Do the Poor Deserve Life Support - Essay Example

Do the Poor Deserve Life Support? Regarding the question, do the poor deserve life support? I think they deserve it. According to me, I view all human life to be having inherent value and hence deserve to be safeguarded by all means. Even though, lifesaving resources such as ventilators may not be available in large supply but hard choices should be made if it means saving a life. I don’t support the decision pull the plug, even though, the woman’s family was not able to pay the bill within the set deadline.

Individually I believe that healthcare is a right that should not be violated no matter the circumstance because the value of human life should not and cannot be measured economically. Therefore, a uniform or universal healthcare system should be made available to every person. The healthcare system can be funded by the government particularly for the poor people who may not be able to foot their medical bills. Morally, I am appalled, with what the hospital did and I think they pulled the plug for the wrong person (French & Fordney, 472).

Even though, we are aware that the patient had almost no brain functionality left, it is ethically and morally wrong to do what they did. This was a cold act of greed on the part of the hospital. Their act showed no compassion. The hospital failed to show sympathetic consciousness of the patient’s distress as well as with the desire to alleviate it.I think rich people should also offer assistance to the poor either through the tax system or voluntarily. We should actually spend more to help the poor access the health care right with lots of ease.

In addition, what we are currently spending should be spent effectively so as the poor can be helped (French & Fordney, 472). The current healthcare system requires a massive overhaul. But since that may require time and resources, with the current system, the federal government should effectively guarantee that nobody will die for lack of a ventilator. They should, therefore, give the poor fully funded ventilator insurance.There are also other ways that such patients can be helped. First, the hospitals are able to provide relief to the underinsured and uninsured patients who are not able to afford hospital bills by offering them discounts.

In addition, they can offer waivers or reductions of Medicare cost-sharing amounts for those who are experiencing financial hardships. The hospitals effort in this area is fully supported by the Office of Inspector General. Hospitals, therefore, have the obligation to life support to the poor (French & Fordney, 472).My impression of the controversy is that every conscious patient, no matter how poor they are, should have the medical care they require regardless of the cost to the rest of the citizens.

It is not right to deny medical care to a conscious patient because they have a right to life, a right that is fully protected by the constitution. There should not be a limit to what the country should spend on every person’s healthcare as long as it is protecting the person’s right to life.Work citedFrench, L. & Fordney, M. (2012). Administrative Medical Assisting. New York: Springer.