Universal Healthcare Persuasive

The United States is the only developed nation without universal health care coverage, and the current state of affairs is bankrupting millions. the United States spends more on health care per an individual than any other nation, the World Health Organization reports that the United States only ranks 28th for life expectancy and 37th for mortality of children under the age of 5. For immunizations, the United States ranks 67th – Botswana is 66th. More than 46 million Americans go uninsured each day, 9 million of whom are children. Some believe that universal health care would bankrupt America, but the Congressional Budget Office found that it would actually save $100 to $200 billion dollars per a year, according to the Connecticut Coalition for Universal Health Care. The cost of health care in the United States is also costing American jobs. To avoid hefty insurance premiums, American businesses have moved offices out of the States. Health Care Statistics in the United States Health Insurance. The United States is the only wealthy, industrialized nation that does not have a universal health care system. Source: Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences In 2010, the percentage of Americans without health insurance was 16. 3%, or 49. 9 million uninsured people. Source: US Census Bureau Of the 83. 7% of people with health insurance in 2010, coverage was 55. 3% employment-based, 9. 8% direct-purchase, and 31. 0% government funded (Medicare, Medicaid, Military). (Overlap reflects coverage by more than one type of health insurance). Source: US Census Bureau The primary reason given for lack of health insurance coverage in 2005 was cost (more than 50%), lost job or a change in employment (24%), Medicaid benefits stopped (10%), ineligibility for family insurance coverage due to age or leaving school (8%). Source: National Center for Health Statistics More than 40 million adults stated that they needed but did not receive one or more of these health services (medical care, prescription medicines, mental health care, dental care, or eyeglasses) in 2005 because they could not afford it. Source: National Center for Health Statistics Medicaid, which accounted for 15. 9% of health care coverage in 2010, is a health insurance program jointly funded by the federal and state governments to provide health care for qualifying low-income individuals. Source: US Census Bureau Medicare, a federally funded health insurance program that covers the health care of most individuals 65 years of age and over and disabled persons, accounted for 14. 5% of health care coverage in 2010. Source: US Census Bureau Medicare operates with 3% overhead, non-profit insurance 16% overhead, and private (for-profit) insurance 26% overhead. Source: Journal of American Medicine 2007 Since the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) was created in 1997, the percentage of children ages 0-17 with health insurance has increased from 86% to 93%. Source: National Center for Health Statistics: December 2011 2. 5 million young adults have gained health insurance as a result of the provision in the Affordable Care Act that allows them to remain on their parents insurance plans until age 26. Source: National Center for Health Statistics: December 2011 Health Care Expenditures Health care expenditures in the United States were nearly $2. 6 trillion in 2010, an average of $8,402 per person. Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services In 2009, national health care expenditures were paid by households 28%, private businesses 21%, state and local governments 16%, and federal government 27%. Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 75% of all health care dollars are spent on patients with one or more chronic conditions, many of which can be prevented, including diabetes, obesity, heart disease, lung disease, high blood pressure, and cancer. Source: Health Affairs Half of health care spending is used to treat just 5% of the population. Source: Kaiser Family Foundation, May 2012 Since 2001, employer-sponsored health coverage for family premiums has increased by 113%. Source: Kaiser Family Foundation, May 2012 The share of the economy devoted to health care has increased from 7. 2% in 1970 to 17. 9% in 2009 and 2010. Source: Kaiser Family Foundation, May 2012 The U. S. spends substantially more on health care than other developed countries. As of 2009, health spending in the U. S. was about 90% higher than in many other industrialized countries. The most likely causes are higher prices, more readily accessible technology, and greater obesity. Source: Kaiser Family Foundation, May 2012 Infant Mortality In 2005, the United States ranked 30th in infant mortality. Singapore has the lowest rate with 2. 1 deaths per 1000 live births, while the United States has a rate of 6. 