By Shanty Tejeda, age 11
For about 70 million Americans, including some immigrants, Medicaid is a highly important government program. It assists families that cannot pay for private healthcare. This is critical for low-income people to afford hospital bills, doctors’ visits, glasses, and other healthcare.
Soon Medicaid recipients between 19 and 64 years old will be required to work at least 80 hours per month to keep their insurance. This is a critical problem for citizens that have health conditions and may not be able to work. Most recipients of Medicaid are working if possible, according to CNBC.
Not all Americans qualify for Medicaid or can afford private insurance. As of 2025, 9.5 million have no insurance, or are uninsured. More people losing their health insurance will mean worse health outcomes for many Americans, which could eventually lead to the population decreasing.
This is all part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed by President Trump. The United States has a national debt of approximately $37 trillion and is trying to reduce spending on healthcare. But at the same time, the government is giving more funds to the military.
The United States spends nearly twice as much as other wealthy countries on healthcare, but other countries have significantly stronger healthcare. Compared to other wealthy countries, the United States spends a range of 17% of gross domestic product on healthcare, while other countries spend 7% to 9%, according to the Commonwealth Fund.
Universal health coverage is globally affordable or free healthcare that everyone in a country can get. This has succeeded in many countries, like France, where almost everybody has both public and private healthcare. This is something the United States could learn from other countries.
