Is Healthcare A Privilege or A Right

Is Healthcare A Privilege or A Right
Introduction
The debate between healthcare being a right or a privilege has been discussed in society for a long time. According to the Constitution of the World Health Organization, health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, which is a fundamental right of every human being without discrimination of religion, race, political belief, and economic or social status (Verulava, 2021). According to Verulava (2021), 65% to 68% of individuals supported the argument that healthcare is a right, not a privilege. Despite the government spending more on healthcare, citizens do not receive high-quality healthcare since they are expected to cover part of the cost, yet 11% of the population cannot afford insurance. Meanwhile, Binkley (2020) has explained how high-status society members such as President Trump have come out on numerous occasions stating that healthcare is a privilege rather than a right as it should not be given to those who do not earn or pay for it. This stand is an attempt to disassemble the Affordable Care Act of 2010.
Bauchner & Fontanarosa’s (2020) article on health care states that the number of uninsured people in the United States in 2017 had increased to 12%, and all the states were yet to expand Medicaid, including those with the highest population. Recent studies show the unsettled debate between healthcare being a right or a privilege, depicted by how the health system in the United States of America is the most expensive in the world yet one of the worst regarding quality and outcomes. This paper will discuss both sides of the question; is access to healthcare a privilege, or is having healthcare a fundamental right that every American should have? Both sides of society make valid points as those who think it is a right believe healthcare is a human necessity, while those who think it is a privilege believe healthcare is a luxury.
Why Nurses Need to Understand the Debate
The debate on healthcare being a right or a privilege should be given substantial consideration, considering that human beings are living things and possess a soul, give life, and are accountable for the development of all living things. The soul does not grow by itself. Instead, its development needs the efforts of an individual and a society. Humanity would not be better if people did not coexist and did not care for each other. Nurses should understand that human health cannot be achieved by itself and that their efforts are vital in their pursuit of administering healthcare. An underlying factor that may deter their willingness is appropriate staffing. This factor significantly contributes to patients’ recovery, thus satisfying both parties. Other factors are mental and physical stress for nurses, which may demoralize patients and nurses, and workplace safety when administering healthcare to patients.
Analysis and Findings
Verulava’s (2021) study found that 65% to 68% of respondents in the US supported that healthcare should be a right. Despite the annual increase in health care spending, access to health care in the US is still a problem since patients are required to share a high cost, referred to as Co-payments. For this reason, about half of healthcare cost is catered for by individuals with insurance, which burdens them. As of 2018, the number of individuals without insurance in the US was 11%, translating to 30 million people. Those who were insufficiently insured spent at least 10% of their income, translating to 29 million people. Bauchner & Fontanarosa’s (2020) article showed that 2020 was a challenging year for the US and the world. COVID-19-related deaths in the US were estimated to exceed 400,000. The number of uninsured individuals in 2017 had increased, which now exceeded 12% of the entire population. By then, only 38 states, including the District of Columbia, had expanded Medicaid, whereas 12 states, including those with many uninsured individuals, were yet to expand Medicaid. According to Binkley (2020), the United States of America had the most expensive health care system in comparison to the other six industrialized countries in terms of quality, efficiency, equality, and access to care, yet it was ranked last. In 2017, the US spent $7,290 per capita on health care, whereas the Netherlands, which spent $3,837 per capita on health that year, ranked first. Binkley (2...