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Free Healthcare in the United States: A Possible Solution to Public Health Disparities

Nov 23, 2020 | Author Hala Atassi , Public Health Policy

disadvantages of free healthcare essay

Access to healthcare is one of the remarkable indicators that defines the quality of people’s lives. Despite the thousands of advanced technologies and countless healthcare clinics and hospitals, many people still cannot afford healthcare or health insurance. This has been a global concern for years, which many countries have resolved. However, the United States has yet to significantly progress towards making healthcare more accessible to low-income communities. There are many solutions to this problem that can be implemented today, upon which millions of suffering Americans depend.

Some studies have shown over the years that expensive health care is due to the high cost of defensive medicine, or in other words, physicians ordering expensive tests that may be unnecessary, as a way to deflect legal responsibility from themselves. Deviating from defensive medicine in the healthcare industry might impact physicians economically, but more importantly, it will help achieve affordable healthcare. 

Obamacare (the Affordable Care Act of 2010) is one program that focuses on extending healthcare to Americans and reducing public health disparities. This program lays down a foundation that people under the age of 26 will receive accessible care from their parent or guardian’s health care plans. Afterward, they must pay for their health care plan. Also, the program stipulates that the government provides free healthcare to retired adults from age 55 to 64, to avoid any insurance plan complications. Essentially, Obamacare seeks to expand access to healthcare care, regardless of the scale of one’s medical diagnosis, to ultimately save lives that would have been lost due to the inability to pay expensive medical bills.

Easier access to healthcare will result in a healthier nation. The healthcare system is one of the most important components in life, as the United States’ economy cannot be fully efficient and benefit all people until everyone can access quality, affordable healthcare. Free healthcare (or at least cheaper healthcare) would be the most effective system for America, which other countries like Switzerland and Singapore have demonstrated. The money spent by citizens on their healthcare could be redirected to other social support systems in America, like expanding access to nutritious foods as well. Although free healthcare has many perks, it also has disadvantages. Most notably, overloading health services with a large number of patients would overwhelm already busy healthcare systems. Patients may overuse the perk of free healthcare, leaving not taxpayers to suffer, but rather medical professionals and healthcare systems. Even so, the perceptible advantages of affordable healthcare outweigh the disadvantages. As it is, years of attempts to ameliorate the United States healthcare system have failed the American people, and the situation remains devastating and life-threatening for low-income communities. There should be no debate though as to whether America needs to redesign the public health system, as healthcare is a human right, and nobody should be dying because they cannot afford to live, especially when the government has the economic means to take care of them.

Bibliography:

Gerisch, Mary. “Health Care As a Human Right.” American Bar Association , www.americanbar.org/groups/crsj/publications/human_rights_magazine_home/the-state-of-healthcare-in-the-united-states/health-care-as-a-human-right/. 

“Free Health Care Policies.” World Health Organization , World Health Organization, 2020, www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/free-health-care-policies. 

Gologorsky, Beverly. “Health Care in the US Should Be Affordable and Accessible.” The Nation , 9 May 2019, www.thenation.com/article/archive/tom-dispatch-health-care-should-be-affordable-and-accessible/. 

Luhby, Tami. “Here’s How Obamacare Has Changed America.” CNN , Cable News Network, 8 July 2019, www.cnn.com/2019/07/08/politics/obamacare-how-it-has-changed-america/index.html.

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Should Healthcare Be Free? Essay on Medical System in America

Introduction, problem statement, why healthcare should be free, why healthcare should be paid, works cited.

The US government has historically taken a keen interest in the health of its citizens. As far back as the beginning of the 1900s, President Theodore Roosevelt declared that “nothing can be more important to a state than its public health: the state’s paramount concern should be the health of its people” (Gallup and Newport 135). Despite these, the United States is classified as the nation with the most expensive, and yet inefficient, health care system among developed nations.

An expensive health care system translates to an increasing proportion of the population being unable to access the much needed medical care. The New York Times reports that according to census survey carried out in the year 2007, an estimated 45.6 million people in the USA were uninsured and hence unlikely to receive comprehensive medical care from hospitals (1). Due to the perceived inefficiencies, there has been agreement that the current health care system is faulty and therefore in need of radical changes to make it better.

Majority of American’s are greatly dissatisfied with the current health care system which is extremely expensive and highly inefficient. While an effective system can be deemed to be one which is efficient, acceptable and at the same time equitable, the current system is lacking in this attributes.

The aim of this paper will be to analyze the effects that free health care system in America would have. This paper will argue that a health care system which guarantees free health care for all Americans is the most effective system and the government should therefore adopt such a system.

Free health care would result in a healthier nation since people would visit the doctors when necessary and follow prescriptions. Research by Wisk et al. indicated that both middle and lower class families were suffering from the high cost of health care (1). Some families opted to avoid going to the doctor when a member of the family is sick due to the high cost of visiting the doctor and the insurance premiums associated with health care.

In the event that they go to the doctor, they do not follow prescriptions strictly so as to reduce cost. Brown reveals that “60 percent of uninsured people skipped taking dosages of their medication or went without it because it cost too much” (6). Such practices are detrimental to a person’s health and they cost more in the long run.

The last few years have been characterized by financial crises and recessions which have negatively affected the financial well being of many Americans. In these economic realities, the cost of health care has continued to rise to levels that are unaffordable to many Americans. This loss of access to health care has led to people being troubled and generally frustrated. A report by Brown indicates that the price for prescription drugs in the US has escalated therefore becoming a financial burden for the citizens (6).

The productivity of this people is thereby greatly decreased as they live in uncertainty as to the assurance of their health and thereby spend more time worrying instead of being engaged in meaningful activities that can lead the country into even greater heights of prosperity. Free health care would lead to a peace of mind and therefore enable people to be more productive.

Since medical care is not free, many people have to make do with curative care since they cannot afford to visit medical facilities for checkups or any other form of preventive medical care. This assertion is corroborated by Colliver who reveals that many people are opting to go without preventative care or screening tests that might prevent more serious health problems due to the expenses (1).

Research shows that approximately 18,000 adults die annually due to lack of timely medical intervention (The New York Times 1). This is mostly as a result of lack of a comprehensive insurance cover which means that the people cannot receive medical attention until the disease has progressed into advanced stages. This is what has made medical care so expensive since “sick patients need more care than relatively healthy ones” (Sutherland, Fisher, and Skinner 1227).

This is an opinion shared by Sebelius who reveals that 85% of medical costs incurred in the country arise from people ailing from chronic conditions (1). She further notes that if screened early, these diseases such as diabetes and obesity can be prevented thus saving the medical cost to be incurred in their treatment. It therefore makes sense to have a health care system that makes it possible for everyone to access preventive care thus curbing these conditions before they are fully blown.

While most people assume that free health care will result in better services as more people will be able to access health care, this is not the case. The increase in people who are eligible for health care will lead to an increase in the patients’ level meaning that one may have to wait for long before receiving care due to shortage of medical personnel or the rationing of care.

A European doctor, Crespo Alphonse, reveals that when health care is free, people start overusing it with negative implications for the entire system (AP). In addition to this, free health care would invariably lead to cost cutting strategies by hospitals.

This would lead to scenario where finding specialized care is hard and the rate of medical mistakes would increase significantly. As a matter of fact, a survey on Switzerland hospitals found that medical errors had jumped by 40% owing to the introduction of mandatory health insurance (AP). While it is true that free health care will increase the number of people visiting the doctor, this may be a positive thing since it will encourage preventive care as opposed to the current emphasis on curative care.

Free health care is a move towards a socialistic system. As it is, the US is a nation that is built on strong capitalistic grounds. This is against the strong capitalistic grounds on which the United States society is build on. While detractors of the private insurance firms are always quick to point out that the firms make billions of dollars from the public, they fail to consider the tax that these firms give back to the federal government (Singer 1).

Free health care would render players in the health industry such as private insurance companies unprofitable. Free health care will bring about a shift from a profit oriented system to a more people oriented system. Without money as a motivation, research efforts will plummet thereby leading to a decrease in the medical advancement as investment in research will not be as extensive (Singer 1).

