Health care in America: a right or a privilege - Essay Example

By analyzing the health care system, accepting the foundations laid by our forefather, and considering the pulse of majority of U.S. citizens, the paper concludes that the health care is a basic human right.The paper addresses the much debated issue of whether health care in U.S. is a right or a privilege. However, the gaps in the system have made it a privilege in United States of America. By considering different studies, it seems that the debates should shift from deciding on whether health care is a right or privilege to the methods of achieving a sustainable health care system in which every U.S. citizen has an equal right to health care.

Health care in America: A Right or a Privilege?  “Within the framework of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s “Great Society” era, the 1965 passage of the Medicare and Medicaid programs was accompanied by the belief that health care is a “right” and not a “privilege””(Scott,2005,p.17). According to Amendment (XXVIII) (2003), “The bight to basic health care is afforded to every citizen of tile United States” (as cited in Haft, 2003, p.1).Constitution may entitle every citizen to the right of health care, Haft (2003) argues that health care is not a right accessible to every citizen without any discrimination in the United States.

It is a privilege accessible by rich; a benefit provided at the prudence of a business; an insurance plan which is subsidized for elderly by the government; or a charity provided on the basis of goodwill (p.1). This paper analyses idea whether health care in United States is a right or privilege and concludes that health care is a right but insufficient system has made it a privilege. Furthermore, it is high time to reject the debate over whether health care is a right or privilege and focus on the ways to develop the system that ensures equal rights to health care.

In United States, the need for a nationalized health care program has been under periodic examination since early 1900s.However, health care reform has been thwarted every time it is tried (Clinton as cited in Scott, 2005, p.17).Health care costs are escalating much faster as compared to other sectors of economy. Nearly 14 per cent of U.S. GDP was spent on health care in 2002, and this double digit increase is estimated to continue (Scott,2005,p.17) as it reached approximately 16 per cent of GDP in 2009 according to recent studies(WHO,2009) while Sanders (2009) quotes 18 percent of GDP that amounts to $2.

4 trillion dollars. Following the idea of universal coverage, most Americans believe that every citizen is entitled to access health care services. On the other hand, majority of American society is not willing to pay for other people’s health care (Scott, 2005, p.17). Despite a huge percentage of GDP dedicated to health care system and highest amount of per capita spent on health as compared to other nations, Sanders (2009) argues that our health care system is disintegrating. Approximately 46 million people are living without health insurance; even more are under-insured with high co-payments and deductibles.

Nearly 60 million people which include majority of the insured people, have no access to medical home and more than 18,000 Americans die every year due to preventable diseases because they don’t have access to the doctor at the right time. With increasing costs and complexity of health care services, interim methods are developed to fund health care of majority of the citizens. Despite increasing ability to treat suffering and a maintained a prolonged life, financial resources to provide these facilities to all citizens is declining.

The gap between valuable health care and financial resources of American citizens bring forth the question of health care as a right or privilege (Haft, 2003, p.2). In 1965, government focused on two segments of citizens who were ignored by employers: the elderly and the poor. Government responded by Medicaid