Monday, November 18, 2013

Blog Post of the Week -Due Friday

John Green on Health Care Costs in the U.S.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSjGouBmo0M
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/18/opinion/the-shame-of-american-health-care.html?src=me

1. Post an educated opinion on the issue.  Use at least one quoted reference from the video or articles in your response.

2.  Extra credit- comment on a classmate's post.

67 comments:

  1. George Hartlin P.7

    Obama Care or the Affordable Care act is a big change in this nation, until now we haven't really seen it in action. Many people have different opinions on the subject of whether it will help a struggling nation or make it crumble to the ground. In my opinion this health care can not be good for many reasons. The website it's running on is just new, but the real problem with it is they never fully tested it before setting it up for the citizens of the United States. Second, this reform will force many Americans to drop their original Insurance and change to one that meets the requirements of the Affordable Care Act. Third, the insurances that meet the requirements require so much that in the end the people will be spending more than what they would be spending before. Fourth, the act will also cause a lot of business to take more money out of your check for taxes. Finally, Obama is going against his vow to allow the people who don't want the Insurance plan to keep their old one but now most insurance plans will be dropped because your required by law to get a plan that covers his plans requirements which most don't. A good example of how bad this Care Act really is came from the passage, "President Obama’s erroneous statements that all people who like their current insurance policies can keep them — not true for many people buying insurance in the individual market — has added to anger and misunderstanding." In a country where we have the right to make are own choices we can't we choose who takes care of us. I feel this is a law that makes are country into something that we were never meant to be or to become. I hope that the next president we have removes this policy and fixes are country starting with the bottom.

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    1. Cassie Vaccaro, P.7

      I agree with a lot of your points George. You made some really good connections to the article, and i agree with mostly everything you had said in this post. Good work :)

      Delete
  2. Cassie Vaccaro P.7

    Starting off, in my opinion our health care in America isn't all that good for plenty of reasons. For example, in the video, it talks about how in other countries people pay less for lets say a hip transplant, and in the United States we pay way more than they do. Also, John Green made a good point by saying, "If you tell me this drug that will save my life costs $7.00 a month, i will pay you $7.00 a month for it, if you tell me it is $125.00 a month, i will find a way to pay that." I don't think that people blame doctors, and its drug companies, and Obama Care, its basically all those things put together. The real problem is; they haven't set up and tested it before really put it up for the citizens of the united states. This forces many Americans to drop their insurance and change to one that meets all the requirements of the affordable health care. I personally, am not a big fan of Barak Obama (But, thats just me). I do hope that the next president of the US that we do have changes these policy's and really takes a step back to fix our country, and to basically start at the bottom, and build up to new health care, and health insurance.

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  3. Caroline M. 2
    Of all the oddities of the U.S. health care system, one stands out: we spend far more on health care per person than other industrialized nations yet have no better health outcomes! A 2012 paper by the Commonwealth Fund found that among 13 industrialized countries studied, the U.S. has the highest rate of obesity, which is usually a factor in higher health care costs. Yet, the U.S. ranks far behind many other countries in our rates of citizens who smoke or who are over the age of 55, these are two other strong indicators of increased spending. So why is our health care spending more than 17% of our gross domestic product, according to "Why Are American Health Care Costs So High?" A central reason U.S. health care spending is so high is that hospitals and doctors charge more for their services and there’s little transparency about why they do so. There is no uniformity to the system, in which public and private insurers have separate, unrelated contracts with hospitals and doctors. This drives health care prices higher and higher. Health Care is benefiting this country or the people living here.

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  4. Post 6: Miranda S. Period 6

    Healthcare is ridiculous right now. Everyone says that this topic is either “too sensitive” and/ or “too controversial” to talk about which is why yet again we’ve delayed our situation. The government; however, doesn’t think about the 44 million people in desperate need of healthcare. America is a system that is so corrupt and dysfunctional that it results in the deaths of nearly 45,000 Americans each year. These people are usually among the poor who simply just can’t afford the expensive fees. In a lot of ways is America wasting its healthcare money when it could be allocated to the poor. According to John Green’s video he says, "But, in fact, in the United States we spend more tax money, per capita, on healthcare than Germany, Australia, the United Kingdom or Canada. That's right, you pay more in taxes for healthcare than you would if you were British. And in exchange for those taxes, you get...no healthcare." We get nothing. How is that okay? A healthcare that drains money and gets no benefit, what kind of system is that? I highly support a unified healthcare, much like how the European Union is running their healthcare system right now, it helps substantiate for everyone including employees. Many Americans are unaware of American employee healthcare benefits. As of right now in the Affordable Healthcare Act to be enacted in 2015, claims in the Employer Shared Responsibility Payment that only employers who have 50 or more employees must make a payment if at least 1 of their employees qualifies to save money on monthly premiums in the Marketplace. Their employees won't be able to save money on monthly premiums in the Marketplace if the coverage the business offers full-time employees in 2015 is affordable and meets minimum value. Employee coverage is affordable when the employee’s share of the annual premium for self-only coverage is no greater than 9.5% of annual household incomes and the minimum value is at least 60%. Now, the question is what about people who have less than 50 employees? Well, that will come eventually with many changes and debates; however, for now I think our poor needs coverage. Our poor would benefit the best from a unified healthcare, thus gaining my support in bills like the Affordable Healthcare Act or Obamacare.

