A few assumptions that I want us to operate under as we engage in discussion about healthcare.
1. Anyone who presents to an emergency room with a truly emergent need should receive at least the minimum treatment necessary to ameliorate the emergency regardless of insurance status, citizenship, etc.
2. This is about patients, not politics. We are not discussing who is right and wrong and which group should submit to the other's desires.
First, I want you to think globally about the question. Don't read anything or Google the topic or ask anyone else's opinion. Decide for yourself whether or not you think access to healthcare should be guaranteed to everyone. After doing this, take a look at these articles (1), (2) and evaluate how they are in contrast or support of your position. You may also want to search for other opinions to see what others think. We will spend the next 2 weeks discussing this topic.
34 comments:
Put my name under the 'Whole Foods' philosophy. Well said. Period.
We are killing the golden goose in this country. Small and medium businesses and middle-income earners. The size of the "hands-out entitlement mentality' population continues to explode - the wealthy are taking their money and lives elsewhere and the middle class is left holding a very heavy bag. The Nancy Pelosi's of the world can legislate all they want to - she doesn't have to live by the law she relegated to us - she has her own government plan.
A doctor on you tube or facebook or both recently said the problem with healthcare isn't the healthcare. Its the Americans who take no responsibility for their health. If you can afford the tats, jewelry, gold, car, alcohol and pot you can afford the same premiums I have to pay. You want McDonald's 3 x a day? $15 x 5 x 52 weeks = $325 a month. yup, covers my premium... cigarettes? $5/ day x 365.... hmmmm
You want my money for healthcare? Then you undergo what I have to as an employee - drug screenings and evaluations. Not doing your part - then sorry.
If I seem heartless, I am not. I would much rather donate my money to those in need and see that it goes to them as I have in the past.
My personal views before reading the articles are that any one regardless of race, citizenship, insurance status etc should receive treatment to stabilize them in an emergency situation. Humans are humans and each person deserves to be treated as such regardless what their circumstances. I don’t think but rather I know that health care should be guaranteed for everyone. Healthcare reform is a hot topic anyway and too many Americans are living without that need and they deserve proper health care coverage and services. Especially American citizens that have worked, raised families, served this country, and contributed to it. I personally feel disheartened to know that so many children and elders are living in a society that refuses the right to proper treatment, not to mention the countless others that are in need.
After reading the Whole Foods Alternative I must agree with the statement made by Mr. Mackey regarding the fact that most Americans are responsible for their own health. I agree that people should take better care of themselves and put more nutrient foods into their bodies, exercise, and live a better quality of life. I don’t think that is something we will see just happen because many people simply lack the education of how to properly eat and take care of themselves. Another factor that contributes to the lack of proper diet in Americans is income and the lack of it. Until issues such as these can be helped we will not see a substantial amount of the population jumping on the heath band wagon. With regard to reading the US health care paper I feel this view pairs more closely with mine. Every American should be able to receive treatments for their needs in a country that so much modern medicine and technology exists. I am aware that these types of treatments must be covered by some body’s money because this country is driven off of marketing, advertising and the almighty dollar. It is unfortunate but the truth is that change must be implemented on many levels. It can begin with Americans changing their habits, but more importantly the insurance companies will require the most reconstruction.
Tiffany Benfield P1
I do not believe in universal healthcare. This comes primarily from my experience with the Portuguese health care system this summer. I interned at a hospital for six weeks where the majority of people received discounted health care. While this worked out short term for the patient, the Portuguese government just declared bankruptcy. I talked to many of the doctors there that actually praised the American health care system and wished they had a similar type of system.
As the older generation is the majority of the patients in these countries, they are reaping the benefits of the system. However, money is essentially running out, and the younger generation may be in trouble when they grow older and are in need of health care.
I am not saying that our health care system here is perfect, far from that. However, providing universal health care for anyone would take too much toll on the government as we are seeing in countries overseas. In the short term citizens would be receiving medications and health care for free or a very low cost, but ultimately the government would take a big hit.
