The ability to seek out and receive adequate medical care is highly dependent upon on an individuals' access to suitable health insurance quotes. Medical costs have a direct influence on whether or not some people are willing to request medical care in a time of need. Putting all partisan views aside, the debate about whether or not all citizens of a modern day society should be afforded access to adequate health care still rages on. Implementation of a universal healthcare system is not only complicated in terms of the types of coverage that each individual should receive, but most importantly, how is the insurance going to be paid for?

Currently, the United States is the wealthiest industrialized country in the modern world that does not provide a universal healthcare system to its citizens. However, more than 80% are already covered by employer-purchased, individually-purchased, or government-sponsored healthcare plans. This leaves approximately 50 million Americans without any type of health insurance.

Due to skyrocketing health care costs, the affordability of health insurance plans has reached a level that is mostly unsustainable for small-business and individuals. Additionally, the rise in cost-of-living expenses precludes those who may have been willing to request individual health insurance quotes.

More than half of all bankruptcies within the U.S. can be attributed to the inability to pay for outstanding medical costs. Universal healthcare could reduce some of these individual out-of-pocket expenses and unload them onto a government run system. Although history has shown that government sponsored programs are not always the most efficient and transparent systems, and may actually make the health care process more difficult to navigate.

Under a universal healthcare system, medical professionals may change the way that they practice medicine. If there is a reduction in medical malpractice liabilities, and there is no personal financial gain to over-prescribe, over-diagnose, or potentially order unnecessary procedures or tests, physicians may be more apt to focus on healing. In addition, preventative medicine may become more important as it would actually be more profitable to the physicians to keep their patients healthy.

However, this reasoning could also backfire in that patients may see that doctor visits and medications are basically free and they could increase their visits and prescription needs, essentially increasing insurance costs. These costs will of course be pushed on to the taxpayer in the form of increased taxes or cuts to other important government funded programs.

There is no clear answer as to whether universal healthcare is the right answer for the financially unsustainable healthcare system. What does seem clear is that some course of action needs to occur so that healthcare will at least remain affordable for everybody.