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  5. Michael Caminear Period 6
    It obvious that the dramatic costs of healthcare are presently a growing problem in the United States. The persistent amounts of currency inflation and increased demand for health is undoubtedly a key aspect as to why healthcare is such a significant problem. However, I think that the main reason as to why it is such a concerning issue is because the vast majority of Americans, Congress included, cannot distinguish the difference between a right and a privilege when comes to medical insurance. I, for one, tend to think that health care is a privilege; one pays for it just as they would for food or for any other necessities. Rights, on the other hand, are things that nobody can ever take away from you; you are given them as soon as you are born (live, think, freedom. etc.). Health care should not be a considered a right in the United States because, quite simply, it will cost an enormous sum of money to fund, and will, therefore, pose an even greater economic threat to this country. In addition to this, John Green made an interesting point in the video; he brought up the idea of "inelastic demand' which simply means that no matter what health care costs are, people are going to find a way to pay for it because, as Green said, "It is hard to put a price on not dying." If you absolutely need health insurance, then you will do something, perhaps out of your comfort zone, in order to get it done. The only feasible solution to this financial dilemma is to allow the free market to do what it does best, and that is to produce capital. This can be used with health care by promoting small businesses to expand. Now, of course, I think that there should be some kind of safety net for all people who need emergency care. However, I also would like to point out that this will not be free. Allowing the free market to produce capital would be the best way to fund such "safety net" policies. Overall, this video really made me think about our health care system and what we really have to do to make it the most productive we can.

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  6. Ryan C.
    Period 2
    HealthCare in the United States is a big disaster. It is one of the problems that needs to be addressed. According to John Green we pay the most amount of money in taxes on healthcare each year. He said that only 28% of Americans use healthcare given by the government. John continues to talk about how the while system is flawed and that every little part of the Healthcare system must be changed. Although I would like to see healthcare available and affordable for all Americans, now is not the time. I like that the President is trying to make our country better, but with all of the flaws, now is not the time. I believe that we need to fix the problems with the affordable health care act, in order to give out healthcare to all U.S. citizens.

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  7. Healthcare in the United States should not be considered care at the present moment. I knew that we pay much more in taxes than that of other countries for healthcare but I didn't know just exactly how much more. John Green's statistics were sickening to think that that is our reality. And if it isn't fixed soon, it will only worsen. The population is projected to increase and healthcare will be at a higher demand and it will just rise with it. The most prominent thing that stood out to me was John Green saying that we spend much more per pill than any other country. Now I knew this, but I've never really compared what it actually is to other countries. This is very astounding to me. The fact that we are being charged more for things we need to live and to have a normal life just because companies can? Where's the humanity in that? Also insurance companies don't always agree with doctors. And this becomes a problem. My doctor will prescribe me one medicine but my insurance company won't cover that medicine so they switch it out for something else. And in my experience that something else is less effective. I just feel like companies are blind to the people they "help" The world cares way too much about making money and not enough about helping people.
    MaryColleen Whitney
    Per. 2

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  8. Sonny G. Pr. 6
    Healthcare in the United States is a constantly growing issue. Its absurd to think for the amount of taxes that we pay, we receive so little health care in return. Most of the time is spent filing out paperwork on who gets what coverage, when they get, and how long they'll have it for. According to the article " Some 37 percent of American adults went without recommended care, did not see a doctor when sick or failed to fill prescriptions in the past year because of costs, compared with 4 percent in Britain and 6 percent in Sweden." This goes to show that Americans are truly paying too much for health care and that the sheer cost is just preventing taking full advantage of it. Obama care, for example. I see it to be pointless as it presents the idea of everyone having health care yet young healthy adults are never going to pay the cost because they rarely get sick, so whats the point of purchasing the coverage? Health care needs to be more focused and the cost of it lowered so it actually has value. America thinks it can solve all the worlds problems yet first we need to take care of our own people.

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  9. Although I am not the type of person who is interested in the whole governmental side of the economical health care problem, I do agree after watching and reading the related sources that America is in a very bad situation. I feel like the United States are so interested in being #1 at everything, buying the most expensive products, and paying the most for staff comes with the desire. Living in such a developed country comes with a price and that price is taxes. The amount of taxes that American citizens pay is almost double some other developed countries collections. Our government believes they have the right to increase taxes and the cost of health care because the citizens are capable of paying the price. It doesn't mean that the cost is reasonable or fair for all of those living in the states, and it especially does not mean the middle and lower classes dont have to struggle in order to pay their share. Another large issue that has to do with the cost of health care is the fact that people are clueless about how much they are overpaying. I have never seen the United States health care costs compared to other countries and now that I have, I feel like the government is taking advantage of us. One quote from John Greene's speech about health care stated, " The government can get away with a lot because it is really difficult to put a price on not dying." This particular quote stuck with me because I could connect to it. Many citizens of America struggle to afford health care and or medical insurance, but if their life is at risk, people will do whatever it takes to come up with the necessary cash. This same idea applies in family situations, when relatives start picking up the tab to help since human lives are simply priceless. Its disgusting to think that the government can control the cost related aspects that come with saving ones life, because no one should have to die because they couldn't afford the predicted surgery bill.
    Alyssa Case
    Period 3

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  10. With all other issues relating to US economy, the healthcare is the more disastrous one. It asks for attention but the government is too busy handling other affairs. Yes, we can’t only blame the government as John Green said there are multiple factors to this cause. The healthcare has been a melting pot of various factors leading to such high costs for insurance. This is a broad problem and I understand that it takes quite a long time to fix it but it has to be fixed eventually, (at least I hope so). The public is not getting back the healthcare that they paid tax for and we pay way more tax to government for healthcare than any other industrialized nation. There are a lot of manipulation between the tax we pay and healthcare. Also, it’s ridiculous to see the prices of medication so tremendously high. If one wants to survive then they will get the money for medication, no matter for $7 or $124. This is a vicious cycle that never ends though it needs to end for better healthcare and economy. But how? There are just too many causes; maybe cutting down each at a time would help. I know this is easy for me to say and requires a lot more time, power and commitments but still. If there is no better ideas then why not start with this one.
    ~Shilpa R Period 3

