The U.S. health care system is the subject of much polarizing debate. At one side are those who argue that Americans have the “best health care system in the world,” pointing to the freely available medical technology and state-of-the-art facilities that have become so highly symbolic of the system. 

   On the other hand are those who berate the American system as being fragmented and inefficient, pointing to the fact that America spends more on health care than any other country in the world yet still suffers from massive un-insurance, uneven quality, and administrative waste. 

   I live in this country not so long time. Coming from Russia, I have been here for 10 months. For so short time I became a student at Southern Maine Community College and have married. We will have a child soon. It will be boy and we are so exciting. When we knew that I was pregnant, we became worried about the insurance for me and the baby. I don’t work because I can’t combine work and classes. My husband has just personal insurance plan but it does not cover family, especially pregnancy. By the way, giving birth to the child in America is very expensive and not always affordable to a young family. To our pleasure, we have found many programs which can help us with my insurance. I think it’s a good side of the health care system in the U.S.A. 

   My husband and I are very grateful to people who work in Human Service in Portland. They have helped us and have explained our rights and opportunities in health care system in the U.S.A. Probably, the American system of public health services is not so universal, needs reforms, but it always will help with a critical situation to you.

Elena Kasianov

Portland