FRO13 BWB

This number, 14 million, of Americans uninsured and living in poverty is astounding to me. I think the government does have an obligation to ensure that all Americans are properly insured to some extent. If the citizen can help himself then he should do so, but if he can’t then this is another story. However, the lines between eligibility can be blurred. This is why all cases must be analyzed even though this might take much more work. This is the only way that Americans in need can truly get help. They should get basic needs such as shelter and food to sustain them and/or their family. They should also receive help in putting together a resume or getting an interview because once they are able to get a job then they can start providing for themselves.

I find the numbers shocking. I feel like the government does have an obligation to ensure all Americans are properly insured but I also feel that Americans should take responsibility to better their lives in any way they can and try not to depend on the government so much. Government with certain programs should be there as a safety net, to those who need help getting back on their feet. I also feel that the rules of requirement for Medicaid and getting subsidies for federal health exchange should be reviewed in states, seeing as there are many flaws with that and many people are just stuck in the middle.

The numbers are shocking. We the people give government power, so in turn they should help those who have helped them, that is to an extent. The government should only help until help isn’t needed anymore, so in part it is also the people’s responsibility to help themselves, go look for job that provide health care.  We can’t always  solely depend  on the government to help us, they are often unreliable so in cases like this we don’t have another option, always have a backup plan.

The fact that this many people are uninsured is a bit shocking to me. The government has a responsibility to its people and a basic standard of living should be one of them. The government should do whatever it can to make sure everyone can be insured or at least have a decent living. People that are not able to do these things on their own should be assisted by the government. There should be programs that get people jobs to start them out in this process. I don’t believe these people should be handed things, but assistance should be the first step the government takes.

The U.S. Government is not under any official or mandatory obligation to ensure healthcare to its citizens. However, I personally believe that it is the governments responsibility to protect the people it was put in place to represent. According to the N.Y. Times study, “about 14 million eligible Americans are left uninsured and living in poverty”. Although 14 million is a small number compared to the growing number of American people, as a citizen, I am not proud to say that a percentage of my fellow Americans aren’t able to get affordable care due to certain states failure to expand. I think that it is necessary for states to expand in order to fill in the gaps, but I also believe that it is important to have limits. Care should be available specifically to those Americans who work and pay taxes, those who cannot work due to a certain condition, those who are under emergency circumstances, and children.

The NY Times article covers exactly what was foreshadowed during the signing of the Affordable Care Act in 2010. There was strong opposition to the ACA from the start, and it is no surprise that the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the states on the aspect of expanding Medicaid. It is really upsetting and astonishing to hear that about 14 million people in poverty will be left uninsured, but this is mostly because that some states holding off on Medicaid do not have the resources themselves. Their poverty rates are high and simply going through with the ACA would be to expensive. Also, I do not think that the act of not expanding Medicaid is purely discriminatory, but rather a smart decision on account of these states when looking into the expenses and outcomes. Lastly, though ACA does seem like a great health care plan, providing for Americans, it has several flaws and even if passed it would still leave millions uninsured.

A New York Times article disclosed that 14 million Americans live in poverty  and have no access to health care. I find this statistic shocking as we’ll as unacceptable. Living in “the land of the free,” which is filled with opportunity and government aid, I would presume that lack of health care was an issue that affected only a small group of Americans. So to find out that so many Americans in need of health care do not qualify for insurance programs baffles me. I do think the American government has an obligation to provide health care for all Americans. Most of us are tax paying citizens and therefore our money should go to government programs that benefit us. Such a program is Medicaid. I think the federal government should mandate states that oppose expanding Medicaid, to lower poverty criteria so more Americans can qualify for insurance. this idea is not foolproof but it is a good start in getting health coverage to the millions who need it.

I think that it is definitely the government’s responsibility to make sure that all its citizens have health care. When reading the Bloomberg rankings for universal health care systems it was surprising for me to realize that countries like China, Algeria and Iran have a more effective universal health care system than riches country in the world, the United States. While the US constitution says nothing about healthcare I believe it is the government’s responsibility to take care of it’s citizens and taking care of its citizens not only defending them from international threats like terrorism and such but also protecting their health. I commend the Obama administration in its attempt to provide a universal health care system however I must admit that this attempt is not completely successful, since according to the ny times  “14 million eligible Americans are uninsured and living in poverty.” I do not think that it is possible for a nation to be considered successful if a great number of its citizens are not cared for. While I understand some people’s stance when they say that its not fair for the hard working people who have to pay their insurance when some “lazy” jobless people get free healthcare, I disagree because the ability to be healthy is a human right in my opinion. Think about the people who because of circumstances beyond their control like an illness or something can’t work, do they not have a right to be treated by a doctor? People need to realize that we are talking about other human beings and we should care about them just as much as we care about ourselves and our families and friends. We should strive to make living conditions better for all and not just for ourselves.

After reading the article, I have many thoughts developing in my head. First, I don’t understand why the poorest states in america are the ones not getting help and refuting the Medicaid Program. I somewhat agree with the way the Republicans are viewing the program though, why should people who don’t work and who are poor and lazy get the same benefits that the rich hard working man gets? I feel that if someone is looking to get insured by the government, then they should be willing to give back in some way, like having a job. I also feel that there should be another form of insurance program that does cover the poor people because they do need medical attention too. If someone can get covered and not have to work, then that isn’t fair to the people who do work that are covered. I feel that the states not planning to expand their Medicaid should set up something else because the states that aren’t expanding are the states with the highest black poverty rate and those states need the Medicaid the most. all and all the article was very interesting, it was nice to get some knowledge on the subject.

When reading the New York Times statistics that about 14 million are uninsured and living in poverty I am not surprised. Seeing how bad things have gotten economically in the US after the past few years, it was to be expected that numerous people will find themselves to be considered in the poor class. I feel the government has no obligation to ensure that all Americans are properly insured, in fact, I feel to many people in this country try to place most of their responsibilities onto the government or are just expecting the government to be able to handle what they can not or will not do and with that mindset they are contributing to the downfall of the U.S. government and country as a whole. One problem with the health law intentions is the word “all” for the fact that close to nothing in life is ever a unanimous decision especially in a country that is so heavily populated. The health law is worded in a way that can be found very tricky to understand or very easily taken with many misconceptions, which leads to such a division amongst people and their opinion on the fact of the matter. If the law was to be more clearly stated and easier to understand by everyone, debates on the subject will differ significantly. Sure the government can provide assistance in programs or allow for financial aid opportunities, but they should not make it their responsibility to help and insure everyone in the country as it is not that best option. Citizens should make it their own responsibility to help find what option suits them best and maybe further explore the economical opportunities they may have, the government should not be getting too involved with everyone’s lives, there has to be a balance of the individual and the governing.