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  11. I feel health care will always be an issue in the United States. We pay way to much for healthcare in my opinion. Will all the taxes we have you would think our healthcare cost was low. We need to fix the affordable healthcare act for all and then maybe we'll see a change.
    Teagan Mockus

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  12. It is obviously an issue that America spends more on health care, but doesn't see any better outcomes. To fix this, many believe that we need one uniform healthcare plan, like the article said. Obamacare has tried to do this, but it hasn't been as much of a success as many had hoped. However, even though nothing is certain, this could be a step towards improving healthcare for our citizens. As of now, we rank towards the bottom of 13 developed countries surveyed. With the amount of money the U.S. is currently spending on healthcare, we should be able to move up to the top of this list. Jessica L. Period 6

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  13. I think that the US healthcare is a bad thing for people in general. If you don't have money you will not get help, and this is not what we want. In Norway you can get help no matter what, even though you only make 1 dollar each day or 1.000.000 dollar every day. I am not going to say that Norway is better than USA, but I think our solution is better when it comes to healthcare. I don't think it is fair that you can't live if you don't have money. Everybody has the right to live, but if you don't have money, and your family is poor, the rights to live hangs in a thin line. Maybe in other countries such as Spain and France you don't get the value of healthcare you pay in taxes, but at least in Norway you do. I think the healthcare in Usa has to be changed.
    Christian F. period 6

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  14. I agree that we spend an appauling amount of money on healthcare in the United States, especially in comparison to other countries in the world. However we also have better drugs, and we pay our doctors more. I feel that we could take some of the money out of big CEO paychecks, and displace it to the nurses, which would save us some money. Even if we do that, we are still paying for more expensive drugs and overnight expenses. I found John Green's video very interesting, especially by comparison to other nations. I believe that healthcare is a right, not a privilege. Just because something is expensive does not mean it should be taken as seriously as the right to speak freely.
    emma p per 6

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  15. Health care has clearly been a problem in America for a while, yet we still haven't found a solution to all of its flaws. In the article it says the 37% of Americans don't have any form of recommended health care. In other countries such as Britain and Sweden only 4% and 6% of people went without recommended health care. The amount spent on health care is clearly too excessive for Americans. Healthcare is a problem that should be fixed but unfortunately there isn't an effective way to do so.
    Jessica M. Period 6

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  16. If national health care were a tangible product, it would virtually have an infinitely high demand. The obvious problem with this is that it gives insurance companies and health services freedom to raise prices without having any loss of consumers. I believe the cause of this issue to lie within the fact that hospitals aren't independent enough. If every hospital functioned with the same competition as stores, they would be doing everything they could to attract people, including affordability. Of course the issue with this is that hospitals need to meet government regulation for the purpose of safety, and it's nearly impossible to find the perfect blend of government and independence when people's health is at stake. The best option appears to be to increase the number of people going to primary care doctors (which eliminates the need for very expensive specialist doctors.)

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  17. Health care is obviously a problem in the US. I feel like everybody should receive the care they need in order to live their normal lives, and it's extremely unfair if someone doesn't get the treatment they need depending on their income. It does not make sense to me that the US "gets meager results" when so much money is spent towards healthcare. Where is that money going if " 37 percent of American adults went without recommended care, did not see a doctor when sick or failed to fill prescriptions in the past year because of costs"? The fact that some constantly feel ill, pain, or any other problems because they can't afford to go to the doctor or get their medication is sickening. Nobody should have to live like that. And, if other countries are successful with equally treating their population, why can't the United States find something that works?

    Emma S
    Period 3

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  18. Healthcare is an obvious problem in the United States. you would think that with the amount of taxes we pay we would get healthcare for less, but we don't. In the article it says, "37 percent of American adults went without recommended care." This is not a good thing. it also says, "compared with 4 percent in Britain and 6 percent in Sweden." This shows that we have higher prices for healthcare and it is something that a lot of people here cannot afford. This is a problem and it needs to be fixed. Why can't we treat everyone here if other countries are able to?

    Chaylea Finn
    period 2

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  19. I would agree with the fact that healthcare is and continues to be a problem in the United States. According to the article, "Some 37 percent of American adults went without recommended care, did not see a doctor when sick or failed to fill prescriptions in the past year because of costs, compared with 4 percent in Britain and 6 percent in Sweden." This is a major problem considering people had no choice but to no go see a doctor when he or she was sick just because they could not afford healthcare. We pay so much on healthcare and in my opinion it is just wrong seeing as there is so much more to pay for such as shelter and food for people who have families. If healthcare remains to be a problem in the United States it worries me that more and more people will be forced to have no choice but to cure or treat themselves which can furthermore result in many health issues.
    Marissa G
    Period: 8

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  20. Healthcare has always been a huge topic for debate and recently, Obama created the Affordable Care Act which is supposed to allow everyone to have access to health insurance. However, when they launched the website for the healthcare, it wasn't functioning properly and angered many americans. The real problem with healthcare is that many Americans can't afford it. Even the people with health insurance fail to refill their perscriptions. I believe that our country should do what Norway does.Their government pays for their healthcare. And since there's a high unemployment rate in our country, this will make it hard for people to get proper health care.
    Amy B. period 8

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  21. I think the whole deal with America's care is a step up in a sense. Obamacare was clearly a failed attempt at trying, but he tried. There are countries around that world that have their citizens pay more in taxes for healthcare, but it includes much more than countries where its cheaper. I believe that America is on its way to achieving that as apposed to having cheaper healthcare for less. The problem with switching is that theres an in between crisis where It's going to cost more for less and thats where the "expensive" Healthcare act is now. Its causing people in America to not have healthcare or have really bad healthcare because its in a bad state currently. Although, im sure that overtime we will "pick a side" so to speak, and Healthcare will either be cheaper but give less, or more expensive and give a lot.
    Chris Dormer
    Period 8

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  22. It is important that citizens in America are able to receive great healthcare. It is terrible that a lot of Americans, however, and not able to afford it. In the article, it says that 37% of adults in America went without getting help when sick because the cost was too high. This is surprising considering America is seen as a country with unlimited possibilities. It seems that other countries have a good idea of how to provide cheap healthcare for citizens and perhaps the US government should base theirs off of these other nations' plans.

