Universal Healthcare?

            The topic I decided to take a closer look at was healthcare in America, specifically universal healthcare. The first article I chose to read was “Obama’s Health Care Quackery” by Shikha Dalmia. She was opposed to the idea of universal healthcare. The second one was in favor of the topic, “Healthcare Reform” by Marcia Clemmitt. I would say I have to agree with the second article more than the first. Dalmia just gave her opinions about the subject and was saying what she thought President Obama should do. She had some concrete facts, but none that really were that convincing. “Healthcare Reform” by Marcia Clemmitt used a lot of very persuasive facts and statistics. She used numerous graphs and tables to support her claim. Don’t get me wrong Clemmitt definitely put in her own opinions, but she defended her claim with facts.

            Honestly my opinion hasn’t changed after reading these two articles. Before I had read either of the periodicals I thought universal healthcare was the best option for this country. My opinion probably didn’t change because the opposing viewpoint, to my own, didn’t develop a good enough or persuasive enough argument to convince me otherwise. Not enough facts or evidence were provided to disprove my thoughts.

One argument that neither of these articles really brings up is the argument of preventive medicine. The side for universal healthcare would make a case that by establishing universal healthcare people will go to the doctor before their health problem gets too costly. People will go to the doctor sooner because it won’t cost them any money to make an appointment or even have a procedure done, unlike our current healthcare system where it could cost them a ridiculous amount of money to have a doctor’s appointment or have a small procedure done. The side opposing would say that by making everything free, people would take advantage or the system and over use drugs or have unnecessary procedures done. As most people can tell there are many arguments that don’t have black and white answers. This is why this is such a tough issue because there is no easy or clear-cut solution.