Senator Bernie Sanders believes it is a right:
Let's be clear. Our health care system is disintegrating. Today, 46 million people have no health insurance and even more are underinsured with high deductibles and co-payments. At a time when 60 million people, including many with insurance, do not have access to a medical home, more than 18,000 Americans die every year from preventable illnesses because they do not get to the doctor when they should. This is six times the number who died at the tragedy of 9/11 - but this occurs every year.
In the midst of this horrendous lack of coverage, the U.S. spends far more per capita on health care than any other nation - and health care costs continue to soar. At $2.4 trillion dollars, and 18 percent of our GDP, the skyrocketing cost of health care in this country is unsustainable both from a personal and macro-economic perspective.
At the individual level, the average American spends about $7,900 per year on health care. Despite that huge outlay, a recent study found that medical problems contributed to 62 percent of all bankruptcies in 2007. From a business perspective, General Motors spends more on health care per automobile than on steel while small business owners are forced to divert hard-earned profits into health coverage for their employees - rather than new business investments. And, because of rising costs, many businesses are cutting back drastically on their level of health care coverage or are doing away with it entirely.
On the other hand, South Carolina Representative Bob Inglis takes a different view:
Health care is not a right. I have no right to health care, to food or to shelter. I do have a right to work though. And I have an obligation as a member of Judeo-Christian society to make provision for these things, for 'the least of these,' in the things of food, shelter and health care. One of the best ways to be my brother's keeper is to keep free enterprise flourishing so that he has a job."
From the Heritage Foundation:
The problem is that Sen. Kennedy is wrong; there is no fundamental right to healthcare. When the founders wrote of our “inalienable rights” to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” they were referring to natural rights, things that we can enjoy on our own, without depending on government. They exist by nature—they are not entitlements to things produced by others. The rights to life and liberty are individual rights that I can pursue or neglect as I wish. Governments are instituted merely to secure these rights by providing the necessary infrastructure for their flourishing—this involves instituting a rule of law and order, providing for the public defense, and so on.
Where do you find yourself on this question?
I don't feel that health care is a right that you are born with. Although there are many upsides to this debate and also many downsides. On one hand it would allow more people to receive routine care for common illnesses e.g. swine flu, and keep it from spreading as much. It would keep insurance providers from dropping patients due to minute mistakes such as typos on paper work or because of family medical history. It would increase the pay that you bring home. And it would keep you from being denied due to pre-existing conditions.(I'm kind of torn on this issue as well as you will see in my cons list.) These would be great things to have, but at what price? We would be increasing our national deficit that our generation would not even be able to take care of. We are passing our mistakes to our future generations to take care of. Our medical offfices would be crowded to the point of not being able to get an appointment when really needed. People would just start going to the doctor for things as small as a headache just because they can without reprocussion. When you actually do get an appointment you would be waiting for hours. This would in turn cut down on the already short time that you have to speak with the doctor. Thus watering down care. Doctors may see no reason to test further for safety preautions for they have no incentive. So medical mysteries may remain a mystery. Then as mentioned before about the pre-existing conditions, I have no sympathy for those who brought sickness upon themselves. We as a nation would have to pay for someone who ate themselves to obesity, who smoked for 20 years and ended up with cancer, or those who drank until they got cirrhosis of the liver to receive transplants or operations so they can continue with their rudimentary lifestyles. Why should those people be treated the same as those who are ill at no fault of their own? So basically in my opinion I think instesd of implementing the healthcare reform why not just tweek the systems we have now a little bit? We have medicaid and medicare for those who can't afford coverage already. Why do we need the government in yet another aspect of our lives?
ReplyDeleteThis is really just a torn subject with so many different “co-subjects” to touch on!!! Where do I start, end or even half way express the different opinions I have…
ReplyDeleteI agree with Amivad-
I do believe that health care is not a right, it is something that you owe yourself, work for and in some cases entitled to. Now being entitled to in my opinion would be low income individuals and families, or people with disabilities, not people who are truth be known just to lazy to work or provide for their families (beings that we live in a perfect world, I’m sure none of us know people like this huh). With the economy the way it is right now I have been one of those people to lose health insurance due to cut back within jobs and jobs cutting back the amount of coverage they are willing to spend, is it fair not really but something that people have to deal with ever single day like said in this article. If everybody was “entitled” to health care plans such as medicaid/medicare, what kind of debt would the United States really be in?! It is quite aggravating that there are so many illnesses within the U.S. that are not being treated and the spread of them are way out of control but also aggravating that there are so many people in this country that just take advantage of the health care provided by the Government. What should the Government really do about this? Either way I personally do not feel as if this is a problem that is going to be fixed over night, either the government is going to continue to let the people who really need healthcare go without and let the ones who take advantage of the system continue to take advantage. With the economy people seriously can not afford to have health care on a family when losing job(s). So I suppose just continue to let the Government do what they think is best, this is not a fix job.
