Healthcare; Right or Privilege?

Introduction

Is healthcare a right or a privilege? Well, it is said that a driver’s license is a privilege not a right in the U.S. and I look at healthcare the same way. Considering ethical issues in the public health and health services I will explain whether healthcare is a right or privilege in the U.S. A conclusion follows with my own thoughts and views.

Right or Privilege

If medical care became a right then the physicians would be obligated to provide a service to everyone even if they hadn’t established some form of relationship with them or even met them before. Natural rights like human rights can be exercised by all individuals simultaneously without violating and trampling on the rights of others but with such things as welfare rights, entitlements, and redistribution of wealth schemes the governments surpasses these rights. When they do this it creates a violation of autonomy and the basic rights of individuals. The negative concept of the law is also corrupted when they do this.

Some new laws have not been approved by the U.S. Senate. With international agreements all member nations have to commit to these treaties regardless of Act of Parliament or Senate approval. Approval has never stopped treaties they are implemented regardless. It is national law that these treaties be respected and implemented throughout the nation. As of now the United States is the only industrialized country in the world in which their citizenship does not include health care as a right. The United States in longevity ranks 18th, in infant mortality ranks16th, and in immunizations ranks 67th as a result of this. It is all about the money.

Physicians were happy to treat needy patients as part of their professionalism long before the government got involved in their campaign against the medical profession. Physicians are not paid today by the fruits of their labor instead they are paid by discounted programs such as

HMO or even prices that are dictated by the government. While the physician professional associations claim to be moving towards universal access to care and claim to be the uninsured advocates they refuse to give support towards the concept of right to health care at both state and national levels. Taxes could finance public health which would be cheaper than through private administration. The United States does exceed per capita in health care spending through public health insurance.

The decision on healthcare has to be either a privilege or a right for everyone to respect.