Analyzing Healthcare in US: Right or Privilege Perspective

This discussion board post presents arguments for and against the idea that healthcare is a right in the United States. The 'for' arguments emphasize the social responsibility to provide healthcare regardless of race or social standing, the economic need for affordable healthcare and government schemes, the technological imperative to provide access to modern treatments in rural areas, the ethical considerations of patient care, and the legal role of the government in regulating the healthcare market. The 'against' arguments highlight the economic realities of expensive medical equipment and drugs, suggesting that healthcare must be a privilege due to financial constraints, the ethical complexities beyond a doctor's duty, and the legal limitations given the current healthcare market. References to external sources support these arguments. Desklib provides access to similar discussions and solved assignments for students.

Healthcare in US

Table of Contents
For the statement..............................................................................................................................2
Against the statement.......................................................................................................................3
References........................................................................................................................................4

For the statement
Social: Sometimes in health institutions a person is denied health services based on their skin
color or their race. The government should create laws regarding the discrimination in providing
health services based on their social standing, as healthcare is the basic right of all the citizens.
Economic: the average amount spent per year is around $8000 by one person ("Shortcomings of
the US healthcare system", 2015), which is expensive. In US, the prices of drugs are very high,
the medical equipment used is advanced and yet very expensive. The government should try to
bring down the cost of health services and provide various healthcare schemes for the people
who cannot afford it.
Technological: people residing in the remote parts do not have access to the latest technology to
assist their treatments. The government should provide some type of financial assistance to the
rural health centers to avail the equipments.
Ethical: the various ethical implications in health care delivery have a positive impact on the
people which send the message that indeed healthcare is a right. Doctor-patient confidentiality,
quality care, indiscriminate treatment etc. should be maintained for the effective care of the
patients.
Legal: the government should look into maintaining the healthcare market, control the
stakeholders affecting the quality of healthcare ("US ‘healthcare’", 2017). The government
should also introduce various schemes to make healthcare available to all, they can also provide
health insurance to the under privileged.

Against the statement
Social: a person’s social standing such as if he is rich or poor should somewhat affects the kind
of healthcare he can get. If he is not able to pay for the services, it is not possible for the hospital
to provide him that service just because it is his right.
Economic: in US the hospitals use expensive equipments and drugs for the treatment, so if
people are not able to pay for the services, the entire healthcare sector will crash. Healthcare can
be necessary but it should never be treated as a right.
Technological: expensive treatment machines such as chemo therapy equipments or dialysis
equipments cannot be made available to the patients without paying for the service as they have
huge maintenance cost. The hospitals have to charge the patients in order to maintain such
equipments.
Ethical: it is the ethical duty of the doctor is to provide treatment but then the healthcare process
is much complicated than that. The doctors have to treat the patient in a hospital which incurs
some charges.
Legal: the government cannot change the fact that healthcare is a privilege in US because of the
economic conditions in the healthcare market.

References
Shortcomings of the US healthcare system. (2015). The Pharmaceutical Journal. doi:
10.1211/pj.2015.20068106
US ‘healthcare’. (2017). New Scientist, 235(3132), 6. doi: 10.1016/s0262-4079(17)31236-8