Universal Health Care Through

Universal Health Care Through a Conflict Theory View: A Meso-Level Analysis

Amanda N. Krueger
Sociology 151, Section 03

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Abstract
This paper explains two main points of universal health care: putting Americans in control of
their health care, while additionally making insurance affordable for everyone. Explaining parts
of universal health care and the conflict theory will help to show the economic inequalities and
class gaps that societies will continue to have even with equal health care access. Additionally,
explaining the main ideas of the conflict theory will help show the economic inequalities that
may arise or continue after universal health care is put into action. The last part of my paper will
show that even with universal health care there will still be a gap between rich and the poor
power groups even though both obtain the same health care coverage.

Universal Health Care Through

Universal Health Care Through a Conflict Theory View: A Meso-Level Analysis

To American citizens universal health care is a new idea that has recently been much
debated and talked about. Universal health care proposes the idea that every American will have
the ability to have the same coverage as his/her neighbor no matter what class and status they
belong to. President Obama has taken the bold first step of signing the United States universal
health care bill. This [universal health care] helps over 32 million Americans afford health care
who do not get it todayand makes coverage more affordable for many more (Obama, 2010).
Universal health cares main goal, as Obama pointed out, is affordability and access for all.
Explaining universal health care and the conflict theory will help to show their relationship;
additionally, presenting the economic inequalities and class gaps that societies will have even
with equal health care access.
Universal Health Care puts people in control of their own health care while additionally,
making becoming insured affordable for everyone. With universal health care the president
makes it so that insurance is more affordable by providing the largest middle class tax cut for
health care in history, reducing premium costs for tens of millions of families and small business
owners who are priced out of coverage today (Obama, 2010). Here Obama is pointing out that
by reducing costs insurance will be more affordable. Additionally Weil, wrote Managed-Care
Plans: Future Under National Health Insurance, states that American health care is enormously
costly; many people are underserved, or not served (1991). Weil is stating what is obvious to
most of us, that in the United States insurance is far too expensive, but does not cover many
people or all of their health care needs. Weil also points out that another way in which HOMs
(Health Maintenance Organization) reduce access to care is by fostering the likelihood that
unethical behavior on the part of physicians could increase when there is no trusted and impartial

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gatekeeper acting on behalf of patients. Now, Weil is suggesting that without universal health
care physicians could act in a way that is immoral and would cheat individuals out of benefits.
Universal health care benefits Americans equally.
The first important thing that universal health care does is that it puts Americans in
control of their health care. In The Presidents Health Care Bill, Obama endorses that It
[universal health care] will end discrimination against Americans with pre-existing conditions.
Obama is revealing that if Americans who already had health conditions were not denied health
care coverage based on their condition then that would give those people along with many others
the ability to take control of their health care needs (2010). Meaning that if they were insured
then they could get the medical assistance needed to become well again or be able to cope better
with their condition. Not only does universal health care put people in control of their health
care, but it also makes insurance affordable for everyone.
Universal health care makes becoming insured affordable for all Americans by programs
that support those who need help. Obama points out that, the presidents bill lowers premiums
for families with income below $44,000 and above $66,000 (2010). This statement shows that
the president is helping to make insurance affordable by offering tax cuts to qualifying citizens
who fall into a specific income category. In addition to tax cuts, insurance company competition
is another way that insurance is being made affordable. Weil reveals that private and public
sources will be more willing to share the additional costs of a universal access plan to meet a
now well-publicized social need because they perceive it to be more affordable than national
health insurance (1991). Weil is observing that with more competition between insurance
companies, the insurance rates will be reduced to keep their current customers while the
customers are benefited with lower costs for insurance. In conclusion, through tax cuts and

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insurance competition the amount that Americans will have to pay for health coverage is being
reduced. Universal health cares two main ideas of people controlling their own health care and
affordability for all make this plan seem ideal to have in the United States. Additionally,
knowing the main ideas of the conflict theory will help put universal health care plan into
perspective by pointing out ways that this system will affect members in society.
Explaining the main ideas and concepts of the conflict theory will help to show how this
theory can relate to universal health care. Ballantine and Roberts (2007) report that, the conflict
perspective claims that inequality and injustices are the source of conflicts that permeate society.
Because scarce resources and power are distributed unequally in society, some members have
more money, goods, and prestige than others (p.54). In sum, there are two groups of people in
societythose in power and those who lack power. Additionally, there are scarce resources that
these two groups will want which in turn will create conflict and economic inequalities. These
inequalities relate to universal health care because proposals for universal coverage plans have
failed primarily because of philosophical differences between politicians and opposition from
private insurance companies, physicians, and drug companies (p. 480). This statement admits
that because of differences between groups in America, America has failed to see universal
health care until recently. Carl Marx, who is a conflict theorist, brings up the idea of the haves
and the have-not in society. These two groups represent those in power and those who lack
power and have conflict between them over resources (p. 54). Marx reinforces the idea of the
difference between the two power groups in society. The conflict theory focuses mainly on the
struggle between the two power groups over resources, the conflict caused by the economic
inequalities and the gap that divides them.

