Do you think the United States should implement a universal
healthcare plan? Why? Kimberly Liao
Third-year, applied math
“If the government really works hard on making a good
universal healthcare plan, I think it would be a good idea to
provide healthcare to everyone. It might be unfair, but I think the
wealthier citizens should pay higher taxes because they are able
to, especially if the money was going to provide for free
healthcare. I would be willing to pay more taxes if it was going to
give free healthcare, especially to those who are unemployed and
trying to look for jobs and still need healthcare since it is a
basic necessity they may not have. I think the government should
fund it through taxes, because it would be a lot more complicated
if employers paid for all their employees’ healthcare. There
still might need to be some requirements to get free healthcare. If
you aren’t working or trying to work then you shouldn’t
deserve it.” Marie Meth
Second-year, English
“I don’t think that everyone should have free
healthcare. There needs to be some sort of cut-off, especially if
you aren’t employed and are looking to take advantage of the
government. Part-time or temporary workers who aren’t covered
by benefits from their employers should definitely be extended free
basic healthcare or preventative care because they are still
working and need to make sure they keep themselves healthy while
they are trying to make a living. It should only be up to the
employers to provide free healthcare. The government could maybe
give money or a subsidy to employers who supply free healthcare,
but it would be a huge tax burden if the government made all
citizens pay for a universal plan. This way, employers and
companies could use it as initiative to get workers to be more
productive.” Amit Shah
Fourth-year, psychobiology
“If the United States government could find a way to fund
it, a universal health plan would be a good idea, but setting it up
would be hard. In other countries it works well, but it might not
work here because it would most likely raise taxes, which most
people don’t want happening anyway. The government should set
up a system of universal healthcare and employers should fund it,
because the government has the most power to set up an affordable
program, but they shouldn’t be responsible for paying for it.
I think it is your own responsibility to provide for yourself, but
since we live in a country that is concerned for well-being and
human rights, as citizens we should have a right to free
healthcare, but it shouldn’t be handed out on a platter, it
should still be worked for.” Amber Moore
Second-year, undeclared
“It would be hard to draw the line or decide how much
healthcare should be provided to citizens, especially those who
don’t work. It would probably be good if basic healthcare was
provided to all citizens and if it was, it should be implemented by
the government. It wouldn’t bother me if taxes were raised to
give basic healthcare to citizens, but only if there was some sort
of regulations in deciding who received healthcare and how much was
given to them, depending on their contributions to the the U.S. and
its workforce. As citizens we make up the United States and since
we are always paying taxes, it wouldn’t hurt the government
to give back to its citizens. I think we are all entitled to some
sort of free universal healthcare plan.” Compiled by Kelsey
Hicks/Daily Bruin Senior Staff
Photographed by Rachel Been/Daily Bruin