Speech - Hans Stromberg

         Healthcare. Can’t live with it, can’t get sick without it. Most Americans bicker about the new Affordable Care Act. In reality though, is American health care really that bad? The majority of Americans would quickly answer “Yes” just because of all the negative connotations they associate with health services. Based on his anti-U.S. healthcare documentary, Sicko, Michael Moore would agree with these Americans. Moore and his supporters are in favor of the European model of healthcare which gives everyone free and generic healthcare. On the other hand we have pre- Obamacare in which millions of Americans were stuck on the streets without any healthcare, and wealthy Americans didn’t have to pay high taxes. In order to meet in the middle, the Obama administration enacted the Affordable Care Act. Under this new approach to healthcare, a higher percent of US citizens would receive affordable healthcare at the expense of employers.

              As Michael Moore bashed American healthcare in Sicko, he traveled to European countries and found universal healthcare. This system gave healthcare to every individual living in the country but limited citizens in their options. The compromise is that in Obamacare Americans are still offered options. Europeans are not willing to pay exorbitant fees to keep people alive, whereas Americans will pay high fees in exchange for a few more months to live. Europeans are willing to make this compromise in exchange for some kind of basic health care for all people. And because everyone is offered health care, Europeans pay high taxes. However, there is variety throughout Europe itself. NPR wrote an article about French health care in which Dr. Paul Dutton, a professor at Northern Arizona University wrote, “In France, everyone has health care. However, unlike in Britain and Canada, there are no waiting lists to get elective surgery or see a specialist” (Shapiro). However, for every aspect of health care, there are strings attached. The French are able to have both choice and universal health care because “the national insurance program is funded mostly by payroll and income taxes” (Shapiro). Every benefit has its consequences as well. Health care is all about picking and choosing what you want and what you’re willing to pay for, because as we all know, nothing is free. With Obamacare, the compromise is that we still have affordable healthcare but still get to choose our different options, unlike in these European countries.

            In contrast, the pre-Obamacare method of healthcare hanged poor Americans out to dry just so the citizens didn’t have to pay as many taxes. This option was great in concept because we the people didn’t have to pay for our fellow citizens healthcare as well as our own. In this American solution, according to R.P. Siegel, “Apparently, it’s the role of government in the health care system that appears to a major differentiator. The U.S. is the only place where the prices are set by the open markets.” This deficiency sets regular Americans back when paying for different operations. On the other hand the benefit of this system is that Americans are “healthier” than Europeans. As Siegel continues he states, “American health care ranks high in cancer care, wait times, and access to new technologies for affluent and insured families. The U.S. also has the highest share of adults (90 percent) who report being in good health, compared to 69 percent for the OECD.” These polar sides of this healthcare plagued Americans for years before Obamacare. Now, Americans enjoy the benefits of staying in good health, but with Obamacare the government has stepped in to halt the health companies from overpricing poor Americans by making healthcare more affordable for the less privileged of our beloved country.

            By comparing two different styles of healthcare, one can see that compromises must be made for every health care system. There are consequences for every choice. The Europeans pay more taxes but have the same universal health care for all. In pre-Obamacare America, Americans paid for what they could afford, so not every one was covered, but those who were could choose their level of care. And the compromise between those two systems is Obamacare, where everyone is guaranteed some form of coverage, but the amount of coverage varies with how much is paid. Obamacare is now a healthcare system that we can live with, and not die by.