9 deaths per 1000 live births. Infant mortality is considered an important indicator of the health of a nation. Source: CDC, NCHS Data Brief, Number 23, November 2009 Approximately 30,000 infants die in the United States each year. The infant mortality rate, which is the risk of death during the first year of life, is related to the underlying health of the mother, public health practices, socioeconomic conditions, and availability and use of appropriate health care for infants and pregnant women. Sources: CDC and National Center for Health Statistics, 2008 The main cause contributing to the high infant mortality rate in the United States is the very high percentage of preterm births. One in 8 births in the United States were born preterm, an increase of 36% since 1984. Source: CDC, NCHS Data Brief, Number 23, November 2009 Life Expectancy Life expectancy at birth in the United States is an estimated 78. 49 years, which ranks 50th in highest total life expectancy compared to other countries. Source: CIA Factbook (2011) Lack of health insurance is associated with as many as 44,789 deaths per year in the United States. Source: Harvard Medical School Study, American Journal of Public Health, December 2009 People without health insurance had a 40 percent higher risk of death than those with private health insurance, a result of being unable to obtain necessary medical care. Source: Harvard Medical School Study, American Journal of Public Health, December 2009 Bankruptcy Nearly two-thirds, or 62%, of all bankruptcy filings in the United States in 2007 were due to illness or medical bills. Source: American Journal of Medicine, June 2009 Among the medical bankruptcy filers in 2007, most were well-educated, owned homes, employed in middle-class occupations, and three-quarters had health insurance. Source: American Journal of Medicine, June 2009 Everyone has the right to health, including health care, according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Health care is a public good, not a commodity. The U. S. health care system must fulfill these principle s†¢Universality: Everyone in the United States has the human right to health care. †¢Equity: Benefits and contributions should be shared fairly to create a system that works for everyone. †¢Accountability: The U. S. government has a responsibility to ensure that care comes first. If you are against universal health care or don’t have an opinion on it at all, I urge you to read the following. I will attempt to simply and concisely prove why the United States needs to change its current health care system. In the United States of America, 44. 8 million people are without health insurance. Either they can’t afford it or they are denied coverage because the companies do not think they will be â€Å"economical enough†. Even if one does have medical insurance, chances are they will be denied coverage at one point in their life. This is due to the privatized, profit-driven system, which encourages legalese like co-pays, thresholds, limited coverage, and more. Our private system, contrary to popular belief, is incredibly expensive for the state. We give 15% of our GDP to healthcare for a system that is supposedly run by corporations. That’s the highest GDP percentage in the world that is spent on healthcare. Here’s why a universal healthcare system would be better for many reasons. Those who agree that health care is a basic human right (78% of Americans do) would easily list this as the first reason. Universal Health Care would also be cheaper. According to the WHO, the United States spends $3371 per person, per year for health insurance. Look at what these countries pay: Australia: $1017 (#2 in the world). Yeah. We pay three times as much as Australia, the number two country on the list, for a fundamentally broken system. And where does most of that money go? Into the pockets of big insurance company management. As for the doctor pay: Yes, doctors will be paid less. Perhaps as much as 30% less. In spite of this, doctors will still be one of the highest-paid professions in the United States, even with universal health care. Furthermore, under the new system that many are proposing, med school would be partially or completely subsidized by the government. Another argument often heard: â€Å"Taxes would spike†. Not if it’s done right. US government spending is SECOND-HIGHEST in the world per person, for a private system. Countries with Universal Health Care, like Australia, Canada, UK, etc. all have less government spending per person that us, and a better system. Same or less amount of spending means the same or less amount of taxes. Enough of the status quo. It’s time for change. It’s not just about voting with your heart, it’s about voting with your brain. Universal Health Care is the logical alternative.

