For the third essay, I chose to discuss reducing the cost of health care for all Americans. Affordable health care has always been a major issue for many Americans, especially for low-income families and the poor. In fact, according to Statistics Brain, their statistics show that thousands of Americans cannot afford and do not have access to healthcare. Many people don't know, or even understand, the programs or funds that can help them in the situations they find themselves in. not knowing or being able to afford health care is a huge problem, especially considering the fact that many Americans are elderly or suffer from acute illnesses, disabilities, and even mental disorders. Without proper health care, many of these Americans will suffer greatly and their symptoms could worsen without proper medication and help. This cannot be achieved without affordable healthcare. I'm going to talk about three health care programs that can help reduce the cost of health care for many Americans depending on their living situation. The first is private insurance programs, the second is health maintenance organizations (HMOs), government-funded health care such as Medicare and Medicaid, and finally, but not commendably, the Health Care Act Affordable Health Care, also known as Obama Care. I will address all of this. As I said earlier, there are many ways to get health care. The problem is, are they affordable? Well, it depends on your annual income and living situation. There are a number of private insurance programs such as Blue Cross Blue Shield, but many of these private insurance programs are typically insurance policies offered by employers (Macionis, p 245). It's a problem, however, because only eighty-five percent of employed people have health insurance... amidst the paper cans. I've given four examples of many policies, programs, and laws that can help everyone find an affordable way to get health care. This of course depends on their income, employment, age and their knowledge of how to find the right insurance. And now with the Affordable Health Care Act, it can also help many Americans search for the right and affordable health care program for everyone. Healthcare can be scary and intimidating, but there is always a way to find some form of assistance, you just have to be patient and willing to look. Reducing the cost of health care is not always easy, but there are some options for everyone, even if they are not yet 100%. References Macionis, J. (2013). Social Problems, Fifth ed. Pearson Education Publishing. US Department of Health and Human Services, April 27, 2014 http://www.hhs.gov/healthcare/rights/law/index.html