Universal Healthcare Around The World and The Opportunities It Brings

“Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in healthcare is the most shocking and inhuman,” was once said by Martin Luther King Junior. Universal Healthcare is Universal health coverage (UHC) means that all people and communities can use the promotive, preventive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative health services they need, of sufficient quality to be effective, while also ensuring that the use of these services does not expose the user to financial hardship. UHC is firmly based on the WHO constitution of 1948 declaring health a fundamental human right and on the Health for All agenda set by the Alma Ata declaration in 1978. UHC cuts across all of the health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and brings hope of better health and protection for the world’s poorest. All countries should consider implementing Universal Healthcare as their primary health system. Universal Healthcare could tremendously improve public health. Better and equal access to healthcare and health services is one way to improve public health. “Access to health care impacts one’s overall physical, social, and mental health status and quality of life”. Universal healthcare could help the problem of not having access to proper health care or services. Universal Healthcare gives healthcare and services to people who are unable to afford it. “Access to care often varies based on race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender identity, and residential location”. Universal Healthcare eliminates the problem of unequal access to healthcare and services by making it affordable to everyone and not discriminating against anyone.

Japan is a great example of having Universal Healthcare. Officials say the Japanese healthcare system is one of the best, affordable, and helps extend its life expectancy rate. Japan has the highest life expectancy rate of 83.7 years. It began its Universal Healthcare system in 1961, little changes have been made since then. Regardless of age, gender, and income citizens are allowed to pick any hospital in the nation; high-level care at low cost. “Under the Japanese system, everyone must join a public insurance program through their employer or municipal government and pay a monthly premium that is determined by income”. In return, the citizens receive equal access to approved medical services, procedures, and medicine, for which they pay 30 percent of the cost or even less. Japan spent a total of 11.2% of its GDP per capita in 2015. The U.S. spent 16.9% of its GDP per capita, which is 5.7% more than Japan. 4.4% percent of Americans, which is about 142.16 million people, failed to obtain healthcare or health services due to the cost. Japan is a great example for everyone to follow.

Universal Healthcare could provide better and continuity of care. Seven out of ten Americans die every year of a chronic disease. A chronic disease is a disease that is long-lasting and comes with time. “Minority groups have higher rates of disease, fewer options and reduced access to healthcare for the poor is making things worse”. With proper healthcare and health services, the number of people that die each year from chronic diseases could be decreased. Diseases cannot be eliminated but reduce chronic diseases by ensuring everyone has the healthcare and health services needed to prevent and treat these diseases.

Not only can Universal Healthcare improve public health, it can also boost a country's economy. In 2007, about 62% of all United States bankruptcies in one or another were related to medical expenses even for those with health insurance. With universal health care, medical bankruptcy will be a thing of the past leading to a healthier and richer nation. Most individuals stay away from starting their own business due to fear of losing health care insurance they are enjoying from their current employer. “With universal health care in place, self-employment in United State could increase by 2 to 3.5%”. The high cost that is associated with paying employee’s health insurance put U.S private businesses in competitive disadvantage in the international marketplace. Hence with universal healthcare, private businesses can free up the fund use for health insurance for investment in other areas of their business. This could reduce employer labor cost by more than 12%.

With advanced, proven tools the world has the opportunity for the poor to be as healthy as the rich. The people who need healthcare the most are of often the least able to pay. “Every year almost one in five people in low and middle income countries are pushed or pushed further into poverty paying for health”. Some of the current health systems make it impossible for the poor to get ahead and earn some money. The Universal Healthcare system makes healthcare and health services affordable for everyone. When people have better health and go to school, or work families are financially more stable.

Introducing Universal Healthcare in South Africa in 2011, have so far outweighed the costs associated with introducing the system and funding it with increased taxes. “The study from KPMG shows the expenditure of R13 billion this year on healthcare could create an additional R650 million in economic activity nationally”. The R is South Africa’s currency. This positive effect is likely caused by increased productivity from a healthier life workforce and higher life expectancy. For middle income countries which have implemented national health insurance scheme or Universal Health Care, benefits come from a healthier population. “The average life expectancy has increased by one year and could possible increase the country’s GDP per capita by four percent”. International studies have showed an increase of 20 to 45 percent in labour productivity. As universal healthcare leads to improved health among workers and a decrease in time off due to illness, it will have a good impact on productivity levels.

Universal Healthcare could provide a better working environment for the doctors and a better resting place for the patients. It’s easier with universal health care to have everyone under one system. Doctors can concentrate on patients and not on problems with insurance and other factors. “With universal health care in place, doctors and other health care professionals can finally concentrate on treating the patient without worrying themselves with paperworks about the patients’ insurance and other necessary paperworks”.

In context, less paperwork not only makes a better working environment but also better environment around the world. Deforestation is the primary effect of our mindless use of paper. The felling of trees in the first place directly contributes to carbon emissions as a result of machinery used both in the process and in transportation. Further to this the felling of trees, which naturally absorb carbon, means that yet more carbon will stay in the atmosphere, contributing to global warming again. In the process of making paper, so much pollution is released. “The effects of particulate matter on mortality appear to be consistent across countries. For example, a recent review of studies from the late 1990s to mid-2000s found a consistent inverse relationship between airborne particulate matter and birth weight in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States”. Universal Healthcare not only can help lives it can also help the environment.

PHNP’s Zarr projects that single payer would bring about a dramatic reduction of administrative overhead costs. The resulting savings would mean more revenue for practices. It could also potentially lower malpractice premiums by ensuring greater continuity of care and government assurances to pay for future costs of additional care. “We’re spending a lot of our time doing things we’re not well adapted to do. Doctors should be providing care, not on the phone arguing about the value of an MRI that should be covered in the first place,” Zarr says.

Universal Healthcare comes with a lot of robot usage. With the help of robots or electronics, it is a lot easier to retrieve information about the patient instead of having to pull the papers and look at their records. This would also decrease the amount of misdiagnosis and treatment mistakes.

Some might say that implementing Universal Healthcare will increase the wait time in an ER however, a statistic was found that ER wait times have actually decreased by one percent throughout time in Massachusetts. Others might also say that no competition eliminates the free which has a negative effect on the country’s effect, however, Universal Healthcare was found to actually help countries’ economy. Like stated earlier, Universal Healthcare in South Africa has so far outweighed the costs associated with introducing the system and funding it with increased taxes. It also increases the labour productivity anywhere from 20 to 40 percent. The average life expectancy increases by one year and could possible increase the country’s GDP per capita by four percent. Even though Universal Healthcare has its cons, the pros outweigh the cons associated with this system.

In conclusion, Universal health coverage stands out as an extraordinary public investment opportunity. The strategic aim of universal health coverage is to ensure that everyone can use the health services they need without risk of financial ruin or impoverishment, no matter what their socio-economic situation. Some of the present healthcare systems are eating the nation out of the house and home. As a result, illness and medical care now a leading source of personal bank­ruptcy and poverty. Everyone has the right to free health care. “The head of the World Health Organization called it the single most powerful concept that public health has to offer”. Universal Health Care is “right, smart, and overdue.”