Information Communication Technology in Agriculture Essay

Information Communication Technology in Agriculture - Essay Example In spite of using current existing technology production is coming out poor, which means there are some critical factors that are affecting it. In this paper various approaches will be taken to sort out the key points of this issue. Farmers will be interviewed directly or indirectly in order to get their viewpoints about whether they are receiving proper information and knowledge or not; or the information given to them is sufficient and understandable or not. After proper survey Information Communication Technology (ICT) will be used to rectify them. This paper mostly concentrates on different scopes of ICT in the field of agriculture. Urbanization which directly affects the agricultural land. Before urbanization proper knowledge of land management is necessary. Suppose one land that can accommodate 100 persons adequately but due to improper land management only 50 peoples are getting placed. It results into increase in urban area unnecessarily. This problem can be solved using information technology where, people's habits, tastes and lifestyles are studied and according to that optimum residential area can be defined. Climatic changes like flood drought, weather changes also have impacts on foods1. Today's technology that can be used for sophisticated statistical calculation in order to get idea of climatic change and based on that, steps are taken. The most important factor is lacking ... The most important factor is lacking of proper knowledge among the public regarding the better using of resources. Here Information Communication Technology (ICT) plays one vital role. ICT is the best tool for sharing knowledge among farmers. Establishing rural network will enhance farmers' idea exchanging capability. Apart from that using remote farm consulting system through camera and wireless, adequate information can be delivered. Research Questions Research proposal starts with research question or hypothesis. For this study research questions are: 1. What are the basic problems that agriculture industry is facing today 2. Will Information Communication Technology (ICT) work better for these cases 3. If yes to question 2 then till what extent it will serve our purpose Objectives The main purpose of this research is to see how information communication technology will be used for better agricultural purposes. This research will address the problems related to farmers' awareness and usage of ICT to overcome the issues. The direction of this work will have two three major phases as research questions. First one is going through existing literatures and tools to point out the core problems, the basic variables which are responsible for that degradation and also the extent they are affecting. Second phase will be checking whether ICT can make any improvement over the existing ones. Sampling and survey will be done in this stage. After researcher is confident enough with ICT approach finally, several methodologies will be proposed to implement the idea and then execution of these solutions will be done. Rationale The above figures are examples illustrating the utilization of land

International Television - Product Placement Essay

International Television - Product Placement - Essay Example There is an ongoing debate across the world on the pros and cons of product placement. This essay presents some of the salient points in this debate. The concept of product placement is nothing new in the world of advertising. Nevertheless, its magnitude and pervasiveness had grown exponentially in the last 20 years. Members of the Entertainment Resources and Marketing Association form the core marketing personnel of the placement-industry. The Association also acts as the mouth-piece for the placement-industry. The mission statement of the Association contains the phrase â€Å"to highlight the practice and establish a code of ethics†. The association is doing an excellent job in highlighting the practice. But, this essay is primarily concerned with the â€Å"establish a code of ethics† part. Started in 1991, ERMA has had 16 years to design a framework of ethics. Conventional wisdom instructs us that high profits and elevated ethics don’t go together. Given the i mpressive profits made by the public relations industry, the implication is that ethics have been neglected. The rest of this essay will look at the evolution of legislations and industry standards pertaining to product placement, by analyzing and contextualizing government regulations and industry sentiments. Also, the United States is taken as the subject country of investigation as the length of the essay only allows limited scope.

Marketing Products Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marketing Products - Assignment Example On the other hand, the company also ensures that its product is of high quality in order for other consumers to purchase its products as opposed to those of the competitors. Therefore, the key product offered is beer. The product has been the key product for the company for a number of years now. However, in order for the company to diversify the number of customers that it serves, it also includes other beverages in order to accommodate customers who might not be comfortable with drinking beer. However, the company manufactures beer only while it outsources the other beverages. The major characteristic of beer is that it requires a large number of raw materials such as sugar and water. Water is one scarce commodity that is very costly to the company since; it is not readily available. In addition, the sales of beer are also characterized by seasonal changes. For instance, the sales are always at peak during end month, and low pick during mid-month. This is due to the fact that; indi viduals tend to overspend when they have a lot money at their disposal. Beer is also a product that is not easy to market, this is because; it is not every individual in the society who takes beer. The service component that is associated with the product offered by BERVET is mainly entertainment. The company ensures that its customers are well entertained by the drinks that they serve. The company mainly promotes entertainment to promote its products to the customers. Therefore, customers will be mainly attracted to purchase the goods in search of entertainment. Therefore, entertainment is like an additional service that is offered to the consumers who purchase beer that is manufactured by BERVET. The service will greatly aid in enhancing the product through attracting the number of persons that purchase beer for the company. This way, the company will be able to also attract customers who do not take beer. Thus, other beverages offered will also have obtained market through the se rvice. The service will also help in creating appositive image for the product. This is because; the company will be able to compete well with its competitors since; customers will find services that are not available from the competitors. Therefore, when more customers are attracted, the company’s sales will increase by a large amount (Wood,  2003). Currently, BERVET Company has already developed more than 5 product lines. However, the company can still be able to expand its product line in order to increase its sales of beer. This will be mainly through innovation. The company could come with new ideas of brewing different types of beers. This way, it will be able to come up with different types of products. Expanding of the product line can be done in terms of gender, age and income earning range. This is where by, individuals of different age groups will be targeted differently from individuals of different age groups. In addition, persons earning different levels of in come will be targeted differently. This will also be accomplished through innovation since; the company could come up with expensive products that will be meant to specifically target people that earn high incomes. In terms of depth, the company could increase its product line by targeting a large number of persons to purchase its commodities (Wood,  2003). In addition, it could also increase the depth of its customers by increasing the size of the market, and the amount of

