In Atlanta, Georgia, a private hospital turned away a woman in labor because the hospital's computer showed that she did not have insurance. Hours later, her baby was born dead because the woman was sent to a county hospital and it was too late to save the unborn child (Hirschman 1). The hospital sent this woman in labor to a county facility not for the medical reason, but for the economic one - the hospital administrators were afraid the hospital would not be paid for treating the patient. The case of this stillborn baby is only one of the countless examples of the injustice happening in the United States every day. There are approximately 250 million people currently living in the United States and almost 75 millions are uninsured (Botterweck 396). This includes not only the poor and minorities but also a growing number of low-paid middle class Americans who, with their salaries, cannot afford to purchase insurance.
United States
United States
United StatesIn cases of illnesses or accidents, they are left to mercy of those who run the hospitals. Because adequate health care protection is essential for all people, health care system in the United States must be reformed so that all Americans are covered in the time of need regardless of their ability to pay for medical services.
Today, the United States is the only industrial country in the world that does not provide a government-sponsored medical system for all citizens (Botterweck 401). One major reason for this is an antinationalistic political philosophy which values limited government actions in order to maximize personal liberties. The involvement of the government is only seen in some kind of support for those most in need, the children of the poor, and the elderly - Medicaid (for the poor) and Medicare (for the elderly). Both of...