Final Term paper

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Term Paper Outline

Term Paper Outline

Access to Healthcare

“Is access to healthcare a privilege or a right?”

Technical aspects

There have been several arguments on the medical ethical issues around access to healthcare. One side of the argument claims that access to healthcare is a privilege while the other side claims it is a right. After considering both claims, it has come to my realization that access to healthcare is a privilege (Bauchner, Fontanarosa & Maddox, 2021). Access to healthcare is considered a privilege because it is only issued to the person who wants it. Access to healthcare is considered a right because the government has the mandate to ensure everyone can access it. These definitions form the basis of the arguments presented on this topic.

Public policy

The introduction of universal healthcare by the government, including Medicare, Medicaid, and Affordable Care, are the current policies surrounding access to healthcare. These policies seek to ensure that everyone can access healthcare at a reduced cost. These programs also aim to make healthcare affordable and accessible to the underprivileged in society to ensure equality in society (Garrafa, Da Cunha & Manchola, 2018). Medicare and Affordable Care provide speedy, practical, and cost-effective healthcare services to the beneficiaries.

Arguments for and against

Access to healthcare is considered a privilege because healthcare is only provided for the people who need it. After all, forcing it on the people is a violation of free will. A person has to choose whether to seek healthcare services or not, making healthcare accessible only for the people who want it. Deciding to seek healthcare services makes a person choose the type of hospital they want to go to and the type f treatment they want (Garrafa, Da Cunha & Manchola, 2018). Even with the ongoing campaign for universal healthcare, people should be allowed to decide to be part of the programs or not because these programs tend to make healthcare accessible to be a right and not a privilege.

Listing healthcare as a right can make the government create a monopoly that can affect the breakthrough of preventive medicine, healthcare technology, drugs, and surgery. Making healthcare accessibility a right can make people dictate health workers and take advantage of the healthcare being provided. This can affect the quality of healthcare services that people receive.

Considering access to healthcare as a privilege allows the government to address other issues, including water shortage, safety, housing, and electricity, which are predisposing factors to healthcare access (Stepanikova & Oates, 2017). Considering healthcare access as a right will undermine the focus on these areas, and many people will continue to be sick and demand healthcare services.

Conclusion

The ongoing debate on whether access to healthcare a privilege or a right is has not been ascertained. However, the arguments presented in this outline support that access to healthcare is a privilege. The claims supporting my side of the argument can be verified and ascertained with facts. First, they are based on the public view of healthcare access, and second, they are rooted like healthcare in the U.S.

References

Bauchner, H., Fontanarosa, P. B., & Maddox, K. J. (2021). Health Care Is a Right, Not a Privilege: A New Series on US Health Care and Health Policy. JAMA, 325(3), 227-228.

Garrafa, V., Da Cunha, T. R., & Manchola, C. (2018). Access to healthcare: a central question within Brazilian bioethics. Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics, 27(3), 431.

Stepanikova, I., & Oates, G. R. (2017). Perceived discrimination and privilege in health care: the role of socioeconomic status and race. American journal of preventive medicine, 52(1), S86-S94.