Universal Healthcare in America Study: Thesis Statement

Strive as we might to maintain our health, in the end, to grow sick and frail is an unavoidable part of the human condition. Thus, securing the access to affordable health care should be an important topic for all U.S. citizens. The wealthiest country in the world should not force their citizens to choose between saving their life or losing their home and marriage to medical debt.

Meet Heather Waldron and John Hawley. Until a few years ago, they were a happy and loving family with five children. That was until Waldron had to have an emergency surgery performed in 2017, and the University of Virginia Health System pursed the couple with a lawsuit and a lien on their home to recoup $164,000 in charges. They had to worry about the electricity bill and their children even had to sell their clothes for spending money. Ultimately, this financial ruin contributed to their divorce (Hancock, Lucas, 2019). This family is not alone, and in fact a regular occurrence with our current health care system. This story is one that could have been avoided with a universal health care system, a system offered by the federal government that provides quality medical services to all citizens regardless of their ability to pay.