Healthcare costs are often the major impediment to medical treatment in many countries, driven by a complex mix of private insurance, public programs and politics that drives up prices to levels that prohibit lifesaving medical attention for large segments of society. This raises an interesting question: Should health care be free?
Fear of healthcare costs keeps many from seeking needed treatments that could save their life, leading to stroke or heart disease complications. If health care was free for all, everyone could access care without worrying about its cost; families could focus more on caring for each other without worrying about covering expenses associated with healthcare bills.
There are various approaches we could take toward making health care free, but one would be to create a universal insurance system that covers everyone. Such systems have already been implemented in various countries around the world and proven successful at both reducing medical costs and providing coverage to everyone.
Implementing health care free of costs means eliminating all out-of-pocket expenses and co-pays, as this will also lower administrative costs. Enabling patients to select healthcare providers they desire will allow for improved patient quality care services and selection processes.
Free healthcare systems will make it easier for doctors to provide patients with the proper care that is owed them, helping to eliminate mistakes that could potentially lead to serious consequences, including death. This is essential since medical errors are one of the leading causes of mortality in the US; known as “iatrogenesis”, this problem remains an enormous source of worry among healthcare professionals and policymakers.
An affordable healthcare system will be beneficial to the economy in numerous ways. It will encourage people to work, boosting GDP in turn. Furthermore, having healthy individuals at work means greater productivity as AIDS spreads due to improper care being administered to individuals.
Health care should be accessible and free for everyone as a human right. Our health is essential for our survival and should not depend on wealth; many low-income people cannot access health services due to cost; offering free healthcare gives these people access to vital medical assistance that may save their lives.
Healthcare that is accessible for unemployed will benefit them immensely as it will allow them to obtain medical attention without worrying about costs. I have witnessed homeless pregnant women asking for assistance because they cannot afford necessary treatment during their pregnancies; with free healthcare these pregnant women would receive the care that their baby requires.