You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
The costs of medical health care are increasing all the time. Governments are finding it difficult to balance the health care budget. Should citizens be totally responsible for their own health costs and take out private health insurance, or is it better to have a comprehensive health care system which provides free health services for all?
Discuss your viewpoint on this issue.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
You should write at least 250 words.
Model Answer 1:
A health care system is a very important part of a country as it is a key factor for the developed countries. Some countries take the responsibility of the citizen’s health and provide free medical care whereas other countries think it is an individual’s responsibility. I would support the second opinion as I believe that the health insurance is affordable and it helps to get the better services.
“Nothing is free in this world”, this saying is true when it comes to free medical services. Though some countries provide free medical facilities, they indirectly get that money from civilians via tax. For instance, in Australia the health service is completely free, however, the income tax is as high as 35%. On the other hand, the insurance could be economical. For example, a person is earning a thousand dollars a week can afford 50 dollars for the insurance premium. Moreover, if the income increases, it is not mandatory that the premium would also increase. It is understood that some people might not be able to afford health expenses. However, due to growing competition between insurance companies, many affordable plans are available in the market.
It could be argued that if an individual has to pay for his health, he can ignore it and that could result in an unhealthy nation in long-run. However, a free service could encourage the unnecessary visits as well. It is certainly an individual’s responsibility to take care of his own health. Moreover, if hospitals have only those patients who are unwell then they could provide better service. For example, when a hospital has one hundred patients out of which only thirty patients are sick, hospitals still has to spend a considerable amount of time with other seventy patients. Patients who are actually sick could receive a far better service and attention if the remaining seventy could be eliminated.
I believe a government could focus more on other areas like infrastructure development where individual cannot contribute. Health care issue could be taken care by people with the help of insurance and better lifestyle.
(Approximately347words)
(This model answer was written by Naaz.)
Model Answer 2:
A much-debated issue these days is whether citizens should take out private health insurance or not. The cost of providing free medical care for both the wealthy and the poor are far too great for any government, and most people agree that if you can pay for insurance, you should. In this essay, I will argue that all who can afford it should be insured, but free medical care must be made available for those too poor to do so.
The most important reason for encouraging people to take out private health insurance is the cost to the government of health care. Free health cover for people who are able to pay for it is a waste of public money. Of course, people will only pay health insurance premiums if they know that they are getting good value for their money. If they get sick, they should pay very little or nothing at all. In addition, the privately insured are entitled to special benefits such as having the choice of their own doctors and being able to avoid long waiting lists for hospital beds.
On the other hand, those who really cannot afford to pay private insurance premiums, which are often very high, are still entitled as citizens to the best medical care available – they cannot be expected to pay their own medical bills. However, if they are working, they should still pay a percentage of their wage (say 1 to 2%) as a tax which pays towards the cost of providing “free” medical services.
In conclusion, most people should privately insure their health, but it is unreasonable to suppose that all citizens can afford it. Therefore, a safety net in the form of a basic free health care system must exist for the very poor and the unemployed.
(Approximately300words)
(This model answer has been prepared by the site developer. However, please note that this is just one example out of many possible answers.)