many students don't understand so I'm guessing that is why very few replied.
I think that everyone should be allowed healthcare so I lean more twords universal healthcare. I think that the prices are so high becasue big health companies want to make lots of money. I would not have anything to say because I think everyone should be allowed to have healthcare, like canada.