Health Care Crisis

The U.S. Health Care Crisis: A Nation in Trouble



Throughout much of the United States’ history, many advances in the medical field have been accomplished, which has led many Americans to believe that the U.S. health care system is superior to all other nations. Although in the recent years, many people have lost their trust in the nation’s health care system. Even if a person is insured in the U.S., that person may be denied treatment which could save their life. This is because the health care system is basically controlled by private companies which provide health insurance. There is no question these private organizations have gained massive profits by rejecting medical services to the people insured under them. There is also a large group of people who have been excluded from care in the U.S. These people, who have been ignored by many, are the millions of citizens without health insurance. Because of the poverty crisis in the United States, many cannot afford to pay for health insurance. Some people may even be rejected for insurance because they are not healthy enough to qualify. However, whether they are uninsured or not, most Americans agree that there must be changes made to the U.S. health care system.

One of the major problems facing the health care system in the U.S. is the lack of preventative treatment to keep Americans living a healthy life. Steve Kangas argued in an article that, “The U.S. does not have the best health care system in the world; it has the best emergency care system in the world. Advanced U.S. medical technology has not translated into better health statistics for its citizens” (2000, p 25). This may be a shock to individuals who believe the U.S. has the best health care system among other nations. According to statistics polled by Kangas, the United States ranks near the bottom of the list for overall

        A Nation in Trouble 2

health of its citizens among most large, industrialized...