Around 28.5 million people throughout the world don’t have health insurance. Among those who have no health insurance at present, some have private insurance while others have government-aided coverage via programs such as Medicare. Proponents believe that it is the right of every common man to get the best level of health care. Nobody should be deprived of healthcare. A right to healthcare will bring a stop to medical bankruptcies, enhance public health, and lower spending on overall health care. Healthcare should the essential service provided by the government that everyone should make use of it.
According to opponents, the right to enjoy healthcare services amounts to socialism. It should be duty of the individual to secure their health than the role of the government. Government’s provision of healthcare reduces the accessibility and quality of healthcare. It results in larger deficit and incurs debt. Let us know more about the arguments of proponents and opponents in support and against of the right to healthcare.
In favor of the right to healthcare
Constitutions supports the right to healthcare
The objective of the constitution as mentioned in the “Preamble” is to endorse the welfare of the citizens. It states that every person has right to life, freedom and the quest for happiness. This also necessitates the right to get the desired health care to conserve life and to pursue happiness. Health care is a legal function of any government.
Lower the expense of healthcare
A right to healthcare reduces the money spend on healthcare services. By providing right to private or public health care to people, it lowers spending on healthcare services to a great extent. This happens due to reduced administrative expenses and cost of prescription- based drugs.
Saves lives
A right to healthcare services also helps in saving the life of people. Due to lack of health insurance, there has been seen around 44,789 deaths every year. This translates into forty percentage higher probability of death among the ones who are uninsured. As per a study conducted in the past, more than 13,000 deaths happened to people who were deprived of proper healthcare services. These were the people in between the age group of 55 to 64 years. With a right to effective healthcare services, people were seen to live for 5 more years than the ones who were not covered by health insurance.
A globally admitted human right
The right to healthcare service is a globally identified human right. The US and the member nations of the WHO (World Health Organization) signed a resolution that states right to the standard of living appropriate for the well-being and health of an individual, and the family. This statement also includes healthcare. It has been stated that every person in the world should get access to medical services. He / she should not go through financial struggles for obtaining such services.
In against to the right on healthcare
Increase debt
A right to medical care improves the US deficit and debt. Spending on Medicaid, Medicare, and the Health Insurance schemes for children, government has resulted in an explosive growth in the debt in the past. Government funded medical services have increased centralized spending in the initial 10 years of its implementation.
Increases waiting time for medical services
A freedom to opt for healthcare service can raise the waiting time to obtain medical services. “Medicaid” is one such example of a “government funded” health care system. it provides a means to low-income people to get benefited by healthcare services. Around 9.4% of “Medicaid beneficiaries” faced issues while trying to access necessary care. This happened due to extensive waiting times. Nations with a worldwide right to Medicare are seen to have longer waiting period than in the U.S.
Leads to socialism
Implementation of a right to Medicare leads the nation towards socialism. Socialism is designed as control of the government over distribution of services and goods. In this single-payer system, all Medicare bills are compensated by the government. It has the authority to regulate the dispersal of medical services. Due to the introduction of socialized medicine, other government centralized schemes will begin to occupy all regions of freedom.
Increases taxes
By providing a right to healthcare services to people all across the globe, there can be an increase in taxes. It can result in paying the cost of health insurance coverage via greater taxes. Financing a global right to healthcare would result in doubling of payroll taxes.
Can lead to shortage of doctor
A right to healthcare services can result in reduced availability of the doctor. If this right is guaranteed to everyone, then it can make the scarcity even worse. This can lead to an increase in waiting period for getting an appointment of doctor.