-Ishita Gandhi
After reading the Whole Foods article, I can't help but agree with the other students as well as the article. I feel like Americans should in fact be responsible for their own healthcare. Like Dineane said, after you add up the amount that some of the population (who receives Medicaid) spends on jewelry, cell phones, and nice cars, they could have contributed that amount to their the well-being of themselves or their kids. Yes, eating healthy can be expensive but in the end, it will be a lot cheaper than a nasty hospital bill due to an otherwise preventable condition or disease.
Beth Campbell
P1
In and ONLY in Emergency situations should someone receive at least the minimum treatment necessary. This is not saying I'm all about some universal healthcare, but if someone on the street suffers a heart attack I feel like instead of walking pass him and watching him die, we need to reach out a hand and get him some help. The problem is that people are abusing the system. I worked at a hospital for several years and its amazing at what people come to the emergency room for. Tooth Aches? Runny Nose? Bad Cough? These things are far from an emergency and it is those people that should be turned away. They are costing hospitals hundreds and thousands of dollars a year when in reality all they have to do is walk down their local supermarket and get some medicine. We should education the public first and tell them it is an expensive yet serious ordeal and try to put regulations and restrictions on the circumstance that people can get "Free" healthcare.
- Nick Conley (p1)
I agree with Tiffany on many of the points she made. Before reading the two articles, I too believe that everyone should have the right to healthcare regardless of who they are. After reading the articles, I also believe that everyone is responsible for their own health. However, I also think that access to healthcare is closely linked to socioeconomic status. I also agree with Dineane that there are people who would rather buy jewelry, gold, cars, alcohol, or pot than get healthcare. But I also believe there are people who genuinely want to take responsibility of their own health, eat right, and have regular checkups, who just cannot afford it.
Sendra P1
My opinion before and after the articles was that every person should receive a certain amount of treatment especially in an emergency and receive a certain degree of healthcare. Out of the two articles I agree with the circulation journal mostly, though Mr. Mackey did have some good points. I do not agree with his relating health care to food and shelter because they are different. You can choose where you live and what you eat, but you cannot choose what health problems will occur most of the time such as with cancer, mental illnesses, infectious diseases, etc. I mean even our beloved oxygen is deteriorating us in some way! A lot of expensive health problems are due to genetics as well. I think universal healthcare is necessary whether through a single payer system or with private companies. A 2-tiered approach may be appropriate. I like the economic standpoint the circulation journal article provides with explaining the lack of incentives in the correct places decreasing healthcare efficacy needing to change. They also take into the account the need for free market forces and are realistic that more taxing will have to occur and is necessary. maybe we could tax fatty foods like we do cigarettes and alcohol! I understand the problems with socialism, but some healthcare for everyone even if you have to wait in a line is better than none at all.
Leanne Wentz P1
I have struggled with this subject for a long time! And it is hard to talk about this subject without talking about politics. Ultimately, I think someone is getting the “short end of the stick” no matter what. I believe that healthcare is a PRIVILEGE. It is not fair for someone to not contribute in any way to the money that is put into healthcare and then reap all the benefits. But at the same time it is hard for me to say that I would deny someone healthcare just because they can't afford it.
So... I believe that there should be a 'standard' healthcare policy that allows everyone to be covered for certain minimal things. Then people should have the choice to get supplemental and private insurance based on their wants and needs. In my opinion, this takes patient centered care into consideration as well as the reality that we just cannot afford to provide perfect healthcare for every single American. Also, like Ishita said not everyone that has universal healthcare is happy with it. There are many faults to universal healthcare just like there are with our current healthcare system.
We do not live in a perfect world. If we did, insurance companies would not have 230% profit but instead they would care about the patients that they are insuring and provide affordable healthcare. If it were a perfect world, doctors would spend more than seven minutes with each patient to make sure that they completely understand their therapy instead of rushing out to another patient for more money. I know that our healthcare system needs improvements but I do not think universal healthcare is going to make things any better.