The Associate Press reveals that doctors may also lack to be as motivated if they are no incentives and thereby the quality of their work may weaken (1). As such, a free health care system would have far reaching consequences for the economy of the nation since the health care industry is a profitable industry for many.

The Healthcare system is one of the most important components of the U.S. social system since full productivity cannot be achieved without good health. This paper has argued that a free health care system would be the most effective system for America. To reinforce this assertion, the paper has articulated the benefits that the country would accrue from free health care.

With free health care, all Americans would be able to access health services when they need it leading to increased quality of life. In addition, many people would make use of preventive healthcare services, therefore reducing the financial burden that the expensive curative services result in.

The paper has taken care to point out that free health care has some demerits, most notably of which is overloading the health services with a high number of patients. Even so, the observably advantages to be reaped from the system far outweigh the perceived risks. As it is, decades of reform on the US health care system have failed to provide any lasting solution to the problem.

Making health care free for all may be the strategy that will provide a solution for the ideal health care system that has thus far remained elusive. From the arguments presented in this paper, it can irrefutably be stated that free health care will result in a better health care system for the country.

Associate Press. (AP). Europe’s free health care has a hefty price tag . 2009. Web.

Brown, Paul. Paying the Price: The High Cost of Prescription Drugs for Uninsured Americans. U.S. PIRG Education Fund, 2006.

Colliver, Victoria. “Jump in middle-income Americans who go without health insurance,” San Francisco Chronicle (SFGate), 2006.

Gallup, Andrew, and Newport Francis. The Gallup Poll: Public Opinion . Gallup Press, 2005. Print.

Sebelius, Kathleen. Health Insurance Reform Will Benefit All Americans . 2009. Web.

Singer, Peter. Why We Must Ration Health Care . 2009. Web.

Sutherland, Jason., Fisher Elliott, and Skinner Jonathan. “Getting Past Denial – The High Cost of Health Care in the United States” . New England Journal of Medicine 361;13, 2009).

The New York Times. The Uninsured . 2009. Web.

Wisk, Lauren. High Cost a Key Factor in Deciding to Forgo Health Care . 2011. Web.

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IvyPanda. (2023, October 29). Should Healthcare Be Free? Essay on Medical System in America. https://ivypanda.com/essays/free-health-care-in-america/

"Should Healthcare Be Free? Essay on Medical System in America." IvyPanda , 29 Oct. 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/free-health-care-in-america/.

IvyPanda . (2023) 'Should Healthcare Be Free? Essay on Medical System in America'. 29 October.

IvyPanda . 2023. "Should Healthcare Be Free? Essay on Medical System in America." October 29, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/free-health-care-in-america/.

1. IvyPanda . "Should Healthcare Be Free? Essay on Medical System in America." October 29, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/free-health-care-in-america/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Should Healthcare Be Free? Essay on Medical System in America." October 29, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/free-health-care-in-america/.

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Free Healthcare: Advantages and Disadvantages

Nowadays, the healthcare system is one of the most successful business areas. Ideally, the country’s government should be responsible for providing citizens with equal healthcare opportunities. However, the public healthcare level is much lower than in private clinics, where people pay vast amounts of money to get professional treatment. Addressing this ethical issue, many believe that healthcare should be free for everyone. This change in the healthcare system has both positive and negative aspects related to treatment quality.

Free health care has a positive impact on the economy of the country. According to practical research, free healthcare increases people’s capability and allows them to work more productively (Allegri et al., 2020). Thus, by having free access to healthcare services, people can have their diseases treated in time. As a result, the general efficiency of the people’s work directly correlates with their health. The second positive aspect of free healthcare is that more people can consult high-quality doctors without saving money beforehand. Therefore, many illnesses’ symptoms can be recognized and treated quickly (Ridde & Samb, 2018). Thus, the total illness prevention level will increase, and many lives will be saved.

However, free healthcare also has negative implications for both patients and the government. Free healthcare makes the medical organization’s competition unnecessary and may decrease the motivation to develop the quality of the treatment services (Bah et al., 2019).

Therefore, without considering the service improvements necessary, medical providers can degrade the quality of treatment. Thus, many people can fall victims to medication mistakes, which can severely harm their health. To prevent this problem, the government should provide medical organizations with enough money for service development. This leads to the second disadvantage of free healthcare, which is the enormous governmental budget expenses. The other institutions’ budgeting can be severely damaged because of free healthcare (Allegri et al., 2020). The government should allocate money to healthcare, trying to balance all the spheres rationally.

Free healthcare has both positive and negative implications for treatment quality. While changing the inequity in the healthcare system for the better, such modifications can lead to severe problems with the governmental budget distribution and treatment quality. Each country’s government should accurately analyze the free healthcare perspectives and possible drawbacks to develop the individual strategy of improving citizens’ wellbeing. When appropriately planned, free healthcare programs’ advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

Allegri, M., Hillebrecht, M., Kuunibe, N., Lohmann, J., Nguyen, H., & Tougri, G. (2020). What happens when performance‐based financing meets free healthcare? Evidence from an interrupted time‐series analysis. Health Policy and Planning, 35 (8), 906–917. Web.

Bah, A., Hann, K., Jalloh, M., James, P., Sevalie, S., & Shmueli, A. (2019). Impact of the free healthcare initiative on wealth-related inequity in the utilization of maternal & child health services in Sierra Leone . BMC Health Services Research, 19 (352), 2–15. Web.

Ridde, V., & Samb, O. (2018). The impact of free healthcare on women’s capability: A qualitative study in rural Burkina Faso . Social Science & Medicine, 197 , 9–16. Web.

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StudyCorgi. (2022, September 16). Free Healthcare: Advantages and Disadvantages. https://studycorgi.com/free-healthcare-advantages-and-disadvantages/

"Free Healthcare: Advantages and Disadvantages." StudyCorgi , 16 Sept. 2022, studycorgi.com/free-healthcare-advantages-and-disadvantages/.

StudyCorgi . (2022) 'Free Healthcare: Advantages and Disadvantages'. 16 September.

1. StudyCorgi . "Free Healthcare: Advantages and Disadvantages." September 16, 2022. https://studycorgi.com/free-healthcare-advantages-and-disadvantages/.

Bibliography

StudyCorgi . "Free Healthcare: Advantages and Disadvantages." September 16, 2022. https://studycorgi.com/free-healthcare-advantages-and-disadvantages/.

StudyCorgi . 2022. "Free Healthcare: Advantages and Disadvantages." September 16, 2022. https://studycorgi.com/free-healthcare-advantages-and-disadvantages/.

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Op-Ed Contributor

The Problem With Free Health Care

By H. Gilbert Welch

  • April 30, 2014

HANOVER, N.H. — NOW that it’s clear that Obamacare is here to stay, its supporters should focus on making the program better. Fixes are not a sign of weakness. They are a sign of responsiveness and of good management. And the Affordable Care Act does have its flaws. Here’s a big one: It favors screening over diagnosis.

While the distinction may seem arcane, it has real-world implications. Screening is what we offer to the well; it’s the effort to find abnormalities in those who do not have signs or symptoms of disease. Because screening is considered part of preventive care under the Affordable Care Act, it is provided at no charge.

Diagnosis is what we offer to those who do have signs or symptoms of disease. Because diagnosis is not preventive care, it is subject to deductibles and co-payments.

In other words: A woman over 40 can have a free screening mammogram. But if she notices a breast lump and goes to her doctor to have it evaluated, she’ll pay for a diagnostic mammogram. That could cost $300. So the woman at lower risk for cancer — the one with no signs or symptoms of the disease — has an incentive to be tested, while the woman at higher risk — the one with the lump — faces a disincentive.

Does that make any sense? No. But it could encourage women with breast lumps not to report their symptoms.

Just how crazy this is became apparent to me when a friend enrolled on the New Hampshire exchange. Melissa is a 50-something self-employed author. She chose to be screened for colon cancer using the test doctors are most certain lowers colon cancer mortality — annual fecal occult blood testing.

Melissa’s screening test was free under the Affordable Care Act. It was also positive — she had blood in her stool, meaning she was at higher risk to actually have colon cancer. Everyone agreed about the next step: a diagnostic colonoscopy, to figure out where the blood was coming from. That’s not free; it’s real money, thousands of dollars. But had she chosen the colonoscopy as her first screening test, it would have been free.

