Universal Basic Income Policy and its Link to Health: A Contemporary Health Issues and Policies Analysis

This paper analyzes the link between health and income in the context of the proposed Universal Basic Income (UBI) policy in Australia. It discusses the social determinants of health and the potential health implications of the UBI policy. The paper recommends the implementation of UBI as a population health intervention strategy.

Contemporary Health Issues And Policies 1
CONTEMPORARY HEALTH ISSUES AND POLICIES
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CONTEMPORARY HEALTH ISSUES AND POLICIES
Universal Basic Income Policy
Background
The federal government of Australia based on the current income inequality is currently
considering having an inquiry into to the issue of universal basic income for Australian citizens.
In the development of this policy, the government is considering whether all Australians should
be paid a regular, unconditional and livable sum of money payable to every individual from the
government. A universal basic income is also known as the UBI refers to the sum of money
given to all adults within the nation using the policy (Anderson, Crengle, Kamaka, Chen, Palafox
and Jackson 2006). The universal basic income is implemented with one purpose which is to
allow people living within the nation to meet all their basic needs. The universal basic income
UBI payments are made without restrictions of as well as without individuals receiving the sum
of money being subjected to any test or work. Even though the universal basic income if meant
to bring equity and intervention to poverty, this policy can also be an intervention toward poor
health. The content of this paper analyses the link between health and income.
The Universal Basic Income (UBI) Policy
The federal government is planning to implement UBI policy to reduce the inequality
between rich and the poor as well as enabling individuals to acquire the basic needs. This policy
is meant to take a course in the year 2020 (Borowski, Encel and Ozanne 2007). The federal
government policymakers believe that the universal policy will help bridge the currently existing
gap between the poor and the rich within the states. The UBI policy is also meant to improve and

Contemporary Health Issues And Policies 3
bridge the gap between the Australian aboriginals and the none-indigenous citizen. According to
previous national annual reports, there is a huge gap between the aboriginals income and non-
aboriginals income in Australia (Coburn 2000). Thus the need for the policy that will bridge the
gap between the two groups is crucial.
The prosed UBI scheme will work based on three key functional factors that are
universal unconditional and adequate. To bridge the existing income inequality in Australia, the
basic income must be universal payable to all adults without regardless of their needs. The
income will be universal in the way that it will be given to very adult within the nations. The
payment will be given equally to the working class, non-working Australians, the individual, will
as well be paid at the same rate regardless of assets and financial capability (Duckett 2014). The
payment will also be given adults, studying and adults with liabilities. The UBI scheme will also
be unconditional in that it will be given without any behavioral conditions as well as given
without the consideration of how an individual receiving money lives his or her life. The
universal basic income they (UBI) will as be adequate (Fazel, Geddes and Kushel 2014). The
proposed policy states that the universal will be adequate in that it will be given to people at
amounts high enough to a level where they can meet their basic needs without depending on
additional income. On the other hand, various scholars are criticizing the UBI policy, the
achievement of the policy will have a great positive effect on the daily lives of individual adults
in Australia. With the availability of money to individuals, all life aspects such as health aspects
are likely to change. Various social health determinants depend on income better health as well
as
The Link between UBI Policy and Social Determinants of Health

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The link between income, poverty and health
There are various factors which affect human well-being from within the society. These
factors are known as social determinants of health and they include education, employment and
income as well as poverty. Various health specialists support the policy of universal basic
income (UBI) basing their argument that it be one of the most appropriate health interventions
(Jacobs, Bigdeli, Annear and Damme 2011). According to the dynamic income survey, it was
found that there is a close link between income, poverty and individual well-being. Australian
studies, as well as various international studies, have found that their socio-comic status of any
individual depends on income. The policy of universal basic income will have a positive effect
on the health of Australians who depend on low-income activities as well as the none-income
individuals. The result provided by the Australian Council of Social service same into a finding
that poverty and lack of income is the number one risk for poor health among the Australians
(Kawachi and Kennedy 2007). In on the recent studies, it was shown that various Australian
families under or within the line of poverty suffer various illnesses like stress related to financial
and emotional issues (Kreuter 2012). Also, that various diseases associated with malnutrition
and health risk behaviors such as smoking, alcoholism as well as the decision to stay indoors by
some patients are associated with low-income individuals.
Scientists and researchers in Australian in support of Universal Basic Income further
found that low-income level within some of the Australian societies is the determinant of the
difference of health outcomes within the country. Australian citizens with low socioeconomic
status suffer from various diseases and have been to be bearing the most significant burden of
illnesses (Marmot et al. 2008). This is evident from federal government reports which are based

