Do I believe access to health care is a right or a privilege?
Wow. This is such a deep question for me. Being uninsured myself, but receiving coverage for my kids through the government, I have mixed feelings. I feel so thankful for the insurance for my kids. I don't feel that this is something I deserve.
In our country, health care is such a mess, costs are so high, and so many are benefiting from the health hardships of others (ie. insurance, doctors, pharmaceutical companies). Perhaps it is because of this climate that I feel it is a privilege for my kids to be covered. On the other hand, also because of this climate, and knowing that other countries handle health care so differently, I feel that it COULD be a right. Perhaps it SHOULD be a right.
I was disturbed by the timeline in our book that in the 1940's there was a national health plan proposed by Truman and that the House subcommittee called it a Communist plot. Interestingly, the AMA also denounced it... those who certainly benefit from capitalized medicine.
Perhaps there is a streak of communist in me too. But maybe the company there isn't all that bad. The goal is for all to be cared for and none left cold.
So how do we accomplish this in a capitalistic society? Where opportunity exsists for all but there are such definate class divisions and disparities of coverage between them. I'm so glad the decision doesn't fall on my shoulders. It is seriously complex.
1 comment:
Great insights in this blog. I enjoy reading it. I am glad you brought up the issue of your children receiving health insurance. I am not an American and the fact that the government would be willing to cover children and not their parents still perplexes me. To me this sounds like the government does not really care about the health of these children’s caregivers and is not perturbed by the possibility of severe health conditions in the caregivers that may result in mortality. Has the government fully considered the repercussions of having healthy children with ailing parents?
Perhaps the muddled healthcare system in America can be re-structured. Our leaders should seriously look into universal healthcare. If there are any doubts on the competency of universal healthcare, then, America should seek advice from the nations that have successfully implemented the universal healthcare system. It is about time someone acted on behalf of the 45 million Americans.
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