Yes, healthcare needs to be reformed but bluntly, "ObamaCare" may be one of the worst ideas I've ever heard. The American government has already proven through the near 40% inefficiency rating Medicare/ Medicaid boasts that they are not well suited to have such a large hand in healthcare programs. Studies have shown students are already choosing p.a. school and other options over med school; with ObamaCare doctors in public practices will not even be paid enough from the government to break even let alone profit. 1.) Who wants to go to school for eight years and not make any money? 2.) What are we as a country going to do when no one wants to become a doctor anymore? Another problem with ObamaCare is that other countries have tried similar programs and most citizens in these countries hate it. I lived in Germany for a summer and everyone I spoke to, rich or poor, patient or healthcare professional, hates their government run "healthcare for all". They complain the care is inadequate, the wait to actually be treated is ridiculous and healthcare professionals are struggling to stay in business for their patients because they are no longer making any money for themselves. Also, how Obama would obtain the funding for this program is extremely flawed. Social security would be one of the agencies to decrease in funding in order to help cover the deficit of the health care plan. First of all, social security is deficit spending already just to keep itself going. Secondly, Obama speaks of how his plan would help the elderly, which I see as flawed considering some retirees live on their social security checks and that the plan would actually increase cost of drugs for the majority of senior citizens.
Many people who support universal healthcare state people who are opposed to the idea have no empathy for the poor and no understanding of what it's like to not be able to afford healthcare, I'd just like to state that I don't think this is the case; my mom didn't graduate college until 2000, I have two brothers and for over the first half of my life we were very poor. I do understand poverty and I do feel empathy for the poor, yet I still strongly disagree with giving the money we've worked hard for to the government for them to give away. To those who think this is a good idea let's think back to August of 2009 when Governor Patterson of New York decided to give 140 million dollars of tax dollars back in stimulus checks to needy families so that they could buy school supplies for the upcoming school year. This sounded like a great idea, low-income parents would be allotted $200 on their welfare benefits card (which acts as a debit card) to buy back-to-school supplies for their children, what was actually documented though was an extreme rise in the sales of flat screen televisions, cell phone accessories, beer, lottery tickets and cigarettes to those paying with welfare benefits cards.
The problems with our current healthcare will not be fixed easily but I believe the Whole Food articles offers some very promising ways to improve our healthcare. For those who want to help other people monetarily the Whole Foods idea proposes a revising tax forms to make it easier for individuals to make a voluntary, tax-deductible donation, which I think is a great idea. I was a spokesperson for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society during my undergrad and in letters requesting donations we had to explain very explicitly how people interested in donating could make a voluntary, tax-deductible donation, and would still get continually contacted on just how to do this. It amazed me how few people even knew this was an option let alone how to take advantage of it and I think that making this easier for individuals is an excellent idea to benefit our society and help us all give money directly to people in need rather than giving more money to the government.
Danielle Nichols P1
I have mixed feelings about this topic. While a part of me agrees that everyone should be entitled to healthcare regardless of their social standing, race, etc. because everyone deserves proper healthcare, the other part of me feels that it should be earned. I agree with what Dineane said, we should all have to pay for the benefits we get, because why should the person who decides they don't want to work reap the same healthcare benefits as the person paying for theirs? I think I would have more compassion for these people who cannot afford healthcare if they truly show that they are trying and just can't get a job, don't make enough money, or whatever circumstance they are in, however, if they are pulling up to the drive thru pharmacy saying they can barely pay for their meds and are on Medicaid but driving a Hummer, then what is wrong with that picture?
Before reading the articles, I had a very strong belief that each and every person should have the right to receive healthcare. I didn’t feel that someone's education or level of income should dictate the type of care they should receive. Poor healthcare would cause people to physically and emotionally suffer and I felt that nobody deserved this. However, after reading the articles, especially the Whole Foods article, my opinion changed slightly. I still feel that healthcare should be made available to everyone. I know that people really do go through hard times that may make it tough for them to afford care, so I feel that a little help should be given to them in some form to help those people afford healthcare while still covering some of the costs themselves. In regards to the articles, if you want a good care, a good car insurance plan that takes care of all your expenses should a problem arise, you buy the best available insurance; that is what this American idea is based. If you are willing to spend money elsewhere (alcohol, cigarettes, etc…) and not on a quality healthcare plan, then I feel that you deserve the suboptimal care you “desire” and paid for.
