Is Health Care a Right?

Nurses Activism

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Just want to see your opinion (friendly discussion, no flaming, please). Is health care a right that should be enjoyed equally here in the U.S.? If so, how would this be financed without breaking the bank? How would you place limits (if any) on health care for all?

I agree about many causes of illness being preventable.However, many people afflicted with such illnesses are insured. So just out of curiosity, are poor lifestyle choices that result in illness or injury forgivable as long as the person making those choices has coverage? IF ALL Americans took better care of themselves, health care premiums wouldn't be so damn high in the first place and there would be less uninsured because people would actually be able to afford insurance. That would be cool. Too bad so many people think they are invincible that they ultimately continue to travel down the path of self-destruction.:(

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SINCE STARTING IN THE HEALTH CARE FIELD ABOUT 13 YRS AGO, I HAVE SEEN THE PROFOUNDLY RICH AND THE PROFOUNDLY POOR AND THE LITTLE MAN IN BETWEEN. UNFORTUNATLY IT HAS BEEN MY EXPERIENCE THAT THE RICH CAN OBTAIN ANY KIND OF HEALTH CARE BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PURCHASE THE HIGH COST OF HEALTH INSURANCE. THE PROFOUNDLY POOR CAN OBTAIN ANY KIND OF HEALTH CARE BECAUSE THEY HAVE A BLANK CHECK CALLED MEDICAID.... WHILE THE LITTLE MAN INBETWEEN WHILE WORKING FROM DAY LIGHT TO DARK TO MAKE ENDS MEET MUST DO WITHOUT SINCE THEY ARE NOT RICH ENOUGH TO PAY FOR HEALTH CARE; THEY ARE NOT POOR ENOUGH TO QUALIFY FOR ASSISTANCE AND MANY ARE TO PROUD TO LIE ABOUT THEIR INCOME. WHEN SWITCHING JOBS MY FAMILY AND I WERE WITHOUT MEDICAL INSURANCE FOR THREE MONTHS, I COULD HAVE COBRAED THE INSURANCE HOWEVER FOR ONE MONTH FOR A FAMILY OF 4 IT WOULD HAVE COST $878. THIS DID NOT COVER THE $200 DOLLAR DEDUCTABLE FOR EACH MEMBER UP TO THREE. AND WOULD HAVE ONLY PAID 80% OF THE BILL. WAITED THE THREE MONTHS FOR MY NEW EMPLOYEE HEALTH CARE TO START. AND PRAYED THAT WE DID NOT NEED ANY HEALTH CARE. CAN YOU IMMAGINE THE CASHIER AT WAL-MART WHO IS SO PLEASANT TO YOU TRYING TO MAKE A PAYMENT LIKE THAT TO ENSURE SHE HAD INSURANCE? MY HUSBAND AND I HAD TO SWALLOW OUR PRIDE AND FILE BANKRUPTSY (TO PAY FOR THE FIRST 7 MONTHS OF CARE) WHEN WE FOUND WE WERE PREGNANT WITH OUR FIRST CHILD, WHILE I WAS WORKING AS A NURSE, THE FACILITY I WORKED FOR DID NOT OFFER A HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN. MY HUSBAND WORKED SECURITY THAT DID NOT HAVE HEALTH COVERAGE. I HAD TO QUIT WORK AT 7 MONTHS OF PREGNANCY, A PATIENT IN THE OBGYN OFFICE SUGGESTED I APPLY FOR MEDICAID. I DID AND QUALIFIED FOR FREE MEDICAL CARE. MY CHILD WAS BORN AND I OWED NO ONE ANYTHING. ON MY SECOND CHILD I WORKED FULL TIME AS A LPN, MY HUSBAND WORKED FOR THE SHERIFFS OFFICE. WE HAD INSURANCE AND WE HAD TO PAY APPROXIMATELY $1500 WHEN MY BABY WAS BORN. SO WHICH IS THE BETTER DEAL? WORK AND PAY MORE FOR ANY HEALTH CARE OR DO NOT WORK AND PAY NOTHING FOR HEALTH CARE. IF WE HAD A UNIVERSAL STANDARD OF HEALTH CARE ACROSS THE BOARD FOR EVERYONE THEN WE COULD POSSIBLY ELIMINATE THE DRASTIC DIFFERENCES IN WHO CAN AFFORD HEALTH CARE. YES I DO GET MAD WHEN I SEE A PERSON WHO HAS NOT WORKED A DAY IN THEIR LIFE, WHO HAS TAKEN POOR CARE OF THEIR HEALTH USE MY HARD EARNED MONEY (I PAY TAXES ON ALL THE MONEY I MAKE, SO THAT THEY CAN GET THE HEATH CARE I CAN'T AFFORD) TO PAY FOR HEALTH CARE THAT I HESITATE TO ASK FOR BECAUSE I KNOW I CAN'T AFFORD IT. MY PAYCHECK IS LIMITED WHILE THIERS IS UNLIMITED.

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oh nevermind...deleted

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Mommy...remember also that there are just as many insured Americans who are trashing their health and this causes premiums to skyrocket as well. It's one of the reasons why health care is not affordable to the average hardworking Joe. I do get mad also when I see people who have never worked, have no intention to work and have a sense of entitlement when it comes to EVERYTHING, but they do not lift a finger to help themselves. And they pass this work ethic onto their children which merely perpetuates a viscious cycle. That's when our neighbors children become OUR responsibility. If they aren't going to parent their kids and teach them good values, someone has to. Otherwise they will be just like their parents. I'm not saying it is right, but that's the way it is.:o

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Suffice it so say I would like to see more help in all forms (not just healthcare) available for those who are TRYING and less caretaking for those who don't want to work or be responsible in life.

