Writing Workshop: Evaluating Sources That Support a Claim

Uninsured people are less likely to receive medical care and more likely to have poor health status. The cost of poor health among uninsured people was almost $125 billion in 2004 (Hadley & Holahan, 2004). The financial burden of uninsurance is also high for uninsured individuals; almost 50% of personal bankruptcy filings are due to medical expenses (Jacoby, et al., 2000). Uninsured individuals report more problems getting care, are diagnosed at later disease stages, and get less therapeutic care. Identify the claim

"Uninsured people are less likely to receive care and more likely to have poor health status."

I have been a doctor for nearly ten years. In that time, I have seen many patients suffer needlessly because they had no insurance. The worst case was a patient who died as a direct result of a toothache. The patient came to me after the infection had spread to his brain. The infection spread because he could not afford to buy the antibiotics that had been prescribed. This should never happen. A universal healthcare system could prevent such tragedies. Which type of appeal is used in each quotation? "I have been a doctor for nearly ten years."

1. ethos 2. pathos

Briefly summarize the author's main points for how a universal system would solve this problem.

A universal system would guarantee that everyone could receive health care regardless of preexisting conditions.

Identify the evidential support for the claim that uninsurance is a financial burden. Check all of the statements that give evidence.

A. Poor health among uninsured people cost almost $125 billion in 2004. C. Roughly half of personal bankruptcy filings are due to medical expenses.

Healthcare costs in the United States are on the rise. Some people say that a universal healthcare system would bring costs down and increase access to care. Others say it would be too expensive and would reduce the quality of care. Examine editorials from both sides of the argument. Then write a five-paragraph essay in which you compare and contrast each argument in terms of objectivity and the types of evidence presented. Evaluate and explain how the sources use effective evidence to support their claims. Write a thesis statement

Americans spend a huge amount on healthcare every year, and the cost keeps rising. In part, this increase is due to government policy and the inception of national programs like Medicare and Medicaid. There are also short-term factors, such as the 2020 financial crisis, that push up the cost of health insurance.

What is the first reason the author addresses?

B

What is the most important evidential support?

D

Healthcare costs in the United States are on the rise. Some people say that a universal healthcare system would bring costs down and increase access to care. Others say it would be too expensive and would reduce the quality of care. Examine editorials from both sides of the argument. Then write a five-paragraph essay in which you compare and contrast each argument in terms of objectivity and the types of evidence presented. Evaluate and explain how the sources use effective evidence to support their claims. Use the drop-down menus to analyze the writing prompt.

Format: Essay Topic: arguments about universal health care audience: a general audience purpose: compare and contrast arguments

America needs to adopt a universal healthcare system because health care is a right that all Americans deserve and too few have. 45 million Americans lacked insurance in 2005. That's over fifteen percent of the population. Young workers who are beginning their first jobs are hit the hardest. More than one-third of Americans who are between the ages of nineteen and twenty-four are uninsured. This is because most insurance is provided through a person's job, and entry-level jobs, such as those young graduates accept, do not always include health insurance benefits. In addition, healthcare costs are currently rising faster than inflation, which means that salary increases cannot compensate for the higher prices of health care, even for those who are insured. Government regulation and a universal system could help keep costs affordable.

Identify the claim. healthcare is a right that all americans deserve identify the reason B Identify evidential support. C

"Approximately 50 million people living in the United States either lack health insurance entirely or are inadequately covered." It makes a statement based on experience. It gives a statistic that appeals to logic. It makes the claim easier to comprehend.

It gives a statistic that appeals to logic.

"My brother Bob knows all about this risk."

It tells a personal story to support the claim

Finally, a universal healthcare system could lead to huge increases in unemployment. All of the Americans who are currently employed with private insurance companies could suddenly find themselves without work. Government regulation could lead to decreased salaries for doctors, which would lead to fewer young professionals entering the medical field. Imagine a country where there are not enough doctors to take care of the people who now have health insurance. This hardly seems like a more beneficial scenario than the one in which the country currently finds itself.