Greg Browning, P-1
Health care is a privilege; I believe it is not something that should be handed out like candy on Halloween. We as the working class of America must work for our healthcare, why should others get it free? Now, I am not saying we should not help those who are in need, I just believe we should stop the fraud in the system and cut out those who take advantage of the system. Can someone tell me how it is fair to take our “working” tax dollars to give healthcare/welfare to those who have six children by separate fathers, living off of the government with no intent to change their lifestyle? As some may say “life is not fair” but we could do something about the health care to even the playing field for everyone.
Josh Waters P1
I feel that healthcare should be right for some individuals while it should be considered a privilege for others. People who are truly in need of help, especially in emergency situations, should have access to some sort of healthcare facility to treat them. Some individuals, however, abuse the healthcare system. This is where the situation can become difficult to judge. Is someone really in need of medical attention, or are they merely taking advantage of the situation? This is why it is imperative to have a highly trained and knowledgeable staff that is comfortable with judging the situation appropriately. I have dealt with several situations where people with less severe circumstances were treated before others in more severe circumstances. An example is when I had an ovarian cyst to rupture. I had been deathly sick for almost 12 hours and was in severe pain. Several individuals who could easily walk around were taken right in, whereas I had to wait for hours. I had to be taken to the room in a wheelchair! Does this really make any sense? We need to take strides in better assessing situations; It could possibly save a life.
-Sarah Helms (P1)
Let me start off by saying I'm not the typical pharmacy student in that learning about the current healthcare reform issues has never been anything that interested me. I know I know... how irresponsible, unbecoming, etc. Until today I had really never given it much thought and it even would annoy me sometimes to listen to other people talk about it. I still don't have a particular interest in the matter, but I think now I can at least have an opinion and support it. That opinion is this: healthcare is a privilege. I wholeheartedly agree with the first article in this post. It is unfortunate that our current system doesn't allow everyone who needs care to get it, but the answer shouldn't be forcing this country into trillions of dollars of more debt, when we are already precariously perched on this fine line. Sometimes, it takes the sacrifice of a few to make it better for the whole. Healthcare is a great example of this. Because of that fact, we by no means have a right to it.
If we "hand out" healthcare, what is to keep people maintaining their own insurance? At some point, the working class will get tired of being taxed to death in order for that money to be handed out to people who are abusing the system. How long is it going to be before the working class gets fed up and decides that they want to be on the receiving end of the hand outs rather than the giving end?
We need to be aware that there is never going to be a perfect system and there are always going to be people who abuse the system regardless of what it is. I think the answer would be to control where the money is going more closely.
I totally agree with the statement that Americans should be taking more responsibility for their health but it's hard to change the behaviors of people.
-Hollee Kitts, P1
I agree with Danielle. I have friends in Canada that talk about how bad the healthcare is up there. One of their family members needed surgery, but the waiting period was longer than that person had to live! I would like to help people out, but I think our money could be better spent than just giving it out in welfare. "Give a man a fish and you will feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you will feed him for a lifetime."
- Andrew Herrin, P1
I completely agree with Dineane and Josh on this topic. Before I read the articles, I believed, and I still believe, that everyone is entitled to minimum health care. If someone experiences a heart attack, then yes of course, that person should be emitted to the emergency room and receive immediate treatment. However, outside of emergency situations, I believe that health care is a privilege. Like Dineane said, “the size of the ‘hands-out entitlement mentality' population continues to explode.” The government has spoiled the American people. Somehow, people can afford to buy cigarettes, alcohol, tattoos, and drive expensive cars, but cannot afford health care or insurance. People have reordered their priorities because they have learned that the government will bail them out. Now I am not putting everyone under this umbrella. Some people truly need help. It’s those that are abusing the system and visiting the ER every week, simply because they receive that service free, provided by the government. Also, like Josh was saying, those who have six children by different fathers, who have not married because they know that the government will support those children- they have no intention of changing their lifestyle because the government has spoiled them. The American people need to go back to the old days, when they provided for themselves and did not rely on government handouts. I do not mean to sound cruel, but the truth hurts. I understand that there are people who rightly deserve and need government assistance. The government needs to place tighter restrictions on these programs and better investigate their use. Then, we could eliminate from these programs some of those that are simply “working the system.” These programs would then be available to help those who truly need them.