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    1. I agree that maybe our country would benefit from looking at the ideas of other countries, considering they are doing such a better job with health care than we are.
      Cara B period 3

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  23. Healthcare in America is a joke, Thanks Obama for nothing... The Healthcare in our country has been going through a lot of problems recently and i find it so amazing that the "greatest country in the world" can't seem to figure it out. If you look at all the European Nations you can see that We clearly spend a lot more money than they do. This is because unlike other countries, American companies are only focused on making money. With this said, they will outsource their production facilities for cheap labor and then sell their products for high rates here in America because of "inelastic demand' which means that no matter what health care costs, people are going to find a way to pay for it because, as Green said, "It is hard to put a price on not dying." So people will pay highly inflated prices for really cheap products. Green mentioned that it cost $120 or so a month for Lipitor here in America, but in Australia it $7 a month. That blows my mind. Honestly that is just ridiculous. It really makes you wonder if its worth struggling to pay for all these high price rates just to call yourself American.

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  24. Healthcare has been a big issue in the United States, and you would think we would have it figured out by now. According to the article, "When Americans got sick, they had to wait longer than people in most of the other countries to get help. Fewer than half were able to get same-day or next-day appointments with a doctor or nurse; one in four had to wait six days or longer." This is sad, because if we are the richest and most powerful country why do we have less coverage? We need to learn from the other countries that what we are doing is wrong. WE should do what hey do and have companies try to make the cheapest but most efficient ways. Not just so they can make money.
    Alla Miller
    Period 2

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  25. Healthcare continues to be a very controversial issue here in the United States. It is sad to see that America spends so much money on healthcare, however, we are unable to see a good outcome. In the article it states, "Some 37 percent of American adults went without recommended care, did not see a doctor when sick or failed to fill prescriptions in the past year because of costs, compared with 4 percent in Britain and 6 percent in Sweden." It is extremely ridiculous that there are people in the country that are ill and need medical care but can not get it due to the fact that they can not afford it. I believe that the U.S. should probably follow under the foot steps of other nations in-order to lower the percent of people who went without recommended care. This is a very severe issue and should be resolved as soon as possible so that healthcare can be provided for all citizens at a more affordable cost.

    Harjot B. Period 8

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  26. Jordyn B. P2
    "Hip replacements in Belgium cost about $13,000. In America it will cost over $100,000" This one quote from John Green sums up our entire country. There is so much do be done about fixing our country and making health care more affordable, but no one here wants to work hard enough to fix it or give up some of their paycheck. The fact that our taxes are higher than any other country, and we were one of the only ones to not provide universal health care is quite absurd in my opinion. Green covered every single excuse that we make for our actions, but there are no excuses. And as for people hating Obama Care because of the website, look at the whole movement before judging. Basing your entire judgment of this attempt at helping the whole nation on a website, something that can be changed, is not valid. People are just trying to find reasons to blame Obama for all the country's problems that he was left with. If you haven't noticed, he's the only one making big steps to try to begin to overcome our many problems.
    On a side note, John Green looks the way I imagined Q in Paper Towns!

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    1. Jordyn is correct; we as a country need to stop complaining about things and making excuses constantly. Rather, we need to ACTUALLY fix the something that's wrong instead of going back and forth blaming Obama and obese Americans. This is what I tried to get across myself.
      Megan G Period 3

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  27. There are many reasons as to why healthcare is so high. Like Green said, some people think it's because we go to the doctor too much, etc., but he also went on to say that he thinks it's because everything is so expensive over here. Well, I think they're all right. As Americans, not only do we go to the doctor too much for nothing, but we are more obese, there are a lot of medical malpractice cases, AND because things cost a lot (possibly too much) over here. We spend the most on healthcare, but still we have problems? While we can pay over $100,000 for hip replacement, in Belgium it costs around $13,000. We need to reconsider our pricing for these needed surgeries and wonder why they are so high to begin with. Instead of battling over what exactly is the cause, how about we fix the issue at hand? All liable theories are correct in their own ways, and by fixing what all those theories are, we can considerably lower the cost of healthcare or at least begin to make a difference.
    Megan G Period 3

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  28. In this video, John Green discussed the many issues surrounding the United States' approach towards healthcare. In the US, a life saving drug, Lipitor, costs $124 per bottle compared to just $7 in some European countries. There is no excuse for this and things need to change. Lipitor, for example, is a drug that will save peoples' lives, but many cannot afford because of the United States' healthcare situation. Although the US out spends other countries greatly, we do not receive any additional benefits and actually lack in this department. There are many reasons for this which may hopefully be addressed in the new Obamacare/Affordable Healthcare Act.
    Kevin C.
    Period 3