Melissa contacted her insurer, and a representative suggested she ask her gastroenterologist to resubmit the colonoscopy claim as preventive. Pressure on doctors to recode diagnostic tests as screening tests is the inevitable result of this “incentive mismatch” between screening and diagnosis. But it’s also fraud, and Melissa knew it was wrong.

The gastroenterologists already got one fix in the Affordable Care Act. At first, screening colonoscopy was free, but if the test found a polyp, it was correctly reclassified as a diagnostic procedure, and was subject to cost sharing. In February 2013, regulators fixed the problem, saying insurance companies must also make polyp removal during screening free, noting, “polyp removal is an integral part of a colonoscopy.”

It’s true: Subsequent interventions are an integral part of all screening. Were I a mammographer, I’d happily argue that additional mammographic views, ultrasounds, M.R.I.s and breast biopsies are all part of screening.

But if you notice a new breast lump, you pay.

I wish money wasn’t such a powerful incentive in medical care. But the economists are right: Incentives matter. Right now they favor lower risk patients (those being screened) over higher risk ones (those with signs and symptoms).

They also encourage a feeding frenzy among providers to recategorize diagnostic testing as screening. Free screenings were seen as a way to get people through the door and ideally to find and address problems before they become more dangerous and expensive.

But in practice, it may not work this way. Some hospitals offer free screening knowing full well that the costs will be more than made up for by all the subsequent services required. More testing, false alarms and overdiagnosis are all part of screening. And if you make it free, patients are less likely to give proper consideration to these potential harms — not to mention the potential for a lot of out-of-pocket costs down the line.

Here’s the fix: Eliminate the incentive mismatch between screening and diagnosis. Treat them equally. Melissa would share in the cost of her fecal occult blood test. (But at around $10 to $20, it’s still roughly one one-hundredth of the cost of a colonoscopy.)

We need people to consider medical care carefully, and that’s what cost sharing is all about. Patients already share costs on what is arguably the most important preventive service, treatment for really high blood pressure, and for procedures as necessary as setting a broken leg. Why would we treat a much closer call — screening — any different?

But if you think the need for this fix is evidence that the Affordable Care Act should be repealed, think again. Melissa had a mammogram at age 29 because her doctor thought she felt a lump. It was just fibrous tissue, but as a result, insurance companies put a rider on her policy disqualifying her from coverage for breast cancer. That’s right: Before the Affordable Care Act, if she developed the cancer that leads to the most deaths among nonsmoking women, she would not have been covered. No one wants to go back there.

H. Gilbert Welch is a professor of medicine at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice and an author of “Overdiagnosed: Making People Sick in the Pursuit of Health.”

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Government Providing Free Healthcare – IELTS Writing Task 2

Kasturika Samanta

Updated On Dec 06, 2023

disadvantages of free healthcare essay

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Government Providing Free Healthcare – IELTS Writing Task 2

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Advantage Disadvantage essays, like ‘Advantages and Disadvantages of Government Providing Free Healthcare’, are an integral part of IELTS Writing Task 2. Fortunately, it is easy to identify a topic due to the mention of the terms ‘advantages’, ‘disadvantages’, ‘benefits’, ‘drawbacks’ or other similar terms in the topic itself.

Usually, in this kind of essay, you have to note down the benefits and drawbacks of a particular aspect, like studying abroad, tourism, school systems, etc. As a result, the structure of the essay is comparatively easy to frame as all you need is four paragraphs – Introduction, Body Paragraph 1 (advantages), Body Paragraph 2 (disadvantages) and Conclusion.

We will have a look at an advantage and disadvantage essay – Advantages and Disadvantages of Government Providing Free Healthcare- with Sample Answers ranging from Band 7 to 9, accompanied by vocabulary which will not only boost your IELTS preparation but also enhance your word bank. If you feel you need to practise more essays to master this task, you can check out the  IELTS Writing Task 2 Practice Tests .

Let’s have a look at the  Advantages and Disadvantages essay  – Advantages and Disadvantages of Government Providing Free Healthcare with three expert-curated sample answers ranging from Band 7 to 9.

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Every government has a duty to provide free healthcare for its people. what are the advantages and disadvantages of the government providing free healthcare, give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience., you should write at least 250 words..

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Band 7 Sample Answer for Writing Task 2 Question – Advantages and Disadvantages of Government Providing Free Healthcare 

It is the responsibility of any government to offer free healthcare to its citizens. While this approach has its advantages, it also comes with its disadvantages. This essay will point out both these sides.

The two most important are an increase in the number of treated patients and a decrease in the frequency of disease epidemics. Most people cannot visit doctors for minor illnesses because they cannot afford the high cost of medical services and treatments. Low-income members of society have continued disease, which gets worse. So, free healthcare by the government reduces the healthcare cost for everyone and offers free services to people in need. Also, offering free medical care and registering people in high-quality treatment programs could prevent disease transmission. Many people schedule regular doctor’s appointments, which means that when a health problem improves, it will likely heal much more quickly.

However, there are many drawbacks to free medical care. One of the primary problems is that providing free medical care to everyone requires an enormous budget, which is very challenging for governments in developing and underdeveloped nations to handle. Again, hospitals and medical facilities usually overbook their patients. For example, a physician must see and tend to many patients, which reduces medical staff productivity. It puts patients’ medical care at risk.

In summary, there are benefits and drawbacks to free national healthcare. Governments should take appropriate steps to maintain the quality of their healthcare facilities and consider it essential. (242 words)

Vocabulary 

  • Approach (Noun)

Meaning: a way of dealing with a situation or problem

E.g.: This is a wrong approach to solve the mathematical problem.

  • Frequency (Noun)

Meaning: the number of times something happens within a particular period, or the fact of something happening often or a large number or times

E.g.: The frequency of road accidents has increased quite a lot this year.

  • Epidemics (Noun)

Meaning: the rapid spread of disease to a large number of hosts in a given population within a short period of time

E.g.: In an epidemic, a large number of people lost their lives.

  • Minor (Adjective)

Meaning: not very important or valuable

E.g.: There are minor problems that you will face on this road trip.

  • Transmission (Noun)

Meaning: the act of transferring something from one spot to another

E.g.: The enemy country is planning the transmission of the virus to its neighbor.

  • Drawbacks (Noun)

Meaning: a disadvantage or problem; the negative part of a situation

E.g.: There are lots of drawbacks of this position, but you have to try to know.

  • Enormous (Adjective)

Meaning: very large in size, quantity, or extent

E.g.: The enormous elephant stepped out of the forest on the road.

  • Productivity (Noun)

Meaning: the state or quality of being productive

E.g.: We are trying to conduct a test on the productivity of the employees.

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Band 8 Sample Answer for Writing Task 2 Question – Advantages and Disadvantages of Government Providing Free Healthcare 

Governments should offer free healthcare to their citizens as it ensures everyone has access to medical help. However, this comes with both good and not-so-good aspects, which will be discussed in the following paragraphs.

To begin with, free healthcare means everyone, rich or poor, can see a doctor when they need to. In countries like the United Kingdom, the National Health Service (NHS) provides free medical care to all residents. This ensures that people don’t have to worry about money when they are unwell. Secondly, free healthcare makes people more likely to get check-ups and catch health problems early. Also, government-funded healthcare systems often prioritize public health initiatives, such as vaccination programs and disease prevention campaigns, leading to improved overall health in the population.

But there are challenges, too. To provide free healthcare, the government needs a lot of money. This often means higher taxes for everyone. In Sweden, where healthcare is publicly funded, citizens pay high taxes to support the system. Moreover, free healthcare systems can sometimes be slow and congested. In countries like France, people might have to wait long for routine treatments because so many people use free healthcare services. Additionally, in some government-provided healthcare systems, there may be limitations on the choice of healthcare providers and potential delays in receiving non-urgent treatments due to high demand. This can impact the overall quality of healthcare services.