We enable irresponsible lifestyles by supporting it through liberal government programs. JMHO.

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It is ultimately the middle class who wind up suffering. They don't make enough to buy their own coverage if it is not offered by their job and they make too much for medicaid. I agree with that. When it comes to higher education and healthcare, sometimes it is better to be poor.

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Specializes in LDRP; Education.

It seems to me that there are two separate conversations going on here. One is whether or not health care is a right. I think waaayyy back a couple pages ago, Dr. Kate mentioned our increasing technology in healthcare and thought the question was more appropriately phrased: if the technology is available, does that automatically make it a human right? I don't think it does.

I think we all agree that access to health care is a right (and it's a law). Every American in our society is given care for injury/illness with no questions asked. ER and urgent care clinics do it every day. It's our right as a person to be able to walk into a hospital/clinic and recieve care. But I don't think it should be free for some and not for others. To me, that is prejudice in health care, and not simply not correct. Not at all.

My FIL needed a stem cell transplant to give him a 30% chance to survive. Is it a basic human right that he recieve this, free of charge? Or is it his right to be able to have access to it and have it as a treatment option? It's not appropriate for his doc to say "nah, I'm not gonna do your transplant cuz I don't wanna," and NO healthcare provider ever says this. My FIL had access to technology just as much as the next guy. But that doesn't mean it should be free for him. It can't be free. The reason we have the technology is because people worked to make it so, using their minds, expensive equipment and space. I work in a multi-million dollar research laboratory and I work right next door to the second largest cancer research lab in our state. Are you telling me I shouldn't be paid? Are you saying that the hospital bill should be free? No of course not. You're saying that I need to pay for it, simply by virtue of my circumstance.

I'm a nurse and I get paid to provide my services to people. I'm a nurse and I also volunteer my time for preventative care to the uninsured and homeless. I donate my clothing and furniture to shelters. I donate cash to charities of my choosing. Yet, despite this, you're telling me it just aint enough. Nope. Not nearly enough, Susy. You still got some money left over dontcha? What, you think you were gonna save that for your kid's education? You think you were gonna invest that for your own pathetic retirement? You think you were gonna use that to continue to provide financial support to your family members who need you? You think you were gonna *gasp* buy a piano or take a vacation? Why, you greedy little DINK. Don't you know, we're all in this together and we're all here to help each other, so you have to turn that extra money that we think you don't need to your neighbor. But that help doesn't extend to you, Susy. I know you'd like financial help to continue your education and pay for your undergrad education; afterall, because of that education you are able to provide these services to your neighbor and help them with their illnesses. But, you don't get any. You're just not poor enough. And we make this judgement about your financial status simply by looking at your house and looking at your numbers on paper. WE feel you have enough, therefore, you do.

So, I succumb to my money being taken away, but still want to invest in my retirement, save for my kids college, help my family and buy that piano. So I get a promotion. Get a new job. Get a pay raise, so I can support my neighbor and do the things I need/want to do. Nope. Not a chance, Susy. Because see, it's not about giving or helping, it's about making sure you don't have X amount of money left over in the bank after you pay your bills. It's about equalizing us all out. And THAT is what I have a problem with. I was not put on this earth to constantly support my father, so I sure as hell wasn't put on this earth to support my neighbor.

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You sound angry, Suzy. If I weren't a struggling college student, I would buy you a piano:kiss

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There is no way to even hope that children of irresponsible parents will break the cycle of poverty if their basic needs are not covered.

How can a kid do well in school if he can't see the blackboard? How can a child pay attention if her teeth are hurting from multiple cavities? Hard to think about homework when you are hungry.

In a perfect world, the parents, yes, parents would take care of these needs. But this is far from a perfect world, and there are people who just don't think further than the next moment. I don't think that the children of these people should suffer.

I would much rather see my tax dollars spent on healthcare than another smarter bomb, or a stupid pointless war...but that's another fight!:D

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Specializes in Telemetry, Case Management.

Something needs to be done about insurance in this country. I am NOT sure what though. My husband has always carried the insurance for our family. He works in retail and has ALWAYS had cheaper, and BETTER insurance than I did in ANY nursing job I have had. He pays 85 dollars a paycheck (q2wks) for life on him, and health,dental and vision on him, me and the kids (down to 1 kid at this point). My job wanted me to pay nearly 800 bucks a month for health and dental, no life, no vision for the 3 of us. Who could afford that???????????????????????????

And WHY does the health industry seem to ALWAYS have the highest, crappiest insurance for its workers???? Another reason I need to find a union job!

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Specializes in LDRP; Education.
Originally posted by Flo1216

You sound angry, Suzy. If I weren't a struggling college student, I would buy you a piano:kiss

Not angry, Flo. Just presenting in a more plain-as-day manner the mentality that some people have regarding my money. And thanks for wanting to buy me a piano! I would too, if I had more of my money left over. :kiss

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Specializes in Psych.

I cam home last night and there was a segment on CNN about how the system is stressed because EDs are losing millions because of the uninsured. They have to be treated and it ain't free. The way it's done now needs reform.

Americans responsible for their own health and welfare? Isn't that a concept... I can't drink a cup of coffee without reading warnings about how hot it is or dry my hair without reading a warning about not using the hair dryer in the bathtub.

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