Allison Hoyle- P1
I came from Vietnam, a developing country which has a very poor healthcare system. I hope my people can have 1/20 of US healthcare system. Even though we have money, healthcare service is bad. So i think American people are very lucky to live in a big country that the healthcare system is very strong. But it doesn't mean that people won't take care their own health. After reading the article, I just think why people are so careless about their OWN health. Medicine is the last step that helps us out, not the first one. Life style is the most important for us to maintain our healthy life. It will be ridiculous, i think, when an alcoholism man wants to have a liver transplant. They did wrong for an entire of life, not taking care of their health and want to have chance to be alive. Out there, in our world, there are tons of people who don't have money to eat and suffer a lot of rare disease and even don't have money to buy drugs, to go to doctor, etc. If we don't take responsibility for our own life, who will?
Healthcare must be a need, but not a want. We need it when we don't have any choice. But we don't want it if we have a healthy life. Don't rely on others, rely on yourself if you want to live happily and healthily.
Healthcare is a RIGHT! If our government taxes us on everything we buy, our homes, cars and virtually everything why can't they give us the healthcare human beings should be entitled to? And yes we are all indeed entitled to it. I didn’t want to talk about politics in this discussion but it seems many already have, so I will speak my mind. Why does healthcare have to be so expensive in the United States in the first place? People here may not realize it but other parts of the world provide many of the same procedures, medications, etc. we see here for much, much less. For example, in Puerto Rico a CT scan costs, out-of-pocket, 1/10 of the out-of-pocket cost in the US, and Puerto Rico is a US territory! If this capitalist system didn’t look to profit from every single opportunity at the cost of the poor we may not be having this argument.
If the government provides us with nicely paved roads, pretty landscapes everywhere and things that, compared with saving a human’s life, are worthless why can’t we afford healthcare for all? I know what we must all think… there’s not enough money, right? Well, if we stopped spending so much on the military and politicians stopped squandering tax payers’ money maybe we could afford a new healthcare system. And just because certain healthcare systems haven’t worked well in every single country they have been introduced to doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be amended and given a try here if there’s a chance they may make things better.
There will always be those who take advantage of the system, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to make it better for those who pay for it. How is it that we have not all realized how ridiculously expensive it is to perform any kind of testing that isn’t classified as “routinely” or “yearly” by our insurance? Why should a patient that has an 80/20 plan have to pay hundreds of dollars each month for it and still end up paying $1500 just to have a physician confirm they have a kidney stone?
Not every disease is acquired because you eat at McDonald’s every week. There are too many other health related issues to even consider but what can’t be denied is that it is terribly expensive even for those paying for health insurance. If you and your family are completely healthy thank God for it because otherwise this healthcare system will not feel pity for your wallet.
I don’t think anyone coming to the Emergency Room with an emergency situation should be turned away regardless of whether they have healthcare coverage or not. I do believe in the concept of universal healthcare coverage for every citizen of the United States, but I believe it must be done in conjunction with a balanced budget amendment or I fear this country will have an enormous ballooning of our annual deficit which will then lead to a crippling debt for future generations. I do not think the US is ready for universal healthcare yet because it has proven that it has very little ability to curb its spending. I mean do we really need to have a Navy with 11 active aircraft carriers when the next closest navy has 3? Do we need to give like $500 million dollars in aid to Pakistan when we know they are closely linked to the Taliban and all indications are that Osama Bin Laden is being hidden in that country. I mean to me the US has no business giving financial aid to any other country while our deficit and debt are so enormous. I mean does it make sense to any of you if your credit cards are maxed out, you can’t afford tuition but then a person not very close to you asks for a loan of $20,000 and you borrow more money to give your this person a $20,000 loan. Very few of us would do that because we try to spend within our means. The government needs to show it can be responsible spenders and institute fiscally sound policy within the confines of a balanced budget. There is more than enough money in our budget to handle universal health care but not when we’re building $4.3 billion dollar air craft carriers (USS Ronal Reagan) and spending millions upon millions fighting a futile fight for a corrupt government in Afghanistan that is already negotiating with the Taliban for when we finally do pull out. Bring the troops home, bring the military’s budget within reason as compared to other countries and then let’s talk about universal healthcare. Right now with the way this government spends money the US simply cannot afford universal healthcare.