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on a comparison of the aboriginals’ disease burden and non- aboriginal Australians staying
within urban areas. The government reports from the year 2008 shows that there has been high
disease burden in geographical areas occupied by the aboriginals and Torres Strait Islander
where only 49% of the adults work and earn an income of below 20% of the overall weekly
income (Palmer and Short 2000). While 50% the aboriginal Australians live under serious low
income, it was noticed that only 5% of the non-indigenous Australians live in the same
condition.
Likewise, the result from the national survey also found that since the year 2008, the
income from the aboriginal areas where there is high disease prevalence has been less than two-
thirds of the general income from the corresponding non-indigenous communities where low
disease prevalence was recorded. Taking the result of the year 2009, the general income of the
indigenous Australians from ages 18 years and above summed up to $ 580 which was still less
than thirds of $ 985 income of non-indigenous Australians (Sanders et al. 2009). According to
the economic and scientists, the majority of the indigenous Australians were not the position of
accessing proper health care services, proper nutrition as well as proper education which can
improve health with the health improvement (Pierson 2015). The high rate of diseases burden
among the low-income earner in Australia was based income. It was noticed that low income
leads to poor health in low-income areas which further worsens the situation as the majority
could work to generate more income. However, there was low rate and a few numbers of health
complications associated with non-indigenous groups who have a high income. It is evident that,
with the high income, various non-aboriginal households could access medical services which
most of the aboriginals could not access (Thoits 2010).

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Further, with high income among the non-aboriginals, are the position of avoiding stress
and emotional diseases associated with financial problems. Also, the high-income households
could afford nutritious diet with the observation of a healthy diet thus reduced diseases. The non-
indigenous could also afford best hospitals which are located within the urban areas compared to
the low-income aboriginals who could not even afford transportation cost to move to the urban
hospitals for better treatment (Wilkinson and Marmot 2013). In summary, income is asocial
health determinant as it determines how well an individual can get access to various goods and
services crucial for keeping a healthy lifestyle. Moreover, income also relates to other social
determinants of health such as education and healthcare.
Health implication of the federal universal basic income policy
The universal basic income is like a gift to the Australians from the federal government.
Even though to some individuals the UBI may appear to them as an economic intervention, but
to health scientist and other individuals who see the fact that poverty is the real cause of poor
health, UBI is a health intervention. The federal government concern to give Australian adults
unconditional and livable sum of money is likely to boost the health of various individuals who
could not afford the pay for proper health services (Wilkinson and Pickett 2006). As discussed
above it is evident that without high-level income people are unable to acquire enough food eat,
good houses which are crucial to the development and maintenance of healthy bodies as well as
proper immune systems.
However, with the universal basic income, every adult will be able to acquire and access
various basic needs as well as various key commodities such as nutritious meals, medications
and housing which are crucial for living a healthy lifestyle and avoid various psychological

Contemporary Health Issues And Policies 7
diseases associated with materialistic deprivation such as stress for both relative an absolute
terms. The universal basic income policy is crucial for Australians as it will also help with
improvements in other social determinants of health employment options, education completion
as adults receiving the sum of money from the government will be able to balance education and
other basic needs (Thoits 2010). Income is, therefore, a key social determinant of health as it also
helps with balancing other economic factors. Even though the UBI policy is meant to enable
adults to acquire the basic needs, it can be more advantageous to Australians as a population
health intervention.
Recommendation
Universal Basic Income as a population health intervention strategy
The Australian federal policymakers are viewing universal basic income as an economic
aspect which will be applied to enable a steady and low-carbon stat system which will enable
sustainable economic growth, population growth as well as sustainable technological growth.
However, based on the knowledge I have required the studying the link between income as well
as other social determinants of health, I strongly recommend the federal government
policymakers should apply the universal basic income policy as health intervention strategy for
the population. Why such a recommendation? This is because the universal basic income is one
of the national policies which will result into an as sharp shift in the distribution of various health
risks by addressing various underlining environmental and socio comical conditions which
determines an individual’s health (Wilkinson and Pickett 2006).
The policymakers based on the close link between income and health can come up with a
way of implementing the universal basic income into the health sectors. The benefits of

Contemporary Health Issues And Policies 8
implementing this policy in the health sector are that it will enable the majority of Australians
with funds to acquire various goods and services which are crucial for healthy lifestyle regardless
of the location, background or status. The implementation of universal basic income into the
health sector will enable members of the public to pay for healthcare which majority of
Australians is residing in remote areas such as the Aboriginals and other indigenous Australians
who in most cases are not able to acquire health care services based on their low-income level.
Moreover, it is recommended for the government to study the implication of the universal
basic income policy in the health system before full implementation to avoid policy
implementation failure. The government should also look into other policies with the overall
effect of the Australia population and do more research on health interventions. Finally, for the
federal policymakers to directly assess the impact of the universal basic income policy the
general public instead of running randomized controlled trials (Thoits 2010). Using universal
basic income as a population health intervention will be crucial to the Australian population
more to the aboriginals and low-income individuals within the nation. It is also crucial for
population health interventions to be based on various social determinants of health these factors
contribute to poor health among the populace but can be used as health interventions just as seen
in the case of income.

Contemporary Health Issues And Policies 9
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