Health Care is a right

Nurses Activism

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I would do a poll on this, but I do not know how to - or maybe you need to be a premium member.

At any rate, I would like to hear some discussion on whether you feel health care is a right or not.

I personally do.

I think everybody should have access to quality health care. The one thing I think people should have to cover themselves would be diseases that they brought upon themselves (drug/alcohol abuse).

...drug abuse, etoh abuse, CAD, diabetes, COPD, HTN, CHF, CKD, obesity, hyperliplidemia, many cancers...and all the complications for all of these...

Everybody but those with rare congenital diseases or genetic diseases would be covering themselves. And god forbid one of them needs a statin or ace inhibitor one day.

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.

YES INDEED

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Specializes in cardiac, ortho, med surg, oncology.
I think everybody should have access to quality health care. The one thing I think people should have to cover themselves would be diseases that they brought upon themselves (drug/alcohol abuse).

Unfortunately the majority of health care costs go to self induced diseases such as adult onset diabetes, hypertension, joint issues etc resulting from obesity.

Growing obesity swells healthcare costs July 27, 2009

In the eight years leading up to 2006, the proportion of Americans weighing in as obese shot up 37%, fueling a $40-billion-a-year rise in healthcare costs, according to a new analysis of the nation's weight conducted under the direction of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

That added bill for the care of obese Americans -- equivalent to an annual expenditure of $1,429 more per person -- drove the nation's healthcare tab up fast and very steeply: while the extra care required for the severely overweight accounted for 6.1% of all medical spending in 1998, it accounted for 9.1% of total spending by 2006, the new study shows.

In the same period, the proportion of Americans with a Body Mass Index of 30 or above grew from 18.3% to 25%.

Most of that increase has come from the rise in treatment costs -- specifically for prescription-drug use -- for the obese. Medications used to treat obesity-related conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes accounted for the bulk of the increased bill. Treatment of diabetes, for instance, costs $191 billion annually.

"The connection between rising obesity and rising medical spending is undeniable," the authors of the study, published in the journal Health Affairs, concluded.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, ICU, educator.

I loved the clip.....but the reality is that it's true. My dh wouldn't watch it, because he thinks things are just fine the way they are....I keep trying to get him to come to work with me, thinking if he could just see what we see.....

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Specializes in Home care.

the true measure of the civility of any society is how well it treats the most helpless of its citizenry.

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Specializes in vascular, med surg, home health , rehab,.
I think everybody should have access to quality health care. The one thing I think people should have to cover themselves would be diseases that they brought upon themselves (drug/alcohol abuse).

Well in that case why not include work related and smoking related cancers? Gallbladder disease, joint damage, heart disease etc in the obese? Head injuries, fractures in anyone driving badly or taking part in risky sports? That list could go on and on. Human beings do stupid things. All of us do in one way or another. Does it mean they don't deserve help? I'm not saying its not frustrating as hell to take care of them, expensive etc. But what does it mean to say that you exclude some disease but not another? What do you do with these people leave them at the hospital door?

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Specializes in ER.

If health care is a right then why aren't food and shelter rights?

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

Merged threads

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Specializes in Acute post op ortho.

Who's rights are right?

The smoker wants to light up, it's his right. I don't want to smell it, that's my right.

So, who's right?

I work hard for my money, budget expenses, save for retirement. I think I should have the right to decide where my money goes. I already fund social programs that assist individuals who are unable to support themselves. And I really don't have a problem with a sustainable healthcare system for those who fall through the cracks.

What I do have a problem with is people who do not budget for their needs. The healthcare poster children paraded in the media, sitting in their living rooms with their big screen TV's...Jr. texting on his Blackberry, wearing the latest in Tommy Hilfiger, Cadillac in the driveway. They had no problem charging all these material things on their credit cards, wanting to show the world just how well off they are.....but health insurance....not even on their radar.

People think they are entitled to anything they want, but won't pony up for what they need.

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Specializes in ER, Med/Surg.

^^^ Exactly right.

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Who's rights are right?

The smoker wants to light up, it's his right. I don't want to smell it, that's my right.

So, who's right?

I work hard for my money, budget expenses, save for retirement. I think I should have the right to decide where my money goes. I already fund social programs that assist individuals who are unable to support themselves. And I really don't have a problem with a sustainable healthcare system for those who fall through the cracks.

What I do have a problem with is people who do not budget for their needs. The healthcare poster children paraded in the media, sitting in their living rooms with their big screen TV's...Jr. texting on his Blackberry, wearing the latest in Tommy Hilfiger, Cadillac in the driveway. They had no problem charging all these material things on their credit cards, wanting to show the world just how well off they are.....but health insurance....not even on their radar.

People think they are entitled to anything they want, but won't pony up for what they need.

You just proved advertising does work. Don't EVER believe what you see on television never mind a television ad for crying out loud.

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Specializes in Acute post op ortho.

I'm referring to news stories designed to show the plight of the uninsured.

I have a hard time feeling sorry for these families. When you're trying to look poor, at least have the good sense to put the ipod, iphone, big screen TV out of the camera shot.

My doctor takes master card.....if you can charge that iphone, then you can charge a doctors visit.......

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