In conclusion, while free healthcare ensures equal access to medical help, it can be expensive and may lead to longer wait times. Therefore, governments must find a balance to ensure everyone gets the care they need without burdening the people with excessive taxes or long delays. (275 words)

  • Residents (Noun)

Meaning: a person who lives somewhere permanently or on a long-term basis

E.g.: All the residents of the country are migrating to the developed countries.

  • Prioritize (Verb)

Meaning: to decide which of a number of different jobs or tasks are most important or urgent and deal with them first

E.g.: John needs to prioritize his health over work.

  • Vaccination (Noun)

Meaning: the process or an act of giving someone a vaccine (= a substance put into a person’s body to prevent them getting a disease)

E.g.: The nurse was calling the parents for the vaccination of their children.

  • Congested (Adjective)

Meaning: too blocked or crowded and causing difficulties

E.g.: The buses were congested because of the office time.

  • Routine (Adjective)

Meaning: performed as part of a regular procedure rather than for a special reason

E.g.: The doctor told him to go for routine checkups.

  • Ensures (Verb)

Meaning: make certain that (something) will occur or be the case

E.g.: Raman should ensure the safety of the animals before taking them out to the park.

  • Burdening (Verb)

Meaning: to trouble someone with something difficult or unpleasant

E.g.: Burdening someone with responsibilities is not the correct way to work.

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Band 9 Sample Answer for Writing Task 2 Question – Advantages and Disadvantages of Government Providing Free Healthcare 

Unlock Answer

Access to healthcare is a fundamental human right, and many argue that it is the responsibility of governments to guarantee access to free healthcare to all citizens. While there are benefits to this plan of action, there are drawbacks as well, both of which will be discussed in the forthcoming paragraphs.

On the positive side, free healthcare guarantees universal access to medical services, irrespective of one’s financial standing. For instance, in Norway, citizens enjoy free access to healthcare services, ensuring that everyone receives the medical attention they need without financial constraints. Moreover, a government-backed healthcare system promotes preventive care. When citizens can seek medical attention without worrying about costs, they are more likely to address health concerns early on, reducing the overall burden on the healthcare system. It leads to better health outcomes and long-term cost savings. Furthermore, accessible healthcare promotes a healthier workforce. In Japan, where the government provides free or heavily subsidized healthcare, employees seek medical attention promptly, improving productivity and economic well-being.

Nonetheless, the concept of free healthcare has drawbacks. The foremost concern is the financial burden on the government, which often leads to higher taxes for citizens. For example, in Denmark, where healthcare is publicly funded, citizens experience elevated tax rates to support the cost of the healthcare system. Additionally, government-run healthcare systems may face challenges like administrative inefficiencies and potential limitations on choice and quality of services. Besides, critics argue that fully government-controlled healthcare systems may stifle innovation in the medical field. Private sector competition often contributes to advancements, and a lack of such competition may hinder the development of new medical technologies and treatments.

  • Guarantee (Verb)

Meaning: provide a formal assurance, especially that certain conditions will be fulfilled relating to a product, service, or transaction

E.g.: Garg did not guarantee the expiry of the product.

  • Standing (Noun)

Meaning: position, status, or reputation

E.g.: Respect the social standing of the person in front of you.

  • Constraints (Noun)

Meaning: a limitation or restriction

E.g.: There are no constraints on the number of times you can take the UPSC exam.

  • Preventive (Adjective)

Meaning: intended to stop something before it happens

E.g.: We should take preventive measures to avoid getting infected.

  • Subsidized (Adjective)

Meaning: having part of the cost of production paid in order to keep the selling price low

E.g.: The shopkeeper sells all his goods at a subsidized price and attracts a lot of customers.

  • Elevated (Adjective)

Meaning: higher or greater than normal

E.g.: His heartbeat elevated so much that he had to be admitted to the hospital.

  • Inefficiencies (Noun)

Meaning: a lack of organization or skill that wastes time, energy, money, etc., or methods or actions that waste time, etc. in this way

E.g.: Due to the inefficiency of the members, the company failed to make any profit this quarter.

  • Stifle (Verb)

Meaning: to prevent something from happening, being expressed, or continuing

E.g.: The mother stifled the baby’s cry to protect it from the monster.

  • Operational (Adjective)

Meaning: in or ready for use

E.g.: The operational manager of this branch is on leave.

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IELTS Writing Task 2 Connectors for Used in the Sample Answers for Advantages and Disadvantages of Government Providing Free Healthcare 

Connectors are used to add coherence to your writing which helps you achieve a high  IELTS band score . So, check out the list of  connectors  used in the above-given sample answers used in IELTS Writing Task 2 – Advantages and Disadvantages of Government Providing Free Healthcare.

  • For example
  • To begin with
  • Additionally
  • In conclusion
  • On the positive side
  • For instance
  • Furthermore
  • Nonetheless

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Additional Resources

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Advantages and disadvantages of free health care explained

Free health care policies, universal health care, global health, and so many other terms are used all the time on the news. However, do you know what it means? What are the pros and cons of free healthcare? Who qualifies for free healthcare? This article seeks to cover the scope of the complicated system so that we can all be well informed about it before subscribing or pushing our leaders to implement it fully.

Advantages and disadvantages of free health care

For the president, Cyril Ramaphosa , the health sector is in jeopardy. Something needs to be done and fast. A healthy nation is a backbone of developing economies and countries, which is why this discussion has to be started. The situation in South Africa can be better.

What is free healthcare?

Simply put, free healthcare means that wellness services will be available to citizens in that country at no cost or very minimal financial constraints.

disadvantages of free healthcare essay

What is the debt relief fund?

The ideal situation of free healthcare seems impossible to attain, which is why there is a lot of scepticism on how to implement it and make it work. To achieve this mode of treatment in South Africa, it is required of the government to enforce free healthcare policies.

free health care

Free healthcare policies . These are measures used to try and curb the obstacles that are experienced by people who are trying to access doctors, primarily financial and geographical barriers.

For the government to give excellent health services in the country, the first step is geared towards Universal healthcare.

Universal healthcare. This is a health care structure in which at least 90% of citizens are guaranteed to have access to medical care. In this scenario, citizens can access some form of medical care without incurring a lot of high costs in the process. It ensures that the residents of a country who are not financially capable of paying for themselves have access to medical care.

disadvantages of free healthcare essay

Everything you need to know on how to start a successful travel agency in South Africa

Universal health care

South Africa healthcare system

The South African government under President Cyril Ramaphosa is working to introduce the National Health Insurance (NHI). This is necessary to address the problems faced by the current system, which is not working effectively.

The National Health Insurance advantages and disadvantages include that it will provide health services for all the citizens of South Africa without eliminating the budget from other sectors . However, this will mean that those receiving treatment from different areas, public or private, will be required to pay taxes to the fund.

Advantages and disadvantages of free healthcare

Now when we understand the medical structure in South Africa and the various terms related to health, we need to look at the pros and cons of having any of these systems .

What is free health care?

Advantages of free health care

Here we tackle the question,' Why is free healthcare important?'.

disadvantages of free healthcare essay

Interesting South African education system facts that you should know

  • The general cost of this structure is less compared to a free market system. It means that many people visiting the doctor will result in improved prices. This is because the cost will be dependent on the value of excellent service given to a patient rather than the number of services offered to a patient. Some healthcare providers can earn less money but ultimately providing the same level of care.
  • This mode of wellness eliminates the need for companies to compete for money. Competitive economies are very healthy except for healthcare. For free-market systems, wealthy people are the ones targeted by medical providers. This can bar the poor from obtaining good healthcare. Universal systems concentrate on providing quality care regardless of how much money one has.
  • It increases levels of health in the workers of a country. With this improved system, going to the doctor becomes very easy and affordable, ultimately leading to people going to the doctor more. This will eliminate illnesses related to avoiding doctor visits due to high prices and improves productivity.
  • It eliminates management costs, which are brought about by dealing with private insurers. This reduces the staff hired, and the third parties involved because the doctors and nurses deal with the government directly.
  • It improves the care given to children by doctors. When children have easy access to doctors at a young age, they can prevent issues before they grow up. This will also assist in guiding the entire country in making choices that promote healthy living.

disadvantages of free healthcare essay

Complete list of rehabilitation centers in South Africa

Is free health care bad?

