Definition of "Freedom" as it Relates to Healthcare and The Universal Healthcare in the U.S

Healthcare Movie Discussion

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Healthcare Movie Discussion

Q1

In the debate leading to the 2010 Congressional vote on universal healthcare, the term ‘freedom’ was used over 37 times. Opponents of universal coverage used the word in reference to the government’s perceived takeover of the healthcare. As a result, they argued that the government was interfering with freedom in healthcare. This came after the 2000, 2006, 2007, and 2009 opinion polls by the New York Times that indicated a majority of Americans supporting universal coverage (Bui, 2021). For most Americans, freedom in healthcare is all about the power to exercise free will and to make choices. In my opinion, freedom, in relation to healthcare, is the ability to make personal choices on where to be treated, the desirable procedure based on options and guidance of the physician, and the decision on where to be. This kind of freedom is only accorded to people with money. But for a majority of Americans, this form of freedom cannot be exercised as highlighted by millions of people who avoid health care because of the related costs. This is particularly poignant in the current payment system in which a majority are spending excessive amounts out of the pocket. Further, the multiple players in the insurance industry limit this freedom by dictating where people can be treated and the type of services they can receive. In other words, the privatization of healthcare does not accord people freedom. Rather, it limits their freedom because of increased costs and dictation on where and what services people can receive.

Q2