The issue of healthcare as a right in the US
Week 1 Discussion
The issue of healthcare as a right in the US has been controversial in the recent past, and the US is the only developed nation that is not able to have a concrete answer concerning the topic. Approximately 27.5 million individuals in the US (8.5% of the population) lack health insurance, 34.4% benefit from government-provided coverage through programs like Medicare and Medicaid, while 67.3% have private insurance (ProCon.org, 2019). The most common type of insurance in the US is employer-based and it applies around 55% of the population. The US is the only country among the 37 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries that lacks universal health care as a constitutional right or by practice.
Those who oppose the move, however, argue that healthcare can result into socialism, and individuals should be responsible for it rather than the government. Moreover, opponents argue that the move to make the government fully responsible for healthcare can decrease the availability and quality of healthcare, and also put the government into larger deficits and debts. From my perspective, I think that all people should access healthcare as a right instead of it being a commodity that is influenced by economic, social, and market demand. Healthcare as a right can be effective in lowering health care costs, hence granting access to a wider population. Healthcare as a right can also be useful in saving a lot of lives in turn, since lack of adequate healthcare coverage results in almost 45,000 deaths per year, reflecting a 40% higher risk of death among the uninsured population (ProCon.org, 2019). Moreover, the right to healthcare can stop medical bankruptcy, reduce healthcare spending, improve public health, and help small businesses. A lot of benefits can be realized as a result of free or affordable medical care, most importantly being the improvement of individual’s well-being.
References
ProCon.org. (2019). Should All Americans Have the Right (Be Entitled) to Health Care? Retrieved from: https://healthcare.procon.org/