Disadvantages of free healthcare

So far free medical care seems like the perfect solution, but why free healthcare is bad?

  • One of the biggest cons is having to pay medical for strangers. It is estimated that about 85% of costs related to health are associated with chronic illnesses mostly related to lifestyle choices. Therefore people who have a healthy lifestyle feel burdened by the bad decisions of others and unfairly taxed.
  • Understaffing of medical staff can lead to reduced quality of care. This system caters to everybody, but if not planned well, it can be a disaster for the patients and doctors. When implementing such a wellness plan, it is paramount to ensure that the ratio of doctors to patients is manageable.
  • It leads to reduced motivation in providing innovation in the health sector. When the funding is severely decreased, there will not be much-pushing innovation.
  • People may become careless with their health. The decision that your health may no longer be a priority may result in more people getting sick and not putting energy to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
  • The country may get into debt very fast. When most of the country's budget goes into improving health, then the debt is looming. For example, 40% of Canada's budget goes to health, and for corrupt leaders, this can be the beginning of a big problem, especially in South Africa.

disadvantages of free healthcare essay

Here is a list of the best hospitals in South Africa

Why is free health care important?

This is a topic that has been a headache to several heads of state. Improving the general wellness of the public is no easy task. However, President Cyril Ramaphosa has received an award from the New York NGO for his impressive work in the health sector and pushing the country in the right direction. The advantages heavily outweigh the disadvantages, which is why the NHI bill is not going anywhere.

DISCLAIMER : This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on to make decisions of any kind. Any action you take upon the information presented in this article is strictly at your own risk and responsibility!

Source: Briefly News

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9 reasons universal healthcare will fail – if we don’t act now

Three-year-old Eme Mbisa, who has become malnourished as a result of a measles infection, rests her hand on the shoulder of her mother, Marianne Mbisa, as she talks to a doctor in the measles isolation ward in Boso-Manzi hospital in Mongala province in northern Democratic Republic of Congo February 29 , 2020. Picture taken February 29 , 2020. REUTERS/Hereward Holland - RC2LPF92U3B4

In some of the world's rural communities, there may be just one doctor for 70,000 people Image:  REUTERS/Hereward Holland

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  • Systemic challenges and the COVID-19 pandemic threaten progress towards achieving universal health coverage;
  • To regain momentum, a diverse range of issues must be addressed from implementing telehealth to improve access in remote areas to overcoming corruption;
  • Government spending and private sector support must also increase.

The global spread of COVID-19 came at a moment when momentum for universal health coverage (UHC) was increasing. On the heels of the high-level UN declaration in late 2019, many low and middle-income countries (LMICs) had been working to translate the warm intentions of world leaders into tangible actions. With the response to COVID-19 currently consuming all the political oxygen and pushing already overburdened systems past their breaking points, progress towards achieving UHC is at a standstill.

Have you read?

7 ways the private sector can contribute to universal health coverage, here's how governments can achieve universal health coverage, universal health coverage is possible. we just need to focus on outcomes.

In response, here are the big challenges we encounter every day and must overcome to expedite healthcare for all. We have a 10-year deadline to deliver the SDG commitments and unless we address these systemic challenges, I cannot see the vision becoming reality.

Although digital technology has the power to transform the health of millions, it requires mobile connectivity. Unfortunately, network coverage in many rural, lower-income areas is incredibly poor. Additionally, many residents in these areas are also unbanked, necessitating an offline, cash-based economy. Some change is occurring: DBS Bank is partnering with us at reach52 to support our expansion into underserved communities in India, a country where financial institutions are increasingly regulated to devote resources to low-income clients. In my view, this is necessary; sometimes the free market doesn’t work.

There is a concentration of medical professionals in cities, leaving rural areas grossly understaffed. In our partner communities, there can be just one doctor for 70,000 people. (For comparison, the UK has a ratio of one to 8,000 and is called a “broken system”.) This is a structural issue not solved by additional staff. Even if 50% more doctors appeared today, they aren’t going to perfectly distribute according to need but will still concentrate in cities for a higher standard of living. The only way to tackle this is through remote care and telehealth.

I always thought if we built accessible health services for rural areas it would be an easy sell for people. Unfortunately, that was incomprehensibly incorrect. If you have never had quality healthcare before, then the process of using it can be a foreign concept. Instead, praying and faith, taking herbal medicines or seeing a “quack doctor”, which tend to be in every village in places where there is often one professional doctor for 25-50 villages, are often the first resort. A huge amount of effort must be made to unpick these complex cultural norms.

The growing financing gap for UHC

As unfortunate as it is, corruption is often our first stumbling block. Government officials have asked us for thousands of dollars as a precondition before allowing us help their low-income constituents access affordable healthcare. Unfortunately, this means we sometimes walk away from many in-need communities as a result.

Corruption also occurs in more systemic ways. While many multinational pharma companies are increasingly committed to access initiatives, the social impact of these schemes can be muted by predatory middlemen or even government officials with commercial conflicts of interest. Stronger enforcement must be taken to stamp out these behaviours.

Like many other countries, e-prescriptions were banned in the Philippines until recently, with temporary allowances only allowed as part of the COVID-19 response. Diagnosis still cannot be made without a physical in-person consultation. Given the lack of human health resources in rural areas these policies necessitate rule-breaking and a complete disregard for regulations for example, most pharmacies in the Philippines will not ask for a prescription.

More pressure must be put on governments to rethink the rulebook to create flexible, realistic regulations for remote communities. Technology can enable the solution, coupled with multilateral and donor policies encouraging flexible regulations for different parts of a country with different health access issues.

Partnerships with innovative social enterprises need to be fully embraced to reach the 52% of people without access to affordable healthcare. This thinking isn’t common in the health field and legacy funding systems aren’t set up to support impact-led businesses. Too much funding is put towards rebuilding the provider-led, unintegrated health systems of yesterday, rather than reinventing health systems for tomorrow. A joined-up approach to investment and implementation is essential to change systems in the right way – and to future-proof them. Many developed health systems are struggling with siloed healthcare data and services and this trend is being repeated in the countries in which we work, setting traps for the future.

Public expenditure on healthcare as percent of total healthcare expenditure

Regardless of private sector discounting, good prevention strategy or any efficiency gains in service delivery, public financing is woefully inadequate. This must be acknowledged and addressed. As healthcare needs get more complex in LMICs, more money will be needed.

A huge issue related to this is the inability to collect taxes. In my view, this is something that high-income countries should build into their development and aid strategy. Getting more cash in the bank to support people with universal health coverage is essential. I can’t believe I just endorsed the taxman, but it’s a necessary evil - sorry folks!

For all the great work on sustainability, ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance measures), impact and corporate social responsibility, too many organizations are struggling to live up to the purpose they profess. It’s difficult when targets and bonuses are often linked to profit and growth. This reinforces a focus on high-income residents, inevitably centralizing efforts in cities. Targets for impact need to be led at a board level, promoting an organizational emphasis on more than just the bottom line. I believe this change is starting to happen, meaning businesses that just take and give nothing back won’t be competitive in the future.

The “private sector” in health is often talked about at the public health conferences I attend, but the term is typically used too narrowly. As I travel to various LMICs, the prevalence of Western-style junk food and toxic living environments is staggering. The private sector’s influence over the social determinants of health, including climate and environment need to come under greater scrutiny. We must accept that the way we are living our lives and how our societies and economies are developing ultimately creates challenges to the sustainability of healthcare systems and will continue to drive spiralling costs.

In the face of such challenges, we might despair, but I remain an optimist and restless for change – one of reach52’s core values. However, to make maximum progress, we need to be open and direct about the systemic, root-cause obstacles we face and then start a multi-sectoral approach to removing the blockers. The COVID-19 pandemic has made this more urgent than ever.

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Free Health Care

Free health care means citizens of a particular country or region receive medical care freely or at a very minimal cost. These costs are incurred by the local government, which collects the funds through taxes from its citizens. It means that the services are not entirely free, but citizens pay for them indirectly. The end goal of free health care is to provide residents, regardless of whether they can afford it, with health services and the means to access them (NewDick, 2006, p.1965). Free health care has several advantages and disadvantages, which are discussed below.

