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