For many years, health care has been a hot button issue for many Americans. Numerous attempts to reform and reconstruct the system have ended abruptly and has ultimately been a failure. According to ABC News, around 30% of adults between the ages of 18-24 do not have a usual source of medical care and around the same amount does not have healthcare and as of 2017, 82 million Americans reported having inadequate healthcare. While the accessibility of healthcare has been under heavy scrutiny, the quality of it has had a positive general consensus, with 58 percent of Americans believing that the health care they receive is good. In recent years, former president, Barack Obama enacted The Affordable Care Act, which has aimed to give every citizen healthcare, while remaining affordable for the everyday citizens of the U.S . This has been met with mixed reviews, with the main criticism being that, while the idea is great, the poor execution of it all has caused

A recent interview was conducted with a  volunteer at local homeless shelters who prefers to remain anonymous. When asked about the detriment that the lack of healthcare has on the homeless he called it a “tragedy”. He was also quoted as saying, “The largest problem the U.S is facing currently is the healthcare system, comparatively, nothing will affect the average American and the American economy as much as the handling of this situation will”. He added, “I’ve seen firsthand what happens to the lower class when they get serious injuries, they just have nowhere to go and it is sincerely heartbreaking.”

In another interview with Grant Stevens, an EMT who has worked with a multitude of hospitals across the country, there was also slight criticism for the current healthcare system. “I’ve had multiple patients and families tell me that, they couldn’t afford medical help and that they were scared of going to the hospital in fear of not being able to pay their medical bills”. Stevens also expressed severe distaste for how the government was handling the homelessness epidemic, quoted as saying, “I think one of the major reasons why healthcare is such an issue, is the fact that homelessness is rampant throughout the U.S. When people below the poverty line get injured, they have nowhere to go and no one to help them.”

Finally, in an interview conducted with Steven Sliker, when asked about the current situation of healthcare, he pointed out that the government was “taking strides in the right direction”. He also believes that, “This situation will get better, and hopefully, everyone will have the opportunity to obtain affordable healthcare”. Sliker promoted the affordable healthcare act, saying that, “It is a fabulous idea, It has already helped millions that were previously uninsured, and with the proper execution, it could be the ideal situation for everyone involved.”