The first advantage of free healthcare is increased access to health services and facilities, usually associated with free or at a very minimal cost. The governments have subsidized the health sector by providing resources like health facilities, and medicine and offering of health services to the citizens (Acharya and Kumar, 2012, p. 255). This has enabled access across all regions, even in the most remote areas, these services are available.

With this type of improved healthcare, seeing a doctor has become very easy and affordable, increasing the number of times people visit doctors. This has dramatically improved the health of citizens as it has eliminated illnesses related to avoiding doctors due to their high costs of treatment (Frist, 2005, p. 270). Children can lead a healthy life and contribute to economic development due to the health incentives available. Also, the availability of free and cheap medicine at health centers has greatly improved the health status of citizens.

Free healthcare eliminates the need for companies to compete for money. The free-market systems target the wealthy to provide health services, neglecting the poor, the more significant percentage of the population (Acharya and Kumar, 2012, p. 256). Here, the focus is on the number of patients of patients served rather than the quality of services provided. Free health care focuses on providing quality health services regardless of how much one has, thereby eliminating competition.

On the other hand, a free healthcare system caters to everybody, but if not planned well can be stressful for doctors and patients. Understaffing of doctors and health providers can lead to low-quality services. An increase in the number of patients needing attention makes doctors work on busy schedules, shifting their goal to attending to huge numbers of patients rather than properly treating them, resulting in the quality of services significantly decreasing (Kirchhoff et al., 2012, p.5966). Also, there is a possibility of a shortage of medicines due to the increased demand, which most often is not reciprocated with supply, thus adding to the declining quality of services. Most importantly, the ratio of doctors to patients is paramount when planning such health programs.

Due to the availability of free healthcare services, people tend to be careless and ignorant about their health. Rather than focusing on keeping fit and taking precautions, people lead unhealthy lifestyles because they have access to healthcare (Frist, 2005, p. 268). This has posed a major challenge to the health sector because there has been a rise in chronic and infectious diseases, which could have been avoided by simply citizens taking precautions.

Health care program takes around 30% of the country’s budget to provide free medicine, labor force, and other costs of associated parties, which is a considerable proportion to give freely. In return, this weight may be felt on citizens by the government increasing the taxes or neglecting other sectors like education to cater for the same (Frist, 2005, p. 269) When most of a country’s budget only goes to the health sector, it calls for debt acquisition to provide for other sectors, which places a country’s economy on the verge of collapsing.

In conclusion, free health care has been a major drive in improving the health of citizens. Governments have been providing the necessary incentives to achieve this goal. The major challenge facing this program is that citizens have become reluctant about their health, neglecting to take precautions that keep them safe from contracting diseases, pushing the government to dig more to cater for the same.

Acharya and Kumar V., 2012. Mobile broadband-based healthcare management: advantages, issues and challenges.  International Journal of Computers in Healthcare ,  1 (3), pp.254 – 268.

Bataineh, H., Devlin, R. and Barham, V., 2019. Unmet health care and health care utilization.  Health Economics , 28(4), pp.529-542.

First, W.H., 2005. Health care in the 21st century.  New England Journal of Medicine ,  352 (3), pp.267-272.

Kirchhoff A.C., Lyles, Fluchel, M., Wright, J. and Leisenring, W., 2012. Limitations in health care access and utilization among long‐term survivors of adolescent and young adult cancer.  Cancer ,  118 (23), pp.5964-5972.

Newdick, C., 2006. Citizenship, free movement and health care: cementing individual rights by corroding social solidarity.  Common Market L. Rev. ,  43 , p.1645.

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Every government has a duty to provide free health care for its people. What are the advantages and disadvantages of government providing free healthcare?

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Include an introduction and conclusion

A conclusion is essential for IELTS writing task 2. It is more important than most people realise. You will be penalised for missing a conclusion in your IELTS essay.

The easiest paragraph to write in an essay is the conclusion paragraph. This is because the paragraph mostly contains information that has already been presented in the essay – it is just the repetition of some information written in the introduction paragraph and supporting paragraphs.

The conclusion paragraph only has 3 sentences:

  • Restatement of thesis
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To summarize, a robotic teacher does not have the necessary disciple to properly give instructions to students and actually works to retard the ability of a student to comprehend new lessons. Therefore, it is clear that the idea of running a classroom completely by a machine cannot be supported. After thorough analysis on this subject, it is predicted that the adverse effects of the debate over technology-driven teaching will always be greater than the positive effects, and because of this, classroom teachers will never be substituted for technology.

Start your conclusion with a linking phrase. Here are some examples:

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New research has shown that overeating has become a bigger problem in the world than hunger. What are the reasons of this problem?How can solve it?

Some people believe that professionals, such as doctors and engineers, should be required to work in the country where they did their training. others believe they should be free to work in another country if they wish. discuss both these views and give your own opinion., every year several language die out. some people think this is not important because life will be easier if there are fewer languages. to what extent do u agree or disagree with this opinion., in some countries, it is illegal for companies to reject job applicants for their age. is this a positive or negative development, humans are basically selfish. write a paragraph about 300 words to state that whether you agree or disagree with the statement. include examples and illustrations to support your viewpoint..

Home — Essay Samples — Nursing & Health — Health Care Policy — Why Healthcare Should Be Free

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Why Healthcare Should Be Free

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Published: Aug 31, 2023

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disadvantages of free healthcare essay

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Ielts writing task 2 sample 824 - advantages and disadvantages of government providing free health care, ielts writing task 2/ ielts essay:, every government has a duty to provide free health care for its people. what are the advantages and disadvantages of government providing free healthcare, advantages of government providing free healthcare, disadvantages of government providing free health care.

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disadvantages of free healthcare essay

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Free Healthcare (Essay Sample)

Significance of Healthcare in our Daily lives and Current situation of it.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Free Healthcare Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation Course Professor’s Name Date Advantages and Disadvantages of Free Healthcare Free healthcare involves the social influencing concept, which gives people an opportunity to seek a healthy life despite their constraining social and economic status. In implication, free healthcare is a concept to imply that wellness services are provided at no cost. The provision of free healthcare is fundamentally essential for the growth and development of a healthy society. However, In modern society, the ideal situation of free healthcare seems impossible to accomplish. Consequently, this raises skepticism that explores how to implement free healthcare and make it work efficiently. Therefore, providing free healthcare is essential to the citizens, especially to the low-income earners. However, this service may have its drawbacks and hence may also be costly. The first essential benefit of free healthcare is that it eliminates unnecessary competition. Often, competitive economies may be having healthy growth except for the healthcare sector. Competitive economies operate in a free-market system that targets high-income earners. This is a critical issue that may prevent low-income earners from accessing vital healthcare services. Therefore, free health care that operates as a universal system focuses on offering quality care regardless of an individual's income level. Another essential significance of free healthcare is that it reduces administration costs. Higher administration costs are more likely to be experienced in the free-market economy because of the countless number of private agencies involved in the process of purchasing medical resources (Papanicolas et al., 2018). Under the free healthcare system, the government plays a significant role by acting as an agency that controls prices. Besides, free healthcare improves the child's health. The free healthcare system may provide financial incentives to the parents, enabling children to access health facilities. On the contrary, free healthcare has the potential of degrading the quality of service. The most probable reason is that free services instantly spike the number of patients in hospitals. In implication, the doctors and nurses have to attend to a busy schedule that changes their goals from correctly diagnosing patients to treating as many patients as possible. In terms of gov

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advantages and disadvantages of free health care

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Everything that is provided free has its drawbacks. There are disadvantages as well as advantages associated with free health care services provided by governments for their citizens.

First, the one disadvantage of free health care is a few allocations of budget into this part of the government. Because there is a law for the distribution of funds among Ministries, the amount of budget of the Ministry of health care is defined in advance. Since dividing budget is associated with meting justice among all hospitals all over a country, there is no guarantee that a hospital can have more budget and facilities rather than whatever the other free hospitals have. Therefore, based on this fact, patients cannot expect to face advanced hospitals. In addition, owing to the lowest total health expenditure, there are few doctors in order to look after over patients, so, from this information, it can be seen that the doctor to patient ratio is very low. All mentioned factors are contributed to the lack of provision of hygiene services being a common occurrence in the free hospitals in every part of the world. Had government not considered full free health care, this shortage of facilities might not have occurred in all hospitals.