I really don't know what to say. I agree and see where both other users are coming from, but I think I agree more with the first one. I would hate to be really really sick and not be able to get in to see my doctor, or have to wait there for two hours. I think people would really just play around with this right if the just had free health care. They would take there kids over just a bump or cut. Nothing to go to the doctor for. But then again we have people living here that could never afford health care and go with out when they are sick.
ReplyDeleteI feel that the U.S. should go a universal healthcare that DOES include all of Congress and all other officials as part of it. We are one of the few civilized countries that do not have health care provided for by the governemnt. Many of the countries that do have it have fewer sick days on the average than the U.S. There would be a decrease in wait times in emergency rooms if the poorer side of America did not have to use them as their only sorce of medical care. Most often made illness and/or diseases would be caught earlier on if everyone had access to regular physician visits. This would increase the quality of life for many people. This is not even taking into account the people that have medical coverage through their employeer, but it is horrible that unless tehy get a major illness/disease it does teh absolutely no good. No medical plan is perfect, but I believe that medical care for everyone as oppsed to medical care for only those lucky enough to afford it is beter than over half of the country with NO medical care at all.
ReplyDeleteI definately think that there should be universal coverage of healthcare for everyone. It would cost less than the plan we have now. People can't afford it anymore and more and more people are filing for bankruptcy because of the expense. The people can't afford it and the employers can't afford to pay for it anymore. I think it is horrible that the rich seem to have the best healthcare coverage, but the poor or middle class families can't even afford one visit to their physician. I believe we should have already had an established universal system like this a long time ago. However, the universal healthcare system would not cover things such as any plastic surgery ie, nose jobs, breast augmentations, etc. Anything such as these are not important enough such as serious illnesses. Canada, England, even Cuba have this system and I believe this type of system would equalize out for everyone.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe that healthcare is a right. While there are many ways this issue can be depicted, I think that healthcare along with everything else, is something we have to work for. For those who have lost their coverage due to job layoff, or other extenuating circumstances, is one thing, but unfortunately there are those who are just lazy and don't want to work for it. Let's be honest....most people work for the health insurance solely...so why should they have to pay for it, and it be given to someone who opts to not work just because they don't feel like it. It shouldn't matter what your income status...if they want to provide healthcare coverage for one, then it should be provided for all.
ReplyDeleteOk so health care isn't exactly a "Natural Right" but this is America, we're the most advanced civilization medically in history, but in our current situation there's a gigantic chunk of our own citizens that have to do without the wonders of modern medicine.
ReplyDeleteUntil recently I was very much on the side against "Socialized" Health Care. (That's such a terrible name)
That all changed when I found out that since they graduated high school, several of my friends have no health insurance simply because they can't afford it. One of those friends had a heart condition, and practically went bankrupt paying medical bills. Are you saying that he's lazy? He was working two jobs at the time, was going to school full time. We definitely need some form of care for ALL CITIZENS. It's not going to put Health Care companies out of business (unfortunately), not everyone is going to drop their provider to go to a free system that will probably be bare minimum coverage. The people who can afford "Premium" coverage will continue to do so, it just gives everyone a chance.
I dont know where I stand on Universal coverage I do feel everyone should have affordable insurance but I dont feel it is everyones right to have it. I think if you are working and trying to better yourself that you should be able to afford insurance for your family. I also agree with one of the blogger about if everyone has insurance that the Dr. office will be full of people that really dont need to be seen but on the other hand it would help America because alot of termially ill people will have coverage snd some of these problems would be caught early and could result in curing them instead of occuring the cost of really sick people.
ReplyDeleteI think everyone should have the medical care that they need. It's not necessarily a right to have medical care, but you can't just let people who are sick, die because they can't afford the medical bills.
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