The book The Middle Ground written by Richard White Essay

The book The Middle Ground written by Richard White - Essay Example In addition, the author also tried to show the complexities of Indian-white relations, and how it has led to either the assimilation or the destruction of these Indian tribes (White 518 to 584). In this case, this paper would try to look at the thesis of White as presented in this book, presenting evidence from the text itself. Then, from this thesis, the researcher would try to look at the pros and the cons of the author’s argument, putting into consideration the specific social and historical context of the events that occurred at that time. In addition, the researcher would also look at how the author interpreted the specific cultural and historical events that was presented in the book, in order to accurately analyze the pros and the cons of the narrative of the author. In his book â€Å"The Middle Ground,† White actually showed how the Indian tribes, at the time of their contact with the European colonizers in the Great Lakes Area, treaded the middle ground, to whi ch White showed â€Å"a process of mutual invention† (White 50), wherein the French (colonizers) â€Å"assimilated the Indians in their own conceptual order,† while some Indians pretty did much the same (White 50-51).

How Parents Treat Sons And Daughters Differently Essay

How Parents Treat Sons And Daughters Differently - Essay Example This child then becomes the adult of the society, and the subsequent domino effect for the creation of all prejudices, biases and polarity comes into existence. Taken objectively, because essentially the male and female child are intrinsically very different, it is virtually impossible even for the most passionate of parents to claim that they have sustained a just rule for all. The study finds its rationale in the fact that it is essential to understand where the root cause of discrimination is embedded within the human behavior, as it later on goes on to produce social, economic, religious and moral prejudices within the human community - a reality that is causing all the unrest in out world. There quite a few studies, which have worked on this project. "In the United States, a person's gender has affected the level of education she is likely to receive, the occupation she will take up, and the wages she will be paid" (Blau 1998, U.S. Department of Education 2000). Morgan, Lye, and Condran (1988) discover that sons reduce the risk of marital disruption by 9% more than do daughters. In the same domain, Dahl and Moretti (no date) find that having a girl considerably affects marriage and divorce rate; being 3.4% less likely to be living with her father compared to a first-born son. Some studies have found that "fathers interact more with infant sons and are more engaged with adolescent sons than daughters" (Barnett and Baruch 1987). There is also accord among researchers that fathers spend less time in childcare than mothers do (Pleck and Masciadrelli 2004). METHODS In order to gain a basic insight into the issue, a study was designed which would give an idea about the issue. The results would help us understand whether the incidence of this problem is existence or is it just an academic model. Participants The volunteer participants of the study were 25 pairs of brothers and sisters. They were different in sibling order, and even in the total number of siblings. But from every family, one son and one daughter were selected. For 25 families, the total number of participants thus came out to be 50. The inclusion criterion was children aged from 4 to 12. They were not told about the exact of the study, so that their biases and preconceived notions would not come into play. Also, the same tool was given to all of them, seeking their opinion about how they thought their parents treated them, in general. Procedures The tool used was a specifically designed questionnaire that would measure up to the basic requirements within the household, school and neighborhood of children aged 4-12. as literacy and cognitive understand would be an obvious issue, therefore the questionnaire was administered to all of them through an interview, wherein the standardized items were asked from all the participants in isolation. It is very important to mention here that as children are well under-aged to make their own legal and rational decisions, therefore an undertaking was also signed by their parents which would admit them participating in this study. The exact scope of the study was told to the parents. Dependent Measures The questionnaire itself addressed issues of psychological, sociological, familial, economic and