Like many of us have already stated, those in emergent situations should receive medical care even if they cannot afford it. It would be unfair for someone seriously hurt or sick to walk into an emergency room and be turned away because they do not have insurance or funds to cover the expenses. That is unfair.
Beyond that, you earn good healthcare. It goes beyond eating well and exercising, and it goes beyond being wealthy. Healthcare is a business, a business that the federal government interferes with way too much. Insurance companies and medical facilities should be allowed to decide their own services and policies. This leads to competition. If a certain insurance company or hospital has better services or policies, they are going to make money because people will buy from them. Those that do not are going to have to make improvements and advancements so that their company/hospital will be up to par with those that are doing well. If an insurance company/hospital charged too much or does not cover certain services, consumers would find a place that does. The majority of parties involved would be happy: patients receive great care and companies/hospitals make money.
I think government should have some regulations, for example requiring policies to be portable and coverage for those with pre-existing conditions (maybe even defining pre-existing conditions). There will be those who just cannot afford for their care for the right reasons, assistance for them would be better handled by local government, charities, churches, etc. HealthQuest is a good example of a local service assisting people in just in Union, Anson, and Chesterfield counties. I would gladly donate money to an organization like that.
With that said, it is my responsibility take care of my body and mind, to better manage my funds, to have a job (hopefully with benefits) if I am able to work, to be proactive about my healthcare, to always “shop” for insurance and medical, to ask questions, etc. I do not think anyone should take healthcare for granted and expect it to be handed out.
Suemi Coaxum P-1
I believe that no US citizen should be denied access to health care. However, in order to support health care for more people at a reasonable cost, the same type of healthcare services cannot be provided to everyone. I support the idea from the second article that we should provide a system of a 2-tiered health care service. Having a health care is a privilege, not a right. You pay for what you get. The tier-one might provide basic service for low-income people. The health-care interns and volunteers can take charge of the tier-one service. Barber apprentices often offer free or extremely low-cost service to learn the skill. Why can’t the health-care interns do the same?
Tai Tran - P1
I believe that healthcare is definitely a PRIVLEGE. As cold hearted as this may sound, even before reading the articles I did not believe everyone was entitled to healthcare. Dineane posted it perfectly when she stated that if individuals have all this money to afford a bunch of crap that isn’t necessary and is in fact detrimental to their health then they have the money to pay for their own insurance. It is time that American’s put on their “big boy” pants and be responsible for their own actions. If America continues to cater to these individuals then they will never learn how to take responsibility because they won’t have to. I agree that in certain circumstances that one should not be refused medical attention. As Nick mentioned there are some people who deserve to be helped, however a huge amount of individuals are abusing this system of being helped. It would be a good idea if emergency rooms refused services to the people who are in there for ridiculous reasons that aren’t emergencies. Not only is it costing a lot of money for the hospitals but it is also preventing other individuals with emergencies from getting seen as quickly as they should.
-Kristin Hanson
It seems like people have very different views on this subject. I, personally, do not lean very strongly one or the other way simply because I do not get involved in much politics, but i do believe that health care is a privilege, not a right. I think one of the first things I learned is that people have very few rights. Sure we have the right to speak our mind and such, but all the Constitutional rights we have are free. Health Care is not free and although everyone should be entitled to have healthcare, it is not a right, it is a privilege. This is a hard subject to discuss and there are always exceptions to every side, but i think that people should be responsible for their own healthcare. We cant expect the government to take care of it for us. We also have the choice of whether we want to spend the money on healthcare, or other items we think will serve us better. Some people choose to spend that money on things that will make their life better, while others choose to put that money towards their own and their family's health. Healthcare is a privilege, not a right, and we need to work towards earning that privilege.
I think so far this has been the most interesting topic to read and talk about.Unfortunately its hard to answer this question without expressing political views which some have already done.