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  29. Our health care system is outrageously bad. As explained in John Green's video, our medical expenses can be over 10 times what they would be in other countries. But, as John Green points out, there is no easy solution. "We are basically paying people to dig holes in the ground and fill them back up again." he states in regards to the high prices that we pay our doctors and the amount of money wasted in our health care systems. The main problem is that we don't have a competitive marketplace in the US like there is in other countries. This leads us to pay higher prices because the companies who produce pills or medical equipment for example know that you're dependent on these things for your well being.
    What we need to do is create a global competition so to speak for the marketing of products. Then instead of raising the price of medications and medical equipment, we would find that companies would be competing to find the lowest possible prices. It wouldn't solve all of our problems but it would be a start to an issue that has no easy answer.
    Shoshanna Longo, period 6

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  30. Health care has been an increasing issue in the last decade. As it said in the video we spend more on taxes rather than all the European countries, and in fact it does not lower the cost of our healthcare. In fact health care in America is so expensive that 37% went without recommended care, or failed to fill necessary prescriptions due to the cost of the health care. In my opinion its the cost of our healthcare and our not so great economy that's keeping some of our people poorer than they should be. I believe that once we fix our health care problem it will be a step into the right direction into fully recovering our economy.
    Owen K period 8

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  31. Healthcare is a major issue in the United States and it needs to be adressed. We have yet to figure out a healthcare that runs smoothly and helps everyone. The article stated," some 37 percent of American adults went without recommended care, did not see a doctor when sick or failed to fill prescriptions in the past year because of costs, compared with 4 percent in Britain and 6 percent in Sweden." It amazes me that people in America have to wait to take care of their health because they can't afford it. We've tried to fix the healthcare policy for awhile and it seems to be getting little results. We need to find away to take care of this issue.
    Rachel C
    period 6

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  32. I agree completely with John Green's opinion on health care costs in the United States. This is because he stresses the fact that there is no one simple explanation for it, and anyone who says there is is wrong. As John Green says in his video, "It is not a simple problem, there will not be a simple solution, but it is probably the biggest single drag on the American economy and it's vital that we grapple with it meaningfully instead of just treating health care costs as political theatre." Just like most big problems, there is no one solution, but that does not mean that we should just let things remain as they are. Health care costs are absolutely outrageous, and it is not right, especially seeing as other countries have managed to keep their costs relatively low. Something needs to change, and in my opinion, we should be taking some tips from other developed countries.
    Jennifer G.
    Period 3

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  33. "The United States spends far more than any of these countries on a per capita basis and as a percent of the national economy." This quote right here is a major problem of why more than 1/3 of the adults in America went without recommended care. This happens because America is spending too much money and making health insurance at an all time high. America is spending way more than any other country and that is why the percentage of people with health insurance is way lower than those other countries. The Affordable Care Act was a nice attempt at trying to lower the percentage of people without health care but it surely didn't work. If anything the Act may have made things worse. Hopefully someone comes up with a plan soon or the economy of America may get worse and worse.
    Nick T.
    Per 8

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  34. We are the United States, one of, if not the most powerful nation in the world. We spend around 1 trillion dollars on our military each year, and use more resources per person per day than some third world people use in a year. So we have everything figured out right? Wrong. Our country has struggled with distribution of healthcare since its founding, and we have not done much to improve upon it. How is it that a quarter of americans can not afford healthcare while only seven percent of France can not afford healthcare? In my opinion, I think that obamacare is more of a political battlefront than a plan to help americans. This has been the republicans fight against Obama since he was elected, and considering it hasn't done much, they have some ground, but atleast he is trying to get us affordable healthcare. Most nations have had universal healthcare for decades, and here we are, trying to figure out how to work it after everyone else. There is no way to perfect healthcare, but there are definitely ways of making it better. We need both parties to find ways to contribute to a universal healthcare system, rather than throw some hissyfit over the other parties ideas, which gets taken as far as shutting down the government. And why does this happen? Because right now American politics is just two parties looking to out brawn each other, when what we need right now is two parties figuring out a way to help the people of our nation as a whole. Abraham Lincoln once said, "A house divided against itself, can not stand." referring to the split in our nation over the issue of slavery. In George Washington's farewell address he warned against the dangers of political parties, and it is time like these that I can see the danger he forewarned. In my eyes this isn't really about obamacare, it is about the infatuation of political parties with the necessity of "being in control" of this country. The sick craving for fascism that leads us away from the democratic and republican roots we are founded from. So in my eyes obamacare is a line drawn right down the center of our country, on one side a crimson red, adjacent to it a deep blue. I don't know about you but if I had a choice between a man representing a blue elephant and a man representing a red donkey, I would pick a third party, the man that does not represent any political party or sect, but instead represents the solution to the needs of our entire nation. The man who says that we can have affordable healthcare, and we will work at it until we perfect it, and the man that stands for the needs of the people, not for the needs of himself or his political cult
    Period 2 Mike B.

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  35. I agreed with John Green's perspective of the problem of health care. That is, there is no one solution. It seems as though the problem of health care is very complex because of the way the United States has organized it. In the video, John Green states it is difficult for the people to change this because they will pay what they have to pay in order to stay healthy, or often survive. I find it interesting that other nations such as the UN and Germany have much better health care then America and I think we should be analyzing their strategies. Obama care may not be the perfect solution, but it's a bold step in the right direction.

