Research+Proposal

Amanda Peterson

Healthcare is the word on everyone’s lips these days. It’s a hot topic in the world of politics especially, with President Obama’s recently passed healthcare bill, dubbed “Obamacare” by many of his opponents. I am interested in healthcare reform in the United States because it is such a talked about topic today. I was also interested in it because of a documentary by controversial director Michael Moore, //Sicko.// In his film, Moore explores problems in the United States healthcare system and shows other countries that have socialized medicine. Universal healthcare seems to have many benefits. I’ve found through the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development that the United States has lower life expectancies and a higher infant mortality rate than other developed nations, but yet spends much more on health care per capita. This just doesn’t make sense, and I want to figure out if a federally funded universal healthcare system would benefit the United States. I want to explore what the recently passed healthcare bill does, but more importantly I want to answer this question: would socialized medicine work for the U.S.?

This is a highly debated topic in the United States. The main debates surrounding universal healthcare include whether people deserve a right to healthcare, the quality of care that a socialized system provides, waiting times in the socialized system, taxes associated with socialized medicine, innovations that the U.S. current system provides, along with a plethora of other debated topics.

As for my background, I have been lucky enough that I have always been covered under my parents insurance. However, as graduation draws nearer, having to pay for my own medical expenses is becoming more of a reality. After watching Moore’s documentary on healthcare, I have started leaning towards a national healthcare system as a better system for the United States. However I realize that to be able to make such a judgment requires more research than watching an hour and a half long movie.

My purpose in writing this research paper is to discover and convey to my audience what medical system would work the best for the United States. My intended audience includes my classmates and any other college students, as well and my professor.