Is health care a "right"

Nurses Activism

Published

Now that the affordable care act is rolling out I wonder if we should revisit this notion. AND (maybe more particularly) if it is a right, is the federal government the best instrument to provide it.

Specializes in Critical Care, Palliative Care/Hospice.

I don't know that its a right or not. But I can get used to the concept. I think done correctly it would lower hospital admissions for chronic diseases. However, I'm not sure we've gone about it correctly. We probably should have spent a few years building up PCP practices, community clinics and preventative care before we dove right in. I'm concerned about the number of PCPs that are leaving the practice, the fact that we are still fighting over the role of NPs in primary level care, and the fact that hospitals are tightening their belts, increasing nurse/patient ratios and workloads. All of the money that hospitals "wrote off" with uninsured patients, where does that go? Now they will be compensated at lower rates without the tax write offs? I don't think we can yet see the full scope of implications that ACA will produce. I hope things will settle, I hope we figure out how to do it right. But I'm still skeptical.

Specializes in ICU.

Not sure about healthcare specifically, but after personally spending time abroad (in Europe and Africa), I feel the majority of US citizens I interact with seem to feel overly entitled and feel they're owed many so-called "rights". Why? I believe this mindset stems from our nation's founding and the principles our forefathers held. Regardless, I think many times this sense of entitlement is not logical.

For example, we want the freedom to live unhealthily (poor diet, sedentary lifestyle, smoking, excess alcohol, drugs, etc.), and yet we expect others to pay for the end result of these choices. We feel entitled to have the best education for our children, but when we raise our kids, do we emphasize the importance of hardwork, integrity, and respect for others? We desire peace and safety from foreign and domestic terrorism, but our leaders (yes, from both political parties) consistently invade foreign lands, raping and pillaging others' sovereign soil ... and our people continuously fail to hold these leaders to any sort of accountability.

We want peace, but we promote warangal violence. We want to be healthy and have free healthcare, but we have an obesity epidemic in this country.

Is healthcare a "right"? I don't think so.

Specializes in ICU, BURNS, TRAUMA, TRANSPORT, HH.

Everywhere there is convenience and processed foods there is obesity.

The working classes are the greatest asset because they are the WORKERS that makes everything else tick...

Children are important because they are the next generation of workers.

Unhealthy workers are inefficient.

We know that people believe that the wealth of the few will trickle down to the lower classes. We are still waiting, even while the wealthy have narrowed that "funnel".

Not sure about healthcare specifically, but after personally spending time abroad (in Europe and Africa), I feel the majority of US citizens I interact with seem to feel overly entitled and feel they're owed many so-called "rights". Why? I believe this mindset stems from our nation's founding and the principles our forefathers held. Regardless, I think many times this sense of entitlement is not logical.

I find this a very odd thing to say, as most of Europe has much more extensive social welfare programs than we do, including universal healthcare.

I've seen people from other countries question, for example, our right to bear arms. But people in countries with universal healthcare generally consider having to choose of whether or not to get needed medical treatment as a monetary decision to be barbaric.

Specializes in ICU.
I find this a very odd thing to say, as most of Europe has much more extensive social welfare programs than we do, including universal healthcare.

Let me try to clarify what I meant.

I'm well aware that most Euro countries are far to the left when it comes to most social issues. However, my little soapbox rant was referring to the difference in sense of entitlement. People there pay large percentages of their income in taxes today for the social services they enjoy. People here seem to want everything (best healthcare, best education, best military, etc.), but we don't seem to want pay for any of it. Kids nowadays grow up seeming to expect everything, but they don't understand you have to work hard in order to enjoy these "rights".

But this is all drifting OT (sorry for that). More to the OP's point ... I think we Americns enjoy and/or expect too many "rights" compared to he rest of the world.

Specializes in ICU, BURNS, TRAUMA, TRANSPORT, HH.
Let me try to clarify what I meant.

I'm well aware that most Euro countries are far to the left when it comes to most social issues. However, my little soapbox rant was referring to the difference in sense of entitlement. People there pay large percentages of their income in taxes today for the social services they enjoy. People here seem to want everything (best healthcare, best education, best military, etc.), but we don't seem to want pay for any of it. Kids nowadays grow up seeming to expect everything, but they don't understand you have to work hard in order to enjoy these "rights".

But this is all drifting OT (sorry for that). More to the OP's point ... I think we Americns enjoy and/or expect too many "rights" compared to he rest of the world.

Do you think it is wrong for Americans to expect reasonable access to preventative and curative care?

Specializes in ICU.

Which Anericans? The ones working hard for an honest living, the ones truly seeking employment during tough times? Or the ones looking for a free handout, who aren't contributing anything at all to society? I think it's wrong for anyone to expect anything if they're unwilling to pay or work hard for it. If they are unable to pay or work hard, then we need to assess the reasons for this.

Personally, yes. I think that ALL Americans should have adequate access to healthcare because prevention and early treatment lower costs and improve the standard of living for society as a whole, even if the person receiving the care is contributing absolutely nothing. At least they're not contributing their germs quite as much. Or their diabetes complications that could have been avoided with better care, or whatever. Or becoming "useless" because their inability to get adequate care leads to long-term disability that keeps them from being gainfully employed.

I'd also be perfectly happy if the amount I currently pay for (horrible) health insurance (and co-pays, etc.) went to taxes instead.

Specializes in MPCU.

I remember going to a job interview with a 106 fever. I had a sore throat for two weeks. I could not afford to take a day off from one of my part time jobs. I may have gone to the doctor two weeks earlier, if I only had a co-pay. On my day off, like the interview. Those odd jobs and interviews eventually paid off with a nursing education. And well I survived the retrotonsillar abcess. If that is what it was, I'm diagnosing on memory and well, I'm a nurse and don't do diagnosis. At any rate, back then, I would only see a doctor, if I thought I might pass out at work. Btw, one of my jobs was at Jack-in-the-box. I had less serious, albeit contagious, conditions. Don't you think that the few "free handouts" are worth it?

Specializes in ICU, BURNS, TRAUMA, TRANSPORT, HH.
Which Anericans? The ones working hard for an honest living, the ones truly seeking employment during tough times? Or the ones looking for a free handout, who aren't contributing anything at all to society? I think it's wrong for anyone to expect anything if they're unwilling to pay or work hard for it. If they are unable to pay or work hard, then we need to assess the reasons for this.

So only some should have reasonable access to health care, in your opinion? There must be a litmus test for worthiness to this access? Who decides?

Specializes in ICU.

Not just "some". What decides is whether or not you are contributing (ie paying for it).

Specializes in ICU, BURNS, TRAUMA, TRANSPORT, HH.
Not just "some". What decides is whether or not you are contributing (ie paying for it).

So you are willing to put the elderly, infirm, and the working poor in the group with out access to reasonable health care, because they do not "pay" for it?

+ Add a Comment