Second, the other disadvantage of free health care is the overcrowded hospital making process of healing frustrated for patient. To elaborate, when people of all ranges of incomes are aware of free medical services in hospitals and have their own health insurance, they will feel that they should have a monthly check-up. This taking care of health is amazing as long as they are not obsessed with controlling themselves all the time. In addition, according to all medical doctors, checking our body with blood tests and other physical test has brought about a paranoid of diseases causing a feeling of death in some cases. Moreover, crowded hospitals will postpone the process of looking after of emergencies patient so that the potential target of having free health care is helping people in sever circumstance. Therefore, the provided hospitals will not become effective that much because of the weak services for urgent cases.

Third, when it comes to the benefits of free health care, bestowing a situation in order to get access to free medicine and making well for people of poverty is noteworthy. The budget of this free service is financed through general taxation collected from the people’s revenue with different income levels. Owing to this way of collecting the provision of the expenditure of this service, seldom do poor and needy individuals have to pay the big portion of their salaries in order to pay their taxes. Consequently, they will gain benefits from both the path of the provided services and the paying taxes. That is why most theoreticians have considered this project as a super-profitable transaction. Thanks to this worthwhile service and the benefits which poor citizens can get the most out of it, no longer have they suffered from the pain of sickness and paying the cost private hospitals both. In addition, not only have governments tried to enhance accessibility and feasibility of this service for all people throughout the world, but they also have made a concerted effort in order to improve this service in quality.

In conclusion, although there are several disadvantages alongside with advantages of free healthcare service, the advantages and the benefits of this service outweigh all possible disadvantages.

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Essay evaluations by e-grader

Transition Words or Phrases used: also, but, consequently, first, if, look, moreover, second, so, therefore, third, well, while, in addition, in conclusion, as well as, in some cases

Attributes: Values AverageValues Percentages(Values/AverageValues)% => Comments

Performance on Part of Speech: To be verbs : 21.0 15.1003584229 139% => OK Auxiliary verbs: 10.0 9.8082437276 102% => OK Conjunction : 11.0 13.8261648746 80% => OK Relative clauses : 10.0 11.0286738351 91% => OK Pronoun: 36.0 43.0788530466 84% => OK Preposition: 93.0 52.1666666667 178% => OK Nominalization: 16.0 8.0752688172 198% => OK

Performance on vocabulary words: No of characters: 2964.0 1977.66487455 150% => OK No of words: 569.0 407.700716846 140% => Less content wanted. Chars per words: 5.20913884007 4.8611393121 107% => OK Fourth root words length: 4.88402711743 4.48103885553 109% => OK Word Length SD: 2.85032363249 2.67179642975 107% => OK Unique words: 266.0 212.727598566 125% => OK Unique words percentage: 0.467486818981 0.524837075471 89% => More unique words wanted or less content wanted. syllable_count: 920.7 618.680645161 149% => OK avg_syllables_per_word: 1.6 1.51630824373 106% => OK

A sentence (or a clause, phrase) starts by: Pronoun: 6.0 9.59856630824 63% => OK Article: 6.0 3.08781362007 194% => OK Subordination: 5.0 3.51792114695 142% => OK Conjunction: 1.0 1.86738351254 54% => OK Preposition: 10.0 4.94265232975 202% => Less preposition wanted as sentence beginnings.

Performance on sentences: How many sentences: 23.0 20.6003584229 112% => OK Sentence length: 24.0 20.1344086022 119% => OK Sentence length SD: 47.0937206591 48.9658058833 96% => OK Chars per sentence: 128.869565217 100.406767564 128% => OK Words per sentence: 24.7391304348 20.6045352989 120% => OK Discourse Markers: 6.4347826087 5.45110844103 118% => OK Paragraphs: 5.0 4.53405017921 110% => OK Language errors: 0.0 5.5376344086 0% => OK Sentences with positive sentiment : 16.0 11.8709677419 135% => OK Sentences with negative sentiment : 6.0 3.85842293907 156% => OK Sentences with neutral sentiment: 1.0 4.88709677419 20% => More facts, knowledge or examples wanted. What are sentences with positive/Negative/neutral sentiment?

Coherence and Cohesion: Essay topic to essay body coherence: 0.326410579133 0.236089414692 138% => OK Sentence topic coherence: 0.120201950664 0.076458572812 157% => OK Sentence topic coherence SD: 0.133172353429 0.0737576698707 181% => OK Paragraph topic coherence: 0.253204069878 0.150856017488 168% => OK Paragraph topic coherence SD: 0.112982212382 0.0645574589148 175% => OK

Essay readability: automated_readability_index: 15.5 11.7677419355 132% => OK flesch_reading_ease: 47.12 58.1214874552 81% => OK smog_index: 8.8 6.10430107527 144% => OK flesch_kincaid_grade: 12.7 10.1575268817 125% => OK coleman_liau_index: 13.23 10.9000537634 121% => OK dale_chall_readability_score: 8.57 8.01818996416 107% => OK difficult_words: 135.0 86.8835125448 155% => OK linsear_write_formula: 12.0 10.002688172 120% => OK gunning_fog: 11.6 10.0537634409 115% => OK text_standard: 12.0 10.247311828 117% => OK What are above readability scores?

--------------------- Write the essay in 30 minutes. Rates: 73.3333333333 out of 100 Scores by essay e-grader: 22.0 Out of 30 --------------------- Note: the e-grader does NOT examine the meaning of words and ideas. VIP users will receive further evaluations by advanced module of e-grader and human graders.

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Analysis In its 2024 budget, the Victorian government forgets debt, dreams big and crosses its fingers

There's a clear and simple message you get from reading the Victorian government's budget papers : don't panic.

Sure, there's a few numbers that will widen your eyes.

Money the government gets in (revenue) for the next financial year is $96.1 billion, which is less than projected it will spend (expenses) of $98.3 billion.

And yes, debt is $156.2 billion rising to $187.8 billion by 2027-28 – which by that time will be 25 per cent of the value of all the goods and services produced in the state in a year (called gross state product or GSP).

And OK, that means a daily interest bill on the debt of about $15 million, climbing to more than $25 million a day by 2027.

But why worry? This is Victoria. Get with the program.

That program — if you buy into the government's vision — is a rapidly-growing population that will buy property, find employment and get around on mega-transport projects due to open just before the next state election.

There are schools, tunnels, hospitals and roads to service this swelling growth, as Melbourne (where the vast majority of Victorians live) becomes the nation's largest city, overtaking a waterside resort for squillionaires to the north that also houses normal people.

red brochure with school girl on the front

All that needs to happen is for employment to stay strong, inflation and construction costs to keep moderating, interest rates to go no higher, workers to find housing that is being built at a far slower rate than people are moving here and a few other "risk factors".

Fingers crossed, eh?

The problems

With the immense debt and still unfunded mega-projects like a circular underground railway (the Suburban Rail Loop) about to start digging, you would expect a state government 2.5-years from an election would raise money and cut costs — hard.

There's a bit of that, but not much. It's more Facebook Marketplace than selling a kidney.

The government is making extra cash by:

  • Shifting commercial and industrial properties from a stamp duty (cost when sold) system to one that kicks in 10 years after the sale and is then annual.
  • People dumping stuff at the tip will pay more, bringing it into line with fees for New South Wales and South Australia.
  • Lifting the Fire Services Levy from where it started a decade ago to a higher level.

The savings are also pretty minimal. There's things like ending the Sick Pay Guarantee, a COVID-era pilot of paying sick leave to casuals. With a more "worker friendly" regime in power federally (the government's words) the pilot is over for now.

The Jacinta Allan-led government will also trim in costs by:

  • Ending some COVID-era employment.
  • Reducing office space as work-from-home and those reduced numbers impact the desks required. 
  • Trimming in a program to expand state-funded pharmacy and care clinics.
  • Making the money for Breakthrough Victoria, which funds speculative start-up tech businesses, stretch for 15-years rather than the original 10-years it was meant to.

It's not exactly ring all the alarms stuff is it? That's because they're not worried.