    Eleanor Hall
    Period 3

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  36. I thought the article was very informative and I completely agree with the opinion that the American healthcare system needed to be changed. The article states that although the United States spends more on health care than the ten industrial countries included in the international survey we have major problems with our system. The survey revealed that, “Some 37 percent of American adults went without recommended care, did not see a doctor when sick or failed to fill prescriptions in the past year because of costs, compared with 4 percent in Britain and 6 percent in Sweden.” This is outrageous and as the World’s number one Super Power, the American people deserve better. Several Presidents have attempted to fix our healthcare system but gave up, however President Obama made it a top priority and passed the first government healthcare system. The program may not be perfect and the start of any new program has it problems, but he is moving us in the right direction. My grandmother is 85 years old and she told me that the same problems occured when Social Security and Medicare started in our country. These programs were improved over the years and now people fight to keep them running. I believe this will also happen with our new system of heathcare and years from now the American people will battle to keep it in place.
    michaela spinello
    period 3

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  37. Jonathan B
    P7

    No matter what kind of healthcare people get, it is always expensive. In many cases the Affordable Care Act was created to have people be able to afford healthcare. Many people still can't afford healthcare so they do not buy healthcare. "Some 37 percent of American adults went without recommended care, did not see a doctor when sick or failed to fill prescriptions in the past year because of costs." If people do not have the money then more people will end up getting sick, and not be able to get treatment for themselves. Having this Act is also effecting the economy. For example if someone needs surgery and they don't have healthcare then it costs them a lot more money. When people don't have money they can't buy any other products. People not buying products makes the economy get worse and worse. If they do not make a decision soon the economy may affect many people in a bad way.

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  38. Jackson Mariotti period 6
    Healthcare is certainly a section of our economy that needs to be addressed. Yet, most people are clamoring for the government to make this change. That is not the problem. The problem is that there is no competition in healthcare. Doctors and insurance companies can jack up the prices because there are no competitors who would balance them out. Once you remove a section of the economy from the normal supply and demand, it essentially becomes a monopoly. John Green said "If you tell me this drug that will save my life costs $7.00 a month, I will pay you $7.00 a month for it, if you tell me it is $125.00 a month, I will find a way to pay that." What he is referring to is the high demand for healthcare. People are willing to pay anything, because it is their health they're paying for. The only way to change this is by having it be a competitive marketplacee. People think that the government should take control and give it out for free, but I don't believe in that. The government should not intervene. Obamacare is a great example of the government attempting to make something better, and having it fail. All that was accomplished by obamacare was a decrease in trust of the government and healthcare.

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  39. Stephanie Durso Period:7
    I feel like many that the American healthcare needs work. We have so much pride in America to be the best, but at a cost. If we want to be the number one country we cant be that way in some things and not others. Many other countries have formulated a accessible healthcare plan that benefits all for not as much as Americans pay. Giving excuses of why the rates are so much. I think this topic is a priority that needs to be dealt with. Also, instead of putting all the blame on Obama lets put the blame with all of the government. Instead of them fighting between the two sides they need to do what is best. Which means putting aside their pride and coming up with new ideas for healthcare. This is an important topic that needs to stop being pushed aside and also needs to stop being used as a way to point blame at one person. The government needs to take responsibility for their choices that they make regarding bills and not blame the president when something goes wrong. If you voted for that policy you believed in it which if it is good you deserve praise if not you get backlash, but it is a risk that comes with authority. Instead of wasting time confusing and wasting the customers time give them the service they have originally purchased. Don't put words into their mouths and don't waste time with useless papers."Some 32 percent of consumers spent a lot of time on insurance paperwork or in disputes with their insurer over denials of payment for services they thought were covered." Healthcare needs to be a concern to the government. Everyone deserves affordable and accessible health care .

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  40. Leah Braley; period 6
    Healthcare is definitely a very important aspect of our country, any country really. It shows how much your government is willing to give to their citizens that are sick and can't necessarily afford what they need to heal. I think that the low rate of health care in this country is quite disgraceful, especially seeing as how we were once known as the land of opportunity where life is supposed to be easier. But even that put aside; if you look at the amount of money we put into healthcare and then see that "37 percent of American adults went without recommended care" that's also pretty sad, even more so if you know that we spend more money on healthcare than at least 10 other industrial nations, yet they still have a higher percent with the needed medications and treatments than we do. I think that our government needs to put a little more thought into exactly how much they are taking care of their people.

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  41. Jonathan W, period 6

    John Green stated, "In the United States, we spend more tax money per capita on health care than Germany, Australia, the United Kingdom, or Canada." I don't think it's reasonable for our health care to be so expensive. I feel it's a necessity for everyone to have it and be able to afford it. However, we spend too much on salaries, unnecessary procedures, and just take advantage of the demand for it. We should work towards changing these factors. There's a reason why America is the only country with such exorbitant health care costs; it doesn't need to be that high.

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  42. I would strongly agree with John Green's view on health care. I also find it frustrating how some people insist that the problem with U.S health care lies in one particular area. For health care to change in the United States we need to look at the strategies of other countries with successful programs. To provide universal care the entire country would need to undergo a large social shift. As John Green said, "In the United States, we spend more tax money per capita on health care than Germany, Australia, the United Kingdom, or Canada." The health business needs to be more competitive in order to provide better care.

    -Cassidy McCarns
    Period 3

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  43. I believe that while our healthcare is top notch, we need to try to find a way to make it cheaper. John Green stated that we spend more money on healthcare than many other countries, and while it is a good idea in some respects, that increases the price of it. There are many poor or below average in terms of wealth, and they won't always be able to afford the costly operations, and even if they can, it will cause a major problem post-surgery because they won't be able to afford things that they need. We need to find a way to give healthcare to everyone who needs it while keeping it as high quality as possible, and hopefully we can outdo other countries in that aspect.

