Universal Healthcare: Division Across the World

The debate regarding universal healthcare is one of the most important challenges facing our society today. Despite medical advancements having been made rapidly and successfully over the past century, access to these new innovations and affordable healthcare for all remains unavailable to all, both across and within nations themselves. The core issue is that people are unable to, regardless of where they live, receive the medical attention they need without risking financial ruin. Utilizing universal healthcare would allow for individuals to have access to essential health services without suffering economic hardship. However, despite having such benefits, universal healthcare remains highly debated.

It is important to note the consequences of healthcare that does not support all. In the U.S., nearly 28 million people remain uninsured as of 2023, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). For those in this group, regular appointments to see their doctors are not worth the instability financially. Aside from these people, another issue is those who are underinsured. A report from the Commonwealth Fund shows that approximately 43% of working-age adults are considered underinsured, meaning their health plans don’t adequately protect them from high out-of-pocket costs. The situation is worse globally. The World Bank reported that nearly 930 million people worldwide spend at least 10% of their household budget on health expenses. Many chose, when they had to choose between buying food and paying medical bills, to forgo treatment altogether, which resulted in preventable complications or death.

Universal healthcare as a solution targets the heavy burden placed on low income families and the increasing debt levels, both of which contribute to the national poverty rate (particularly in the United States). Additionally, in the United States, the leading cause of filing for bankruptcy is medical expenses (Himmelstein, Lawless, & Thorne 2019). Other countries like Japan and Germany, for example, that follow a universal healthcare system, spend a fraction of the cost on healthcare, enjoy competition within providers and still have high life expectancies & efficiency (Sen 2015).

Opponents of universal healthcare raise significant concerns in spite of this evidence. The possible loss of individual autonomy and choice is one of the main points of contention. Critics assert that patients may have fewer options when it comes to selecting specialists and frequently endure longer wait times for non-emergency procedures in single-payer systems (Gupta 2011). Additionally, they contend that by lowering the profits that propel technological and pharmaceutical advancement, such systems may stifle innovation. The current U.S. healthcare system would also need to undergo a massive restructuring in order to move to a universal model, which would result in job losses in the private insurance sector and a large increase in government spending.

These issues are real but not insurmountable. In fact, many hybrid models available worldwide possess valuable lessons. For example, the Netherlands requires health insurance for every resident, but private businesses under close government control supply it. High patient satisfaction rates have come from this model, which combines universal coverage with consumer options (Gupta 2011) . Likewise, Australia's Medicare system offers a balanced approach to equity and efficiency by allowing people to purchase private insurance for extra services or faster access while providing public health coverage to every citizen (Chen, Wen-Yi et al).

Establishing universal healthcare in the United States likely calls for a multi-stage strategy instead of an overnight transformation. Expanding current public initiatives is one reasonable direction. Reducing the eligibility age for Medicare or letting more people sign up for Medicaid, for instance, could progressively draw more people under the safety net. Simultaneously, policies controlling drug prices, lowering administrative expenses, and supporting value-based care help to make healthcare more reasonably priced without sacrificing quality.

Individual action can also be done to help push this issue forward towards the spotlight. Starting with teaching others and ourselves, anyone can help by educating on how healthcare changes everyday life for all citizens. Combining advocacy organizations like "Public Citizen" or "Healthcare-NOW!" will help their voices be heard in demanding change. Writing to legislators, especially those in congressional health committees, allows one to affect legislative agendas. For Medicare, for example, getting in touch with members of the House Ways and Means or Senate Finance Committee. Powerful venues for increasing awareness are also local town halls, social media campaigns, and community health fairs. Communities can initiate programs that highlight the benefits of preventive care and expand access to basic services. Furthermore, free clinics, mobile health units, and telemedicine platforms are practical solutions that can make a difference immediately while broader reforms are debated. Through these actions, we can enable people to empower public health systems and propel development towards United Healthcare.

WORKS CITED

Chen, Wen-Yi, et al. “Is the United States in the Middle of a Healthcare Bubble?” The European Journal of Health Economics, vol. 17, no. 1, 2016, pp. 99–111. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/24774116. Accessed 05 October 2025.

Duggal, Ravi. “Challenges in Financing Healthcare.” Economic and Political Weekly, vol. 47, no. 35, 2012, pp. 22–23. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41720079. Accessed 04 October 2025.

Gupta, Anil. “Universal Access to Healthcare: Threats and Opportunities.” Economic and Political Weekly, vol. 46, no. 26/27, 2011, pp. 27–30. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/23018636. Accessed 05 October 2025.

Himmelstein, David U et al. “Medical Bankruptcy: Still Common Despite the Affordable Care Act.” American journal of public health vol. 109,3 (2019): 431-433. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2018.304901

Sen, Amartya. “Universal Health Care: The Affordable Dream.” Harvard Public Health Review, vol. 5, 2015, pp. 1–8. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/48503117. Accessed 05 October 2025.

World Health Organization. Universal Health Coverage. World Health Organization, https://www.who.int/health-topics/universal-health-coverage#tab=tab_1. Accessed 03 October 2025.

Divya Jayam is the Critical Writing Team Director at The Incandescent Review. She is a high school student and lives in New York. She is an active president of her newspaper club. She loves to write argumentative and persuasive pieces of writing, but also enjoys discussing important world issues through her writing.