Universal Healthcare

Health Policy is one of the classes that I really enjoy this quarter. I find the topics presented in class extremely thought-provoking. We learned that adopting a universal healthcare system for the United States can potentially reduce healthcare costs (currently 16% of GDP), lead to better access and quality of care and eliminate the 16% uninsured population. Proposals for universal healthcare has been tried and failed. However, the lecturers for our class seemed confident that if any big changes in healthcare were to happen, it would be more likely with President Obama in office.

Although I really hope to see a universal healthcare system in the United States, I would not be surprised if it does not happen during my life time. I think most Americans are too individualistic and capitalistic to think about the big picture. Unless there's a push with the magnitude of the Civil Rights Movement, our healthcare system will remain to be dominated by different players, each seek to maximize their own benefits.