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  44. One would probably say their health is worth the world to them, but is it worth all the money in the world to them? It's so important that we live in a country that can have things like health care run smoothly, and currently were not at the top of that list. In the article it said that 37% of Americans went without medical help when they needed it, because of the price. If we as a country can figure out how to afford, buy, and supply things at a much faster and easier rate than that of our health care, maybe we should look at our priorities.
    Cara B period 3

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  45. I can agree with many people on this article in the way that healthcare could be affordable and expensive to many different people. The affordable Care Act was a good idea on how to lower the percentage of people without health care but that failed and it didnt help. Currently, health care insurance is at a climax and something needs to be done now." The Affordable Care Act was created to address these problems by covering tens of millions of uninsured people and providing subsidies to help many of them pay for policies; by setting limits on the out-of-pocket costs that patients must bear; and by requiring that all policies cover specified benefits." This quote explained what the act tries to do and their goals but at the conclusion of this article, it showed that those goals were not reached
    Dalton E.
    Period 3

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  46. I don't think that we should pay as much as were paying for health care. It is very important and we all need it, but is it really worth the money? In the text it says, "The United States spends far more than any of these countries on a per capita basis and as a percent of the national economy." We shouldn't be spending so much money on it, especially when our economy is already really bad. Everyone should be able to afford it. I think that the government needs to sit down and discuss ideas for this to change. We should all be able to afford healthcare. I don't think Obamicare is right. The people who work hard everyday at their jobs are getting the same benefits as people who are in poverty or can't afford healthcare. I think that we should pay for healthcare, but a decent amount of money. This is a serious issue that needs to be discussed by the government. They make up all these excuses for healthcare being such a hassle and the cost is high.
    Taylor Miller
    Period 7

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  47. John Greene reveals that 28% of Americans rely on the government for health insurance. With this in mind, all of the other statics regarding money suddenly become insignificant. People tend to focus on the money aspect of the current health care issue. They regurgitate figures and claim them to be proper reasons to decrease the current amount if aid provided to those who can't afford healthcare. They attempt to establish that healthcare is a privilege and not a right. These people disgust me. For many, health insurance can be the difference between life and death. At what point were we as humans given the right to determine whether or not another being is entitled to live? When did we become Gods? It is our duty as people to try to help one another. The current healthcare system does have it's issues. However this doesn't mean that it needs to be eliminated. It needs reform.
    - Iana W.

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  48. I agree with John Green’s opinion on health care. Just like big problems, there is no one solution. But that doesn’t necessarily say that we should just let things remain as they are. Health care costs in America are absolutely shocking, which is not right, especially when we see other countries have managed to keep their costs relatively low. To fix the problem, I think the US should take a look at other developed countries and learn. It’s ridiculous how some people cannot afford to take care of their health because they can’t afford it. We should definitely fix our health care costs. –Vicky Seok Period 6

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  49. Conor Duffy
    period:7
    I agree with John Greens perspective on health care. Health care is one of the major issues that the U.S needs to fix. The Healthcare system in the U.S is unstable. Not everyone has a plan to get or recive health care so they cant get an appoinment. Obama trying to create the affordable health care act for everyone to use isnt working and it seems to cause more stress in peoples lives than it should. In my opinion, there should be a simple health care act which allows everyone to recive a checkup when needed. Maybe analyzing other countires strategies, like the UK and Germany, can help us benifit our health care system.

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  50. I strongly agree with John Green's statements on health care. We, as a country, pay so much money for taxes a year, yet we get nothing in return. There is no accuse for this, and for such a developed country, this should not be tolerated. In the New York Times article, it states, "Some 37 percent of American adults went without recommended care, did not see a doctor when sick or failed to fill prescriptions in the past year because of costs, compared with 4 percent in Britain and 6 percent in Sweden." We are headed in the wrong direction, and a solution needs to occur soon, or major problems will arise (if they haven't't already).
    Claire Paterson
    Period 3

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  51. Health care is most definitely a major problem our country has encountered. The government wastes our tax dollars on much less important things when it should be going towards our health care. Health care in America is absurdly over priced and should be very cheap considering a lot of people in our country cannot afford it. Our country is extremely industrialized and we cant provide a some what cheap health care system for our people, thats ridicolous.
    Jack Murray
    Period 8

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  52. There is a need for health care reform in America but the answer is not Obama care. As Americans we have responsibilities to pay taxes but these taxes should not pay for those who cannot afford health care, they should be able to get it themselves and not bum it off other people. Therefore, John Green is right by saying there is a problem with Health care and the only fix is to reduce the cost.
    Alec C

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  53. I believe that the American system for health care is corrupt. Americans pay more in taxes per capita for health care than countries, like Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and Britain, that provide free universal health care for all of their citizens. Only about 28% of Americans get health insurance through government funded programs, which consists of the poor, elderly and Congress people. I believe that health is a necessity to life, and the United States government should fund more money in health insurance to aid the citizens.
    John Green clarified many misconceptions that Americans have about why the American Health costs are so high. It is not due to the obesity rate, malpractice insurance, or too medications. The systems in European countries, negotiate prices for drugs, hip amputation, or any other medical issue. The drugs or medications that cost $7 in another nation can be hundreds of dollars in America. This is an unfair and injustice system, because the companies who sell these drugs only care about the profit that they are making instead of the public.
    John Green bought up the point of inelastic demand, which means that the consumers will spend money at any for medical care because, "It is hard to put a price on not dying". There really is not cost when it comes to one's health.. For me, because I have not gotten dramatically injured or needed medication, the health care in America has not affected me, but I can imagine that for those who are sick or need artificial legs or arms, can be seriously affected by health care.

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  54. I completely agree with John Green and hi views on the American Healthcare System. The fact that we as a country spend more money per capita on health care than any other country in the world and still have poor health care is absurd. Also absurd is the fact that we pay so much more money for the same procedures and medications than other countries in the world; a fact that is unacceptable. However, I agree with Green that there is no easy way to solve this. Because of the structure of our government, implementing the tactics that other countries use to make health care cheaper is impossible. This is a problem that needs to be addressed and while there is no easy answer, an answer must be found.

