Justification for a Healthcare System Funded Largely through Public Taxation - Essay Example

One of the justifications of a publicly funded healthcare system through public taxation is guaranteed access to healthcare despite people’s economic potential. People do not pay for the services that they receive or may be required to pay a little fee that is not significant to their income, a factor that bridges potential differences in care access based on economic status. Healthcare is also budgeted for, resources availed through the formal budget and taxation policies, and this guarantees continuous availability of care services (Leatt and Mapa 2003, p. 49). A publicly funded healthcare system also ensures the quality of care to citizens. This is because the system is organized and qualified professionals manage it. It therefore also offers a benchmark to private practitioners who must match the level of quality to attract and retain customers (Ho 2012, p. 68). The system is also comprehensive to meet diversified needs and is in some cases compulsory, a factor that motivates people to seek care and therefore ensures the quality of health (Morfaw 2009, p. 109).

One of the contrary viewpoints to the justification of the publicly funded healthcare system, through taxation, and a special system, is its “inflexibility and bureaucratization” (Leatt and Mapa 2003, p. 49). The opinion is strong because such a scope may lead to regional scarcity of resources and restrained access but proper management through the accurate forecast of needs undermines this criticism. Another criticism is that the success of the publicly funded care system may be over-valued because it does not bear some of its costs such as time wasted on waiting lists. The cost may be significant to identify overestimation of the derived utility but such wastes may be inevitable and may also exist in privately funded care systems (Leatt and Mapa 2003, p. 49).

Even though opposing views exist to the justification of the publicly funded healthcare system, the weaknesses of such opinions are more significant than their strengths. Justifications for the system are furthermore practical. The publicly funded care through taxation is therefore justified.