Get with the program and all cost is an investment. Public sector wages help pump private sector ones. Infrastructure unlocks value.

Remember the daily cost of that interest bill? Treasurer Tim Pallas calculates it as "1/4000th of one per cent of the economy" – an infinitesimal smidge of nothingness compared to the riches that await Victorians … if it all works out.

And there's a surprising group helping them get there.

Opposing forces

At the end of 2022 Victorians went to the polls.

After the painful repeated lockdowns in Melbourne — and with the exploding cost of keeping the state alive barely covered by a federal government accused of a lack of interest or care in the plight of the southern mainland state — there were a lot of predictions about the fate of the then eight-year-old government.

Plenty of interstate commentators had written Dan Andrews' political obituary, based on his bombastic personality, COVID-era decisions and ballooning debt.

But at the election the government didn't lose seats. It gained them.

Daniel Andrews speaks at press conference

By the time the next election rolls around Liberal-National opposition will have been in power for just four years between 1999 and 2026.

Some could say their show of unity, policy ideas and the cut-through they are making with the Victorian public show a resolute commitment to remaining in opposition.

What even is money?

Underpinning all of this are a few things that might not seem obvious.

One is the immense employment that's been delivered by infrastructure programs, public sector growth and things like "free TAFE".

Another is that the government has literally built credibility by starting and finishing big projects — new schools and hospitals, the removal of scores of level crossings — sprinkled in every corner of the state.

Adding to it is that COVID changed what people think about government, debt, and the role of the state in guiding the economy — we're seeing that federally too, as taxpayers invest billions in specific companies and industries.

Tim Pallas and Jacinta Allan in Victorian parliament during question time

If you think any government is going to leave the future to the invisible hand of the free market, you haven't been paying attention. That's gone.

A final element is that there's not a compelling competing vision about Victoria's growth and how it is being dealt with.

People can be unhappy about the untold millions spent on infrastructure, but when a new five-station underground rail line opens under the central business district next year, I don't expect a protest march out the front about the cost.

More likely is that people will use it, love it and ask a pressing question: When will there be one where I live?

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  1. Free Healthcare in the United States: A Possible Solution to Public

    Although free healthcare has many perks, it also has disadvantages. Most notably, overloading health services with a large number of patients would overwhelm already busy healthcare systems. Patients may overuse the perk of free healthcare, leaving not taxpayers to suffer, but rather medical professionals and healthcare systems.

  2. Should Healthcare Be Free? Essay on Medical System in America

    Conclusion. The Healthcare system is one of the most important components of the U.S. social system since full productivity cannot be achieved without good health. This paper has argued that a free health care system would be the most effective system for America. To reinforce this assertion, the paper has articulated the benefits that the ...

  3. Free Healthcare: Advantages and Disadvantages

    According to practical research, free healthcare increases people's capability and allows them to work more productively (Allegri et al., 2020). Thus, by having free access to healthcare services, people can have their diseases treated in time. As a result, the general efficiency of the people's work directly correlates with their health.

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  6. Universal Healthcare in the United States of America: A Healthy Debate

    Abstract. This commentary offers discussion on the pros and cons of universal healthcare in the United States. Disadvantages of universal healthcare include significant upfront costs and logistical challenges. On the other hand, universal healthcare may lead to a healthier populace, and thus, in the long-term, help to mitigate the economic ...

  7. The Drawbacks of Free Healthcare: Economic, Quality, and ...

    Introduction Free healthcare is a concept that many countries have embraced since its introduction in the mid-20th century. ... Long waiting times, economical implications, reduced quality of care, and underfunded medical research are some of the disadvantages of free healthcare. ... and Access Issues [Internet]. GradesFixer. 2024 Mar 07 [cited ...

  8. Disadvantages Of Free Health Care

    One of the disadvantages of free health care is tax raising problem. Even the term of universal health care is free, it doesn't mean you don't have to pay anything at all. Which means that people actually have to pay for the free medical care in the form of taxes. And the government has to raise taxes from every citizen in the country in ...

  9. Advantages and Disadvantages of Government Providing Free Healthcare

    Download Study Plan. Advantage Disadvantage essays, like 'Advantages and Disadvantages of Government Providing Free Healthcare', are an integral part of IELTS Writing Task 2. Fortunately, it is easy to identify a topic due to the mention of the terms 'advantages', 'disadvantages', 'benefits', 'drawbacks' or other similar ...

  10. Free Health Care: Disadvantages and Advantages

    The Advantages and Disadvantages of Free Health Care. Free health care refers to a strategy where all people and communities access the health services they need at a minimal or no cost. The government runs these services using payroll taxes paid by its citizens (Dennehy, Tobin, Bury, & Cullen, 2020). The government acts as an arm that controls ...

  11. Disadvantages Of Free Health Care

    One of the disadvantages of free health care is tax raising problem. Even the term of universal health care is free, it doesn't mean you don't have to pay anything at all. Which means that people actually have to pay for the free medical care in the form of taxes. And the government has to raise tax from every citizen in the country in ...

  12. Advantages and Disadvantages of Free Healthcare

    The use of free healthcare has both negative and positive effects on society; therefore, leaders should weigh the advantages and disadvantages of the practices carefully to reap the most benefits. The healthcare industry has grown to become a billion-dollar industry yet access to care is among the major challenges presently.

  13. Advantages and disadvantages of free health care explained

    Some healthcare providers can earn less money but ultimately providing the same level of care. This mode of wellness eliminates the need for companies to compete for money. Competitive economies are very healthy except for healthcare. For free-market systems, wealthy people are the ones targeted by medical providers.

  14. 9 reasons universal healthcare will fail

    1. The penetration of financial services and mobile networks is too slow. Although digital technology has the power to transform the health of millions, it requires mobile connectivity. Unfortunately, network coverage in many rural, lower-income areas is incredibly poor.

  15. Arguments for Free Healthcare

    Disadvantages of Free Health care. One of the biggest problem posed by universal healthcare option in the United States is the reluctance of healthy people to pay for other's medication. According to Krugman (2009), citizens who may never need the medication will pay a lifetime of high taxes to cater to patients with chronic diseases.

  16. Advantages and Disadvantages of Free Health Care

    The first advantage of free healthcare is increased access to health services and facilities, usually associated with free or at a very minimal cost. The governments have subsidized the health sector by providing resources like health facilities, and medicine and offering of health services to the citizens (Acharya and Kumar, 2012, p. 255).

  17. Every government has a duty to provide free health care for ...

    While your essay touches on the advantages and disadvantages of free healthcare, consider expanding on each point to provide a more comprehensive discussion. task achievement. ... Writing9 was developed to check essays from the IELTS Writing Task 2 and Letters/Charts from Task 1. The service helps students practice writing for IELTS and improve ...

  18. Advantages and Disadvantages of Free Healthcare

    Download Essays (high school) - Advantages and Disadvantages of Free Healthcare Covers the healthcare definition by the World Health Organization, pros, and cons of having free healthcare to every group in the society. How can healthcare benefit the

  19. Why Healthcare Should Be Free: [Essay Example], 640 words

    Words: 640 | Page: 1 | 4 min read. Published: Aug 31, 2023. Why healthcare should be free is a question that speaks to the heart of societal values, equity, and well-being. Access to quality healthcare is a fundamental human right that underpins the overall health and prosperity of a nation. This essay delves into the multifaceted reasons why ...

  20. IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample 824

    Disadvantages of government providing free health care? 1. Free health care service includes only some basic treatment and for advanced diagnosis, people have to turn to the more expensive private medical treatment. Free healthcare usually covers only the most common treatment and the lack of doctors and trained nurses make it worse. 2.

  21. Advantages and Disadvantages of Free Healthcare

    Advantages and Disadvantages of Free Healthcare. Free healthcare involves the social influencing concept, which gives people an opportunity to seek a healthy life despite their constraining social and economic status. In implication, free healthcare is a concept to imply that wellness services are provided at no cost.

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  25. In its 2024 budget, the Victorian government forgets debt, dreams big

    There's a clear and simple message you get from reading the Victorian government's budget papers: don't panic. Sure, there's a few numbers that will widen your eyes. Money the government gets in ...