Should there be a Universal Health Care Program? People are asking themselves if it is even a viable option to have something like the ACA when a country is already struggling in debt. The major question here is whether health care is a privilege or a right.
What are rights? Rights have a very different definition depending on where you get them from for instance. Paul Ryan stated that they are from nature and God and not from government. A right for others is a principle that people should be free to have. Rights don’t inhibit ones freedoms but actually emphasize them.
What is a privilege? This differs greatly from a right because it is more for just a specific group of people. Ultimately it is an advantage or special right granted to some individuals. The difference in these two words highlights a major argument going on in government today. Should the rights of one individual infringe on the freedoms of another? For instance should a company be forced to pay health insurance for a particular employee just because that employee works a certain amount of hours? Not only does this limit the amount of hours that employers can work employees it also strains their budget for any one they do have to pay insurance for. The issue could be that while treating affordable health insurance as we do car insurance, meaning that we require all citizens to have it, that we lose some of our inherent freedoms. And unlike car insurance there shouldn’t be risk placed on other individuals so that makes that argument less valid. The arguing side states that everyone should have access to life and good health care as Americans. So for those who take the position of health care being a “right”, there is the idea that Americans should be able to live with the ability to visit a doctor without worrying about their future finances. They should be able to choose an affordable healthcare program that suits them. There are hundreds of thousands of people without healthcare who will ultimately have less life due to the fact that they don’t have access to the same healthcare as others. This ultimately affects their
ability to choose and pursue happiness. As is stated in the Constitution every American should be able to pursue happiness. So how do we enable people on their journey? Right now the system in place makes it so there are people that do slip through the cracks. Right now as private industry has proven exploitative and unhelpful in addressing the needs of Americans, America needs to turn to another system in order to protect the masses. Protection and security are rights and should be established for every American. That being said it may take time to come up with a solution that gives rights to the citizens while not destroying the business sector. This has proven to be the most difficult part for congressmen as they nail out the details with the ACA. Photo Credit: SP8254, leequa_art