Press Release Assignment

UNITED WAY OF SYLVANIA MAKES A UNANIMOUS VOTE FOR THEIR ELECTION

Members of the United Way of Sylvania (UWS) will see a familiar face in a new light, Dr. Marilyn Clements, was unanimously elected campaign chairperson.

Dr. Clements, a mom of two, is a graduate of Holyoke and Yale. Three years ago, she was named head of Sylvania City College. She has authored four books. She has been a member of the UWS board for six years and is currently the board vice president. Most notably, she’s the UWS’s first black elected campaign chairperson.

The UWS is a nonprofit organization that fights to end poverty. It prepares students for high school graduation, college and the workforce; guides hard-working families toward economic mobility; and houses the homeless. The UWS recognizes the root causes of poverty and works deliberately to fix problems through building alliances within all sectors, funding targeted programs and promoting change.

Already, in the last ten years, there have been significant accomplishments. Since 2011, there has been an 11% increase in students meeting 4-year college requirements, provisions for more than 40,000 homes for the homeless and training and job security for over 7,000 military veterans.

By focusing on education, housing, and economic mobility, the UWS can confront poverty at its roots to create better lives for every member of the Sylvania community. For more information, go to https://www.unitedway.org/

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Opinion Piece Assignment

UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE SHOULD BE FREE FOR ALL IN THE UNITED STATES

Living in America is complex, with high taxes, inflation, and high goods prices. Most Americans struggle to get by daily. When it comes to their health, they put it on the back burner and ignore it because prices are just too high to maintain a healthy living, especially regarding healthcare. Thus, universal healthcare in the United States should be free for all citizens, no matter their status, age, or income level. It would remove one major stress factor from the lives of Americans and ease living conditions.

LOWER COST OF HEALTHCARE IN THE UNITED STATES

Providing free universal healthcare to all citizens will lower healthcare costs in the United States. In a study by the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, total public and private healthcare spending could be reduced by up to $1.8 trillion over the next 10 years due to lowered administrative and prescription drug costs. Furthermore, the American Medical Association reports that private health insurance plans spend 11.7% of premiums on administrative costs while public health programs consume 6.3%. Lastly, according to data from the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development, Canada and the United Kingdom, two countries that provide universal health coverage, spent 47% and 42% of what the United States did per capita in 2017.

SAVING LIVES

A right to free universal healthcare for all United States citizens will also help save lives. A study done by Harvard researchers states, “lack of health insurance is associated with as many as 44,789 deaths per year,” which roughly translates to about a 40% increased risk of death among the uninsured population. A Commonwealth Fund study showed that because of a lack of adequate and timely healthcare in America, the country ranks at the bottom of a list of 16 wealthy nations in terms of preventable mortality, and to make matters worse, Lancet published a study that ranks the United States 29 out of 195 countries and territories in terms of preventable mortality. Italy, Spain, France, Australia, Israel, and Norway, all nations with a right to universal healthcare, have their people live up to five years longer than those in the United States.

ECONOMIC PRODUCTIVITY

Providing free universal healthcare to all citizens of the United States pushes for the country’s economic productivity. People with health insurance tend to lead a healthier lifestyle and miss work less. A study done by researchers at the Universities of Colorado and Pennsylvania shows that workers with health insurance miss an average of 4.7 fewer work days than employees without health insurance. The Institute of Medicine reports that the United States economy loses $65-$130 billion annually due to poor health and premature deaths amongst the uninsured. In a speech from World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, it was stated that all nations should provide a right to healthcare “to help foster economic growth.”

NO MORE MEDICAL BANKRUPTCIES

So many people go into debt, if not bankruptcy, due to medical bills. According to the National Bankruptcy Forum, medical debt is the #1 reason people file for bankruptcy in the United States. It’s sad to say that in 2017, about 33% of all Americans with medical bills reported they couldn’t pay for necessities like food, heat, or housing because of their medical debt. If there was free universal healthcare for all United States citizens, this would not happen. The government would be helping them out because private citizens would no longer be responsible for paying for all the medical bills.

ENCOURAGING ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Free universal healthcare benefits citizens and promotes entrepreneurship opportunities. Obamacare proves this. When Obamacare was launched, the number of self-employed Americans increased between 2014-2016. According to Challenger Start-Up Report, 6.1% of job-seekers started their businesses in 2016, marking a four-year high. A study published in Contemporary and Economic Policy found that providing universal healthcare in the United States could also increase self-employment by 2% to 3.5%.

For more information, contact Sharon Victory at svictory@usc.edu

DISCLAIMER: All writing samples are fictional. I have no affiliation with the brand or product as this is for a school project.