Intention and Recommendations Essay Example for Free

Intention and Recommendations Essay In the early 1960’s, Columbia, as well as other Latin American countries, witnessed a rise in leftist movements motivated by endemic poverty, social inequality and the success of the Cuban Revolution. At that time, the FARC embraced the PCCs Soviet-style Marxist-Leninist ideology. The early membership of the FARC consisted of communist ideologues as well as noncommunist peasants, many of whom had been active during â€Å"la violencia†. The FARCs stated goal is to overthrow the current democratic government of Colombia and replace it with a Communist government. They claim to represent the rural poor against Colombia’s wealthy classes and oppose American influence in Colombia (particularly Plan Colombia), the privatization of natural resources, multinational corporations, and rightist violence. FARC has shown a willingness to meet with the Columbian government but no agreement has managed to have any permanence. In May 1984, the government and the FARC signed La Uribe peace accords which permitted FARC to form a legitimate political party, the Union Patriotica (UP). The UP party comprised of former guerrillas and Communists espoused anti-corruption policies, harsh penalties against narco-traffickers and progressive land and economic reforms. As the UP gained in popularity and political clout, they soon became the target of para-military right-wing death squads and drug cartels. Thousands of UP members and candidates have either been assassinated or have disappeared. With their hope at political legitimacy sabotaged, the FARC reverted back to violence and narco-trafficking. It is unclear if FARC has actually done anything positive in support of their stated agenda. The Counsel on Hemispheric Affairs (COHA) states, â€Å"FARC is extremely out of touch and unconcerned with the interests of the Colombian public today, including the rural populace. † According to BBC News and COHA, less than 5 percent of the population supports FARC and their involvement with kidnappings and drug-trafficking denigrates their ideological rhetoric. It should be mentioned that Manuel Marulanda Velez died on March 25, 2008 of reported heart failure, after almost five decades of rule. Several of his key leaders have also recently been killed; one at the hands of his own guards. It remains to be seen what the affect of these deaths will have on the stability and future of FARC. The death of two key members of the Secretariat and a recent successful rescue of hostages from FARC (July 2008) supports the current belief that FARC is in a state of disarray; but they are far from disbanding. It is estimated that they still hold 700 hostages and control millions of dollars in drug trade. Economic and political stability play key roles in reducing the motivation of a populace to vehemently oppose governments. Programs that reduce the perception of government â€Å"injustices† will erode public support for any â€Å"radical† factions and erode groups internally, especially if they begin to doubt their purpose. The country practices a democratic government similar to the United States. According to BBC and COHA reports, President Uribe and the government have a high approval rating and the gross national product has been steadily rising along with tourism and trade. One of the weakest key indicators is a high unemployment rate (11%) which should be countered with government programs to employ young adults†¦the most vulnerable pool for radical organizations. This will further bolster the economy and take away a recruiting source. Although military pressure is essential with regards to fighting a paramilitary force like FARC, the use of military operations towards FARC should be used in tandem with local civilian authorities. Confidence in local authorities solidifies the local base and further weakens the recruiting pool. President Uribe’s increased military and police efforts have shown a significant reduction in kidnappings and assassinations. Corruption scandals that have plagued previous administrations do not seem to be a major issue with the current administration. Any signs of corruption should be dealt with quickly and firmly to support credibility of the administration. Colombian scholar Herbert â€Å"Tico† Braun suggests that a crucial factor in the mindset of para-military and terrorist organizations is the need to be recognized as a viable and key player in determining local and national policies. Braun states, â€Å"†¦the FARC wants to contribute something, and be perceived as helping the nation. If the FARC can be seen as forcing the government to make important societal changes, it might be willing to give something up in return, and possibly even begin disarming. With their willingness to participate in talks in the past combined with their current perceived vulnerability, talks should be offered again to FARC but only under very strict guidelines to include a limited disarmament. A political wing, comprised of â€Å"non-militants† or people outside the direct leadership of FARC, should be offered the ability to es tablish a political party to forward similar goals of the FARC. The eradication of narco-trafficking is probably the most difficult strategy to implement and enforce. Local and regional efforts should be a high priority of resourcing and highly-publicized. The international drug trade is lucrative and any hint of corruption within the government needs to be dealt with swiftly. The improvements in economy along with continued subsidies to farmers who grow legal crops will help to erode the drug trade internally. Support directly from the United States should be limited as it benefits the rebel propaganda. With Venezuela’s public withdrawal of support for the FARC, international alliances should be pursued with regards to drug enforcement, especially pertaining to land and water boundaries in order to make it easier for law enforcement to work without restrictions to borders. Although the geographical and political landscape of Columbia presents unique challenges in dealing with the FARC, the tenants for a counterterrorism strategy are basic: Commitment to a national political strategy, limited but clear and concise military strategy, priority resourcing of regional and local security, implementation of economic reforms, improvement of human rights protection, and a vigorous and effective counter-narcotics program.