Free Healthcare Service - Essay Example

Health Care The world is under threat because of human activities. New types of diseases and health complications keep appearing each day. These issues give researchers and scientists a rough time in finding the best cure. The complications pose as a health concern. It requires every government to increase the number of health units, improve the quality and reduce the charges if not making services free. There are so many debates on whether the health care services should be free or not. The argument in favor is governments get a lot of money from taxes and the health insurance schemes meant to cater for everyone and it is considered human to offer treatment and help others. This essay argues the points out both in favor and against the motion. Free healthcare services In most countries, healthcare is one of the largest and ever growing industries, which is capable of employing half of the whole population. According to the Declaration of Independence in the United States, everyone is has a right to access healthcare because it preserves life. This means everyone should get free medical attention because it is a right as provided by the Constitution. In 2007 alone, close to 63% of the population in the United States were bankrupt because of the high costs in the healthcare systems. From these bankruptcies, 76% of them had filed their cases in court because the Medical Insurances they had subscribed to were not of benefit (ProCon.org). A local person will look at most insurance companies as defrauders who are in the industry to make profit instead of providing services to the people as they claim. This is making people shy away from taking insurance covers. In addition, they are afraid of engaging themselves in entrepreneurship activities because they do not want to lose their current health insurance covers offered in their current jobs. In reality, if heath care is made free, people will be ready to turn their ideas into entrepreneurship opportunities, employ people thus promoting the general economy of the country. Since not all people in the country have the same economic status, providing free medical services will bring equality in a society. Every day, a new type of complication implants itself due to the current lifestyles and under treatment of previous illnesses. By the government providing free medical care to all people, it will be easy to bring such complications under control. Actually, lack of guaranteed health attention has decreased the health status among people. America, which is well-developed country, has many health problems. It is among developed countries with the highest infant mortalities. Among these 27 countries, it is only in America where health care is not a guarantee. According to World Health Organization, America has the highest per capita health care expenditure, which is close to $6 billion annually. Among the 193 WHO member states, America is ranked 31st in life expectancy with an average lifespan of 75 years and 152 in infant mortality and related rates which accounts for over 5 deaths per 1,000 child births. No free healthcare services Healthcare, just like any other industry must sustain itself. This means provision of free health services will have an impact on its growth. It is a necessity in the current world and thus offering free services will congest and overwork the system. To begin with, free medical care will reduce the quality and frequent availability of health services. This is because everybody will demand for attention. This is because there is only a small fraction of health attendants, medical professionals and the number of health facilities to cater for the whole population. The American Constitution for example clearly illustrates its purpose in healthcare. Actually, it aims at “promoting healthcare” and not providing it freely. Therefore, it is not a right as people may claim. Even in the Bill of Rights, there is no place it states free medical services. Instead, it only gives the rights of which the government does not have the powers to infringe but not material goods or any type of service that a government has to guarantee its people. Just like any other government body, which requires money, allowing free medical services in a country will strain the government thus leaving it in deficit. Any free service leads to overspending thus denying other sectors a chance to get a fair portion of the budget. Lastly, it is the responsibility of everybody to be in charge of his or her personal health. The government can only provide awareness and not claim responsibility over the same. The only exception that most countries are giving consideration is maternity care, childcare for children below five years and in some countries the disabled and elderly. The money of the health care should be taken out of taxes and insurance companies People pay tax in everything they do because it is a government regulation and requirement. This is irrespective of whether it is a commercial or a private affair. In addition, the governments introduced medical insurance covers with the aim of covering medical expenses each time an individual together with family members fall ill. In some hospitals and healthcare systems, it is very difficult to get medical attention if one does not have a medical insurance cover. For instance, the ObamaCare Insurance plan has ten key benefits. These include free hospitalization, outpatient care, access to preventative drugs, maternity, emergency services, pediatric services, laboratory tests, mental health checkups, rehabilitation services and prescription drugs. This means health care is of beneficial when one has an insurance plan. Since insurance companies deduct money from the employee’s salary, one gets an assurance of these services even they do not have money. The money of the health care should not be taken out of taxes and insurance companies Taxes are meant to serve and sustain the whole economy. Focusing the whole attention by using all tax income to offer medical services to people will deny other sectors a chance to grow. The healthcare industry is the largest share in the economy. This means it can sustain itself if it has to grow and offer services to people. Forcing the government to use up all the tax just because it is the same people who paid will only leave the country in a huge deficit. The country’s infrastructure, security, industrial growth and food security will not be addressed. Insurance companies, according to many people pose as conmen. According to the US Census Bureau, by 2009 close to 15% of the American population did not have insurance covers (U.S. Department of Commerce). This is because the charges to take up insurance covers were too high to most of them (Goodnough, A1). In addition, those who take these covers claim there is little dependency on them. When one falls ill or is involved in an accident, the Insurance companies always look for reasons to avoid paying up the bills even when they find out the claims are very genuine. The health care should not rely on insurance companies because they are not effective and if they are, they are after making profit instead of serving people. Taxes can only be relied on to a small extent since it does not offer full expenses. It is considered a human point to treat others and help them Human are social beings that use emotion to express affection and love. In the healthcare systems, it is a setting in which most of the people are need of medical attention. The National Center in Health Care is very keen in addressing all ethical issues that revolve around patient care, management in the healthcare systems and related research (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs). In addition, it is considered human when everybody in the community gets to enjoy the benefits administered in the healthcare system (American Medical Association). This involves provision of full information to patients, medical professionals being available for consultations and aiming at offering quality services. It is not a human point to treat and help others While the American medical system is among the best in the whole world, the human point is not being addressed. Most of the medical practitioners are free to do anything. They have the power to illegally sell services to those patients according to the law should get them free. This means the concept of free market helps them to do so (Andre & Velasquez). Through such illegal sales, they are overloading the healthcare system since they increase budgets by smuggling drugs, performing illegal operations. Helping others involve being conscious about the background of your patient. However, the medical systems are in such a way that people with serious and incurable illnesses run bankrupt just because they require extensive and extensive care to reduce the fatal effects of their complications. At no point does this kind of healthcare operation incorporate ethical issues. The question remains, is it right? It is not because the healthcare system depends on the resources taken from the society only to dictate on how to use them up. Conclusion Everybody is very happy when the healthcare system becomes free because it will improve life expectancy, help people escape the huge costs and they consider it a universal right. However, free services are not even guaranteed in the constitution. In addition, this may leave the government in deficit and deny other sectors a chance to expand. People subscribe to premium insurance covers, pay tax with a hope to get better medical services. However, in most cases, the insurance covers seem unreliable and diverting all tax collected for the sake of health provision strains the whole economy. A normal system must incorporate ethical values. The same applies to the medical system, which has to make sure everybody benefits from the services. Personalizing, promoting illegal businesses defies the human morals. Works cited American Medical Association. Ethics and Access to Health Care. N.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2014. Andre Claire & Velasquez. System Overload: Pondering the Ethics of America’s Health Care System. Santa Clara University. N.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2014. Goodnough Abby. “Looking at Costs and Risks, Many Skip Health Insurance” The New York Times. 21 April 2014: A1. Print. Obama Care Facts and Myths. How to Buy Health Insurance. N.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2014. ProCon.org. Should All Americans Have the Right (Be Entitled) to Health Care? N.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2014. The United States Constitution. We the People. N.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2014. U.S. Department of Commerce. Health Insurance Statistics. United States Census Bureau. 2009. Web. 26 Apr. 2014. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Healthcare Ethics. National Center for Ethics in Health Care. N.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2014. World Health Organization. Health Ranking of Member States. 2009. Web. 26 Apr. 2014. Read More