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Conflicts between class groups within societies are always present and are generally
caused by economic inequality. If individuals are responsible for obtaining affordable health
care, this reduces cost shifts of those insured covering the uninsured; thus creating an increase
in the security and stability of health care for Americans (Obama, 2010). What Obama is
saying here is idealeveryone does their part to make sure that insurance costs are shared;
however, in reality with the tax cuts for the lower and middle class, the upper class will be taxed
more and be stuck paying for the underclass. This is an example of economic inequality that
universal health care could cause for citizens of the upper class. Additionally, generally
speaking, those of the lower class have more to gain out of Universal Health Care coverage, but
are less likely to vote than those of the upper class (Gorin, 2004). Groin is pointing out that
economically the underclass has less privlidiges and prestige than those of the upper-class
because they are not as involved politically as are members of the upper class. Consequently
resulting in more programs that benefit the already well off upper-class. Economic inequalities
between social and power classes are always present within societies causing the gap between
the two groups to continue to widen.
Although universal health care attempts to close the gap between the rich and the poor in
the sense of equal insurance, in other aspects the class gap still remains. An example of the gap
between the two groups is pointed out by Halfon, a child from a low-income family with a
single working parent living in a dangerous neighborhood does not have the safety to play
outdoors; therefore, not getting adequate exercise (2008). This example shows that children
from the lower class do not have the same life chances as would children from upper class
families due to his family and living situations. This example shows the gap between the upperclass and the lower-class due to the inequality of life chances. Another way that the economic

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gap is continuing to widen is through the use or lack of use of specialist services. Specialist
services are under used by lower socioeconomic groups and may contribute to widening this
socioeconomic gap (Veugelers, 2003). Veugelers is illustrating the idea that the lower class has a
lack of knowledge of specialist services; therefore, they do not use these services much in
comparison to the upper-class. This results in a healthier upper-class because of their knowledge
and use of programs available to them.
Explaining universal health care and the conflict theory will help to show their
relationship; additionally, presenting the economic inequalities and class gaps that societies have
even with equal health care access. The two main points of universal health care are putting
Americans in control of their health care while additionally making insurance affordable for
them as a whole. Explaining the main ideas of the conflict theory will help to show the
economic inequalities that may arise from the different power groups that will continue even
after the universal health care plan is put into action. Even with universal health care there will
be an economic gap remaining between the rich and the poor even though they obtain the same
health care coverage.

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References
Ballantine, Jeanne H., & Roberts, Keith A. (2007). Our Social World: Introduction to Sociology.
(2nd ed.). Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore, Washington DC: Pine Forge
Press.
Gorin, Stephen, & Moniz, Cynthia. (2004, November). Will the United States Ever Have
Universal health care? Health and Social Works 29(4), 340-345. Retrieved March 20,
2010, from General OneFile database.
Halfon, Neal. (2008 May). The Primacy of Prevention: Addressing the Whole Range of
Behaviors that Affect Health is the Key to a Healthier Society. That Strategy Requires a
Universal System. The American Prospect 19(5), A7+. Retrieved March 25, 2010, from
General OneFile database.
Obama, Barack. (2010, March 21). The Presidents Health Care Bill. Retrieved March 26, 2010,
from, www.whitehouse.gov
Veugelers, P.J., & Yip, A.M. (2003 June). Socioeconomic Disparities in Health Care Use: Does
Universal Coverage Reduce Inequalities in Health? (Public Health Policy and Practice).
Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health 57(6), 424+. Retrieved March 24, 2010,
from General OneFile database.
Weil, Thomas P. (1991, November). Managed-Care Plans: Future Under National Health
Insurance. The Western Journal of Medicine 155(5), 533+. Retrieved March 27, 2010,
from General OneFile database.