First of all i dont think the Government should control healthcare. We all know that Governmnent run services often require waiting and complex unnecessary protocols. However i do think every US citizen should have some kind of minimum health provided to them by the Government. Jim made a great point about unnecessary spenting of tax dollars,this is where i think the it all goes. Why give money to other countries when your own citizens dont have healthcare? To me this is not a no or yes question, its short sighted to say dont tax me to pay healthcare for so and so because they dont want to work. Should we refuse to pay tax that goes towards building bridges and roads because "poor" people who dont pay tax yet drive cars with big-top-dallars wheels will use them?
Jonathan.
I believe that health care is a privilege. Unfortunity however, health care cost more per capita in the US than it does in Europe, where it is a priviledge funded by the government. Europeans are also more satisfied with their inexpensive care on average than americans are with their expensive care. One reason for this discrepancy is that uninsured trips to the emergency room, replace inexpensive routine trips to the doctors office, when patients don't aren't going to the doctors office regularly because the costs are too high. So,uninsured patients with uncontrolled diabetes, ashma, HTN, etc., are more likely to end up in the emergency room than those who go the doctors office on a regular basis and have their disease state under control. Trips to the doctors office are far more inexpensive than trips to the ER, and the government subsidizes the losses that hospitals take on non paying patients. I would rather see the US health care system stay a privilege, but because our system is fairly ineffecient, I wouldn't mind it too much if it switched to a government funded right.
Tommy Carney
I feel that health-care should be a privilege. If you want to reap the benefits of what society has to offer, then you must contribute to it. Unfortunately, health-care will be a tragedy of the commons if it is a right. I don’t feel that it is my obligation to pay for someone else’s decisions about their health if that individual will not take responsibility themselves. The people who do keep themselves in good health should also pay less than those that are a burden on the health-care system. Everyone knows what eating fast-food and lack of exercise will do, and if you don’t, look in the mirror. It is analogous to car insurance. If you drive erratic and cause accidents, your insurance goes up or you have the potential to lose it. Why? Because driving is a privilege that affects other people, just like someone’s poor health affects tax-payers. Ultimately, we need to step-up and take responsibility for our actions as a country.
Evan MacDonald P1
Health care is a privilege, but it seems like many people regard it as a given right these days. Why should someone spend the money to pay for insurance when they know that a hospital cannot turn them away or deny them care? When the bill from the hospital arrives, they simply don't pay it - the hospitals lose money because of this, which in turn will drive up the costs for those who do pay. You might say that it is unfair and heartless to deny care to these people who cannot or will not pay, but isn't it also unfair for those who play by the rules to continuously foot the bill for those who don't? I think so.
-Brittany Samples, P1
I think access to health care to some extent should be guaranteed to everyone. It would be inhuman to see someone who has no insurance suffering from a serious medical condition and expect that person to pay for their treatment. Indeed, it’s shameful and irresponsible for those people who try to take advantage of the privilege to receive emergency treatment for something that can easily be cured by going to the pharmacy. Therefore it’s crucial to mandate some sort of regulations to prevent this kind of problem.
As most of my classmates mentioned, it’s everyone’s responsibility to care for their own well-being by eating healthy and exercising regularly. The public must be educated until living a healthy life style becomes a culture. Therefore, all healthcare professionals must take responsibilities to make a difference in our community.
As a healthy individual with no disease states, I feel that healthcare should be a right. I have been a full time employee for many years prior to pharmacy school, even during my undergraduate coursework. Luckily I was able to carry minimum coverage as I have never had any major health conditions. But I can remember a time when my health care coverage was very minimal and only covered a percentage of treatment. For instance, I was a young college student and trying to prove financial stability to my parents. I had recently discovered that my health insurance from my employer was less than desirable and would only cover catastrophic care. I needed to visit my primary care physician for an annual check-up and I can remember asking the medical assistant to not perform basic tests because my insurance wouldn’t cover it. I had to refuse a hearing test, vision test, and a few other basic tests because I couldn’t afford the “extra” tests. Knowing than insurance has very limited coverage can sway patient’s to refuse ordinary and possibly necessary tests due to out of pocket costs. My husband has insurance similar to that of the Whole Foods article. He receives $3000 of coverage for our family each year, and the unused portion rolls over each year. He does pay a monthly premium for this coverage, but the monthly premiums pale in comparison to the savings we get with this plan. I think every company should offer this type of coverage to employees!