The concluding paragraph appeals to ethos by referencing The Constitution The conclusion appeals to pathos by referencing Freedom The conclusion appeals to logos by claiming that universal health care Has more problems than benifit

Think about the text you just read and how the argument is structured. How does this argument effectively support its claim?

Understanding the structure of arguments is important because it enables a reader to critique various works effectively. Arguments consist of two main parts: conclusion and evidence.

The fundamental problem with universal health care is how to pay for it. Most would argue that a universal healthcare system is a great idea in theory, but in actuality, no one has figured out a reasonable proposal for where the money should come from. Economists claim that more than 2 trillion dollars are spent on health care each year. That's over $6,000 per person. Part of the argument for universal health care is that businesses and individuals are having trouble affording health care because the current costs are already extremely high. With a universal system, everyone would be able to go to the doctor. Therefore, it would be reasonable to assume that universal health care would cause the already ponderous cost of health care in the United States to increase even more. One proposal would take money from other areas and move it to pay for health care. This means that departments such as education or public defense would receive less money, which would have a negative impact on the country. The most likely proposal is that taxpayers would have to pay into a large pool from which everyone would draw for their health needs. This would create several problems. First, it would raise taxes for everyone. It would also mean, fundamentally, that many people who choose a healthy lifestyle would be required to pay the same amount as people who choose to live an unhealthy lifestyle, which hardly seems equitable.

What counterargument is addressed? b What argument does the author use to prove that the counterargument is flawed? b The statistical evidence that health care costs over $6,000 per person uses which rhetorical appeal? a

Although there is a heavy debate over how the United States should pay for a universal healthcare system, perhaps the best idea is to study the ways thirty-two other countries in the world, including our neighbor Canada, have effectively implemented such a system. Europe has a system in which all residents pay into a common fund that creates a pool of money and provides benefits to all. The United States is currently ranked thirty-seventh by the World Health Organization in a report that ranks the quality of care in each country based on infant and adult mortality rates. This is staggeringly far from the top, considering that America is one of the largest world powers. We must figure out a way to effectively adopt a universal healthcare system that provides care to all citizens. Every month an additional 2 million Americans become uninsured. Americans have a right to health care, and the government has an obligation to support that right.

Which counterargument is addressed here? A What is the solution to the counterargument? B What type of evidence does the phrase "The United States is currently ranked thirty-seventh by the World Health Organization" present? B

There was a recent article in the newspaper about a man who was arrested for robbing a bank. The seventy-two-year-old man was no match for the local police department, who quickly overtook him on foot and arrested him. He had no criminal history and did not make any attempt to resist arrest. When they asked him why he had done it, he broke down crying. He told them that his wife had cancer, they had no health insurance, and he could not afford her medication. This story begs the question: How is it possible that the healthcare system in our country causes an elderly man to rob a bank out of love for his wife?

Which type of evidence does this passage use? anecdotal Which rhetorical appeal does this anecdote mainly use? pathos

What would make the paragraph more objective and effective? Check all of the boxes that apply.

a, b, and d

Which of the following sentences use ethos or pathos to appeal to emotions? Check all that are correct.

b and c

What makes this appeal convincing? "The worst case was a patient who died as a direct result of a toothache."

it appeals to emotion and pity

What makes this appeal convincing? "I have been a doctor for nearly ten years."

it shows the doctors credibility

Health care is one of the most hotly debated issues in the United States today, and it's easy to see why. Approximately 50 million people living in the United States either lack health insurance entirely or are inadequately covered. These people's health and financial security are at risk. My brother Bob knows all about this risk - his first child was born with a damaged heart. The cost of the treatment was so high that Bob had to declare bankruptcy. It seems so obvious that health care should be available to all, regardless of their ability to pay. It's just common sense. What type of evidence is shown through each quotation?

stastitcal anecdotal

The statement "Government regulation, job loss, and the ever-present problem of how to pay for universal health care are factors this country is not prepared to surmount" is what part of the overall argument? the claima reasonevidential supporta counterargument

the claim

Identify a reason that supports the claim.

uninsurance is a financial burden