Healthcare is a basic commodity, which should be availed to everyone regardless of his or her financial ability. According to Bergen, Fultz, Kessie and Osburn (2015), a government funding healthcare as a basic human right means that medical services accrue to everyone naturally thus, not a privilege to the fortunate persons in the society. The provision of basic healthcare to all people is a moral obligation of society. The United Nations Social and Economic Council refers to healthcare as a necessary human right offering a baseline for the exercise of other human rights (Bergen et al., 2015). According to Bergen et al. (2015), everybody is entitled to living a life of dignity through accessing the highest attainable healthcare benefits. US' right to health is achievable through various complementary approaches such as the adoption of health programs formulated by the World Health Organization (WHO) and other legal instruments. This essay discusses the reasons why healthcare should become a human right in the U.S.
America should provide universal healthcare to its citizens without any conditions. The US promoting universal healthcare is a reasonable move, as US membership to Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), dictates it as fundamental responsibility to its citizen’s wellbeing (Christopher & Caruso, 2015). Currently, a health benefit to the US follows some criterions such as disability aids, employment insurance forms, and income. Therefore, the US needs to take healthcare as a human right to increase efficiency in the economic sectors as healthy lives matter in the production processes.
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The US needs to make healthcare a human right as most of its leading documents and its organizations of international law publicly declare this vital right (Bergen et al., 2015). Following these documents US, in the last decade has adopted a variety of policies, which have come closer to availing universal healthcare to all using programs such as Medicaid and Medicare. Through the various programs, the disabled, elderly, and low- income individuals access healthcare (Berge, et al., 2015). Nonetheless, many Americans cannot adequately access health care as they lack insurance policies, which are too costly. Thus, the US viewing medical care as a product, which is sold makes it unavailable to anyone that lacks the means to buy the service. Therefore viewing healthcare as a basic human right will minimize the costs associated with insurance policies hence, avail universal healthcare to all.
America ought to acknowledge healthcare as a basic human right as many renowned documents from distinguished organizations of the world declare the right (Bergen et al., 2015). Healthcare as a human right accrues to everyone regardless of their gender, race, ethnic background, or their religious views. Bergen et al. (2015) explain that human rights accrue to everyone since they are simply humans, thus inalienable, indivisible, and never taken away. Therefore, healthcare as a human right is equalitarian and universal, acknowledges every life’s worth, hence saving every life as dictated by moral principles.
The universal healthcare systems in the US will enhance access to medical care, which increases health outcomes. Assessing countries with universal healthcare confirm that having a medical scheme that caters to everyone regardless of their financial capability improves access to care, which improves people’s health outcomes (Christopher & Caruso, 2015). Christopher and Caruso (2015) assert that America is lagging compared to other industrialized nations as they lack universal health care hence, characterized by a system full of inequity, inefficiency and thus leading unhealthy lives. They also highlight that the US is associated with worse health outcomes and high mortality rates compared to other nations with universal healthcare systems. Therefore, the US adopting universal healthcare is an important step that will improve health equity and the healthcare of all its citizens.
Consequently, the provision of healthcare to all American residents as a human right can be unsustainable especially because of the cost. According to Bergen et al. (2015), the American government's provision of universal healthcare for all would result in a decrease in the healthcare quality for the rich that cater for their healthcare needs. More so, increasing millions of Americans to the healthcare systems would negatively affect the healthcare provisions through the rationing of services as well as increasing delays.
America adopting policies that favor healthcare as human rights is likely to increase expenses on healthcare. According to Bergen et al. (2015), the American government is likely to increase the rates of taxation as well as increase borrowing to cater for the large bills of medical care. Nonetheless, the US will go against its founding principles by adopting universal healthcare, which amounts to the socialism concept. Bergen et al. (2015) explain the socialism concept as developing a welfare nation that is full of claims which results in overusing medical care resources.
Viewing healthcare as a human right increases the number of people accessing medical care. Nonetheless, it ensures the dignity of life is maintained and equity for all (Bergen et al., 2015). More so, providing healthcare, as a right to Americans is a moral obligation hence, outshines all other founding principles of the American country. Therefore, the benefits of healthcare surpass its expenses as outlined by the opponents of healthcare as a human right.
In summary, health care in the US ought to be made a human right, which means medical care is available to everyone regardless of their financial capability. The US as a member of the OECD ought to offer universal health care as it is the responsibility of the government to cater to the lives of its citizens. Adopting healthcare is likely to reduce the cost of healthcare, increase economic productivity, boost public health as well as reduce the mortality rates. However, offering medical care as a human right is likely to increase governmental spending, which results in high taxations. More so, healthcare as a human right is likely to reduce quality through rationing of the services, and increased delays because of the high number of people accessing healthcare. However, healthcare as a right ensures equity for all, meets the moral obligation of the society, and maintains the dignity of life thus, the need for its implementation in America.
References
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.
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
