Health Care a Right or a Priviledge
Health Care: Right or Privilege
Shawn Wood
Sociology 120
Instructor: David Strand
May 5, 2011
Healthcare in the United States! Now that is a question for the ages. Is Healthcare a right or a privilege? Ask 10 people and you will get 10 different answers. Some say yes some say no, however almost all have caveats to their answers. This is where the dilemma starts.
As a nation, we agree that individuals should be accountable for their actions. People often argue that those who are reckless with their bodies by ingesting chemicals via cigarettes or drug use and who subsequently develop cancers shouldn’t be subsidized by others’ insurance premiums as the latter group works hard at staying healthy by exercising, maintaining a healthy weight, and eating generous portions of fruits and vegetables. Somehow it isn’t fair. Unfortunately, life and good health aren’t quite that easy or predictable.
Children who haven’t had time to abuse their bodies do develop cancers, have type 1 diabetes requiring insulin, or are born with genetic problems, like cystic fibrosis, that require expensive medical therapies that potentially are lifelong. Once diagnosed, these children are now plagued with the “pre-existing” label and unable to get health insurance. Over the past many years, the leading cause of personal bankruptcy for individuals and families is due to medical expenses. As a parent with an ill child could you simply walk away? (Get Better Health Dot Com) The Utilitarian would look at this issue from the point of view as to what was the best for the greater public. I think that they would agree that having Health Care for all would be in the best interest of the whole group. This is a quote from a paper written by a person who follows the Utilitarian view point and I think it shows how they view most things in the United States. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain
Shawn Wood
Sociology 120
Instructor: David Strand
May 5, 2011
Healthcare in the United States! Now that is a question for the ages. Is Healthcare a right or a privilege? Ask 10 people and you will get 10 different answers. Some say yes some say no, however almost all have caveats to their answers. This is where the dilemma starts.
As a nation, we agree that individuals should be accountable for their actions. People often argue that those who are reckless with their bodies by ingesting chemicals via cigarettes or drug use and who subsequently develop cancers shouldn’t be subsidized by others’ insurance premiums as the latter group works hard at staying healthy by exercising, maintaining a healthy weight, and eating generous portions of fruits and vegetables. Somehow it isn’t fair. Unfortunately, life and good health aren’t quite that easy or predictable.
Children who haven’t had time to abuse their bodies do develop cancers, have type 1 diabetes requiring insulin, or are born with genetic problems, like cystic fibrosis, that require expensive medical therapies that potentially are lifelong. Once diagnosed, these children are now plagued with the “pre-existing” label and unable to get health insurance. Over the past many years, the leading cause of personal bankruptcy for individuals and families is due to medical expenses. As a parent with an ill child could you simply walk away? (Get Better Health Dot Com) The Utilitarian would look at this issue from the point of view as to what was the best for the greater public. I think that they would agree that having Health Care for all would be in the best interest of the whole group. This is a quote from a paper written by a person who follows the Utilitarian view point and I think it shows how they view most things in the United States. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain
References: Baltimore, MD, USA: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2007. p 18. http://site.ebrary.com/lib/ashford/Doc?id=10256346&ppg=18 Berry, E.. (2010, November) http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2009/aug/21/right-or-privilege-yes-no/?print Michael Moore, You Tube (September 16, 2009) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwlsDN-Ilkc&feature=related The Merriam-Webster 's Collegiate Dictionary Tenth Edition (1993) Stanley Hupfeld. (2010, November 30). Commentary: Is health care a right? Journal Record Retrieved May 14, 2011, from ProQuest Newsstand. (Document ID: 2205678251).