~~Chrissi Tyrrell, P1
Sometimes, I wonder whether there’s any point to making healthcare a right or a privilege. Insurance companies are doing everything in their power to prevent people from getting the healthcare assistance they need. A movie called “Sicko” has showed that insurance companies deny people healthcare due to pre-existing illness, illnesses that are completely irrelevant to the patient’s current illness, or for no reason. So what’s the point of obtaining right or privilege to healthcare if insurance companies are in the way?
I think when you are taxed at virtually 30% of your income that you have a right to demand healthcare coverage in return. Its not a privelege when your taxed at that rate. The US budget can more than afford universal healthcare coverage for its citizens if it makes it a priority in its budget and stops its pork barrel spending. You've got to cut the special interest groups out with campaign finance reform, you've got to pass a balanced budget amendment to make politicians make tough fiscal choices, and you need to keep universal healthcare coverage in. Once you have all three it will force politicians to make tough fiscally sound decisions one of which will be to cut the military's budget by 30% to make it more in line with other first world nation's budgets for their militaries. If you prioritize that the health of a US citizen is of top priority and then you look at how the US annual budget is really spent each and every year, you will see there is plenty of pork barrel spending that can be cut out to afford universal healthcare. We are all studying to be healthcare professionals, what cause is more noble for us to fight for than gauranteeing all US citizens/ our future patients the right to proper health care coverage. Healthcare is not a privelege, it is a right that you pay for everytime the government takes tax out of your paycheck or an any of your bills. We are the most dominant nation that has ever existed in the history of mankind, what a complete embarrasment that we cannot afford to guarantee a US citizen the right to proper healthcare. While I understand the opposing view, I just do not see how as aspiring healthcare professionals that we are not in the front lines fighting for American Citizens right to healthcare coverage. I for one just feel awful when I see a patient make budget cuts with their prescription medication cause they cannot afford it. It just should not happen to a citizen of the United States. We can and ought to be better than that.
Most conservative view of healthcare is to help people. But when looking at policies in the healthcare system, some of them are abused. This problem is money and healthcare affordability. Not everyone can afford optimal healthcare. Another one is time restriction to get treatment for the disease. We need a more efficient model to afford healthcare and get healthcare at an appropriate time.
But sometimes, I wonder whether there’s any point to making healthcare a right or a privilege. Insurance companies are doing everything in their power to prevent people from getting the healthcare assistance they need. A movie called “Sicko” has showed that insurance companies deny people healthcare due to pre-existing illness, illnesses that are completely irrelevant to the patient’s current illness, or for no reason. So what’s the point
Healthcare is a PRIVILEGE. I agree with what others have posted about the people that feel entitled to healthcare. However, if someone is having a heart attack and does not have insurance then they should receive treatment. However, after working in a pharmacy for over 4 years I have seen how much people are abusing the system. They complain and pitch a fit for $1 prescription, but drive an escalade. In addition, these people have the 3+ kids by who knows and the least little thing like a cold or runny nose their kid has they go to the ER. This is ridiculous for other people who need to be seen at the ER for something more significant (i.e. ovarian cyst rupture or appendicitis) are not being seen as quickly due to people coming into the ER for colds, etc. In addition, many people on Medicaid who complain about the cost of their Advair $3 (i.e. for me it is $65 a month!!!!) will go down to the front counter and buy cigarettes and alcohol, but not get their child’s $3 Advair prescription. People need to get their priorities straight and not think that the government will always be there to give them a paycheck for doing nothing but popping out kids and staying at home. The government needs to be more careful on who they give their handouts to and give health insurance to those that really deserve it (i.e.an elderly person who needs assistance for her Social Security does not pay enough to cover her medications for asbestosis.) Furthermore, I feel as though I should not have to pay for the health insurance of others that are more than capable to go out and work instead of working the system. People who take better care of their health (food choices, exercise, no substance abuse) should not have to pay as much for health care as people who are irresponsible and reckless with their health and do not care about getting diabetes type II etc.
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