18 Jan 2023

140

Healthcare as a Human Right in the United States

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Academic level: College

Paper type: Essay (Any Type)

Words: 911

Pages: 3

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Healthcare as a human right is essential because it will enable people to attain the highest standards of mental and physical health. As outlined by the World Health Organization (WHO) , the provision of health care as human rights entails ensuring people have access to required standards of sanitation, medical services, and adequate food. Therefore, healthcare should be made part of human rights in the United States (US) because it will allow for access to health by all people. Since the establishment of WHO, its mandate has been the provision of universal healthcare. However, the case of the United States of America (USA) does not reflect the mandate of WHO because the country depends on the health insurance system to achieve the desired healthcare needs of its people ( Acharya, 2016) . The right to health is a virtue of humanity, and thus, the United States needs to recognize universal healthcare as an essential way through which it can use to safeguard the dignity of its citizens. Most countries within the same cluster as the USA offer universal healthcare and, as such, have helped in a reduction in mortality cases. Healthcare is a human right, and thus, the paper will discuss its significance as well as setbacks that may not lead to the realization of universal healthcare in the US. 

Universal healthcare should be made mandatory in the US because it helps in promoting the right to healthcare. Most of the nations that are members of the Organization for Economic Corporation and Development (OECD) views healthcare as a fundamental responsibility, not a condition in employment, disability status, or income ( Christie & Ratzan, 2019) . Therefore, the US should make healthcare universal and available for each American. The United States should provide healthcare with features such as access to referral services, health insurance, and clinicians and service providers' choice to achieve the required threshold for quality health care ( Bergen et al., 2015) . However, currently, the services above can only be accessed by a patient with comprehensive healthcare insurance in the US. What does this mean? The purported universal healthcare is only available for those who are rich. Based on evidence from the Commonwealth Fund, 11 countries in the same cluster as the US provide universal healthcare to their patients. Such has led to improved equity and efficiency as well as better health outcomes. Similarly, the 2013 study of the National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine documented that mortality rates are high in the US as compared to countries with universal healthcare ( Acharya, 2016) . Based on the observations, the universal healthcare system's adoption is fundamental to achieving health equity and improvement. 

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Healthcare is acknowledged as a human right by a renowned organization such as the World Health Organization. Thus, such should also be the basis for the provision of universal healthcare in the US. According to WHO, healthcare is viewed as one of the ways of achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals ( Gibson, Forman & Nixon, 2015) . The right to health outlines the provision of social measures such as racial and gender equality. As compared to other members of OECD, the United States gives inadequate attention to social programs. As a result, the challenge has led to continuous outspending on medical care. Social spending has a more significant impact on the health of people as compared to medical care. According to an analysis of 30 OECD countries conducted in 2013, it was established that there is a relationship between health indicators and social services ( Gibson, Forman & Nixon, 2015) . People who reside in areas with deplorable social services are prone to healthcare challenges. Therefore, the USA needs to acknowledge that the genuine right to health is based on the ways that the government addresses social determinants of health. 

Universal healthcare is essential in the achievement of equitable healthcare coverage. Treating healthcare as fundamental human rights will facilitate the provision of health to people from different social classes. A large number of people are poor, and thus, initiating universal healthcare will guarantee access to care regardless of cost per capita or one's financial ability. The USA should follow universal health, a system such as that of Canada, which provides equal healthcare for its citizen regardless of class in society ( Christie & Ratzan, 2019) . The development of Medicaid and Medicare was fundamental in achieving the best outcomes in healthcare in the USA ( Christopher & Caruso, 2015) . However, the systems could not offer the required universal care because it only covered those who were insured. 

Adoption of healthcare as fundamental human rights is vital; however, it will lead to an increase in healthcare expenditure. Acharya (2016) argues that, for the government to meet its people's health requirements, it will be forced to increase taxes and to borrow to be able to finance medical care. Similarly, the USA is against the socialism ideology, and therefore, the universal medical system's adoption may contradict its policy. Apart from that, universal healthcare may lead to laziness among US citizens. Health is essential, and thus, many people work hard to receive crucial social insurance, such as medical claims. The provision of universal care may demotivate many in their quest to secure employment. 

In conclusion, one view that the adoption of healthcare as a universal practice in the USA is vital. The care will ensure its citizen can obtain equitable medical care regardless of income, gender, and race. Compared to various OECD members, the US is the only country that does not provide universal care. Such has led to high mortality rates in the country. Despite strides made through Medicare and Medicaid, the desired medical coverage has not been achieved in the USA. The medical experts emphasize that Medicare and Medicaid were only created to increase the number of people subscribing to medical care but not to benefit the Americans who cannot pay for the services. 

References 

Acharya, G. (2016). The right to health is a fundamental human right but better health is a shared responsibility.  Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica 95 (11), 1203-1204. Retrieved from; https://doi.org/10.1111/aogs.13023 

Bergen, J., Fultz, J., Kessie, S., & Osburn, A. (2015). Funding Health Care as a Basic Human Right. RN Journal Of Nursing https://rn-journal.com/journal-of-nursing/funding-health-care-as-a-basic-human-right 

Christie, G. P., & Ratzan, S. C. (2019). Beyond the bench and bedside: Health literacy is fundamental to sustainable health and development.  Information Services & Use 39 (1-2), 79-92. Retrieved from; https://content.iospress.com/articles/information-services-and-use/isu180037 

Christopher, A. S., & Caruso, D. (2015). Promoting health as a human right in the post-ACA United States.  AMA journal of ethics 17 (10), 958-965. Retrieved from; https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/article/promoting-health-human-right-post-aca-united-states/2015-10?Effort%2BCode=FBB007 

Gibson, J. L., Forman, L., & Nixon, S. A. (2015). Bioethics and the Right to Health: Advancing a Complementary Agenda.  Health Hum Right Int J 17 (1), 1-5. Retrieved from; https://www.hhrjournal.org/2015/06/editorial/ 

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StudyBounty. (2023, September 14). Healthcare as a Human Right in the United States.
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