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  55. I really did find myself siding with a lot of what John Green discussed in his video in regards to the American Healthcare System. As stated in the video,"The United States spends far more than any of these countries on a per capita basis and as a percent of the national economy." It absolutely ridiculous to me to see us spending so much money on healthcare that for some is lack luster. For me personally, I am fortunate to have really good medical insurance/healthcare. However, those who are less fortunate often are unable to afford insurance to cover a lot of their medical expenses, and do to our poor healthcare system they are often in boat loads of debt if they ever need to receive medical attention. I too agree with John Green that healthcare is not an easy subject to tackle. There is no one answer that will solve everyone's issues. Something must be done to address the issues we face as a nation in regards to healthcare. We are one of the most well renowned countries in the world, and yet we are still unable to tackle the issue of healthcare. Initiative must be taken, a solution needs to be discovered.

    Hailey N
    Period 3

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  56. I agree with John Green on the subject of the American Healthcare Systems and its inadequacy to other country's programs. Due to a strong belief that government should stay out of business and commerce in the US, many Americans make it difficult to regulate and lessen prices given to the consumer. This is a reason why many small procedures or drugs that cost so little to operate/administer in actuality are so exorbitant in their listed price. A $7 pill in another country should not be marked up 15 times to maximize profits, as many of these pills are necessary for people to function/live and they would pay ANY price to have them. This is simply companies taking advantage of people that the government cannot aid. Paying the most for Healthcare over any other country by far, we should at least have some form of adequate healthcare and shouldn't have over 37% of a polled group in fear that their illness would put them in debt and encourage the mind set that their own health isn't worth the money needed to be paid for it. Hopefully, this practice and injustice can be reformed and allow for a much safer, and healthier America.
    Jared C.
    Period 2

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  57. The cost of health care is obviously a big issue in the United States today, it is ridiculous to hear that we spend more on healthcare than any other country. I agree with John Green that this is a difficult problem to tackle and there will be no easy solution in fixing this problem. Ideas on how to correct this are very controversial, we even had a government shut down over it, but something must be done to in order to make the US a better and healthier place for Americans.
    Hannah Beatty pd.6

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  58. I agree with the fact that the cost of our healthcare is outrageous. Something should definitely be done to try to lower the cost for those less fortunate that are unable to spend money on somethin such as healthcare, even though it is one of the most important things you could spend your money on. However, look at how well we take care of those who do have healthcare. We have some of the best doctors and hospitals in the world. We take better care of our peoples health better than any other country in the world. Unfortunately that does come at a price. A very high one. BUt should we lower the cost of healthcare and pay our doctors less, to get more people signed up for healthcare, even if it means having less qualified doctors and facilities that aren't up to standards?

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  59. I wholeheartedly agree with John Green's opinions on health care in this video. In its current state the U.S health care system is completely absurd in its cost. As mentioned by Green it is only a misconception by the average american consumer that countries that utilize a universal health care system spend more on health care, when in fact we spend much more, for much less. Green mentions in the video that the reason is because operations and procedures cost much more here in the U.S compared to other countries. As Green also reasons that health insurance is rising because people who have it have to pay for people who couldn't pay for it because they couldn't afford insurance to cover the costs and couldn't cover the costs on their own because health care is absurdly expensive. He brings up the concept of inelastic demand, which is trying to put a price on life saving procedures and operations. The price isn't negotiated so corporations just charge the American consumer what they are willing to pay which is usually a lot. I think that reform is needed in our countries health care system and I believe this could be done with an expansion of Medicare to cover all Americans.
    Justin Campos P.3

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  60. I wholeheartedly agree with John Green's opinions on health care in this video. In its current state the U.S health care system is completely absurd in its cost. As mentioned by Green it is only a misconception by the average american consumer that countries that utilize a universal health care system spend more on health care, when in fact we spend much more, for much less. Green mentions in the video that the reason is because operations and procedures cost much more here in the U.S compared to other countries. As Green also reasons that health insurance is rising because people who have it have to pay for people who couldn't pay for it because they couldn't afford insurance to cover the costs and couldn't cover the costs on their own because health care is absurdly expensive. He brings up the concept of inelastic demand, which is trying to put a price on life saving procedures and operations. The price isn't negotiated so corporations just charge the American consumer what they are willing to pay which is usually a lot. I think that reform is needed in our countries health care system and I believe this could be done with an expansion of Medicare to cover all Americans.
    Justin Campos P.3

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  61. Obviously, this article is correct in that we as a country need a new health care system. As stated in the article,"Hip replacements in Belgium cost about $13,000. In America it will cost over $100,000" This is almost embarrassing as a country. As a nation, we often pride ourselves on the basis that we are the "best" country in the world. whether you take that to mean most powerful, richest, etc. However, it is obvious our current system is not working nor it is providing for our citizens. There is this constant cycle of citizens not being able to pay their medical bills then relying on the government, which then increases taxes on those who are able to afford their medical bills, but now can't due to high taxes. I find it ridiculous for people who have it have to pay for people who couldn't pay for it. One side is unjustly benefited while the other is not.This is an issue that needs to be brought to the forefront of Congress because it is not going to get better on its own; in fact, it is going to get much worse.
    Skylar Sandler
    Period 2

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  62. I agree with John Green, health care is a big problem in the US and it needs to be solved. A lot American tax payers money is going toward health care, and our country spends more money per capita on health care than any other country. Which is ridiculous. America she strive to be more like European countries IE: Switzerland. All though this would be very hard and take much time, it must be done. There is no reason for health care to cost this much, while it is cheaper in all other countries.
    Aodhan Dunn
    Period 6

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