Healthcare in the United States is a confusing topic because even though it is currently a privilege, it should actually be a right. A right given to citizens of the United States. If someone is sick and needs care, I believe that it should be given to them free of charge. The United States guarantees all citizens an education, access to fire and police services, a national postal service, protection by the military, a national park system, and many other services. However, the country hasn’t yet committed to ensuring that all of its citizens have health care coverage.
By definition, healthcare is the organized provision of medical care to individuals or a community. According to MIT Medical, there is no universal healthcare and the U.S. government does not provide health benefits to citizens or visitors, so any time you get medical care, someone has to pay for it. This basically means that if someone is sick and needs to seek medical attention, they will eventually have to pay for it. Even if it’s a life or death situation, you would eventually have to pay for it. One night in the hospital would end up being thousands of dollars. According to a U.S. government website, fixing a broken leg can cost up to $7,500, the average cost of a 3-day hospital stay is around $30,000, and comprehensive cancer care can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. When people don’t have the money to pay for this type of care, it can be detrimental to their families.
The U.S. Healthcare system seems to fail to protect the human right to death. According to the American Journal of Public Health, in 2009, it was calculated that 45,000 people die each year simply because they have no health insurance. People dying because they aren’t able to afford health insurance is sad because ultimately we should be trying to save everyone no matter their position in life.
In addition, the health care that is available isn’t always accessible to everyone. Hospitals and doctors are always located in wealthier areas, and public hospitals are closing in areas where they are most needed. According to an article by CNBC, Robert J. Hugin, former Celgene executive chairman and CEO, says “However, health insurance benefit designs have begun to significantly discriminate against the sickest Americans – those with complex medical conditions such as cancer, arthritis, multiple sclerosis and HIV – by making them shoulder an unreasonable proportion of their health-care costs.”
Overall, I believe that health care should be a right, because at the end of the day we are all living in the U.S. and all demand at least some form of healthcare. We’re all human beings and from time to time when we need medical attention, it should be available to us.
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