Is Healtcare a Right?

      I personally believe that healthcare is a right, not just a privilege. A country is responsible for its citizen’s health and well-being, which would keep costs lower and equalize the quality of healthcare. As a healthcare worker, I have seen the impact of individuals not having health insurance; as stated in the “New Dimensions in Women’s Health” people without health insurance tend to wait longer to receive care, which has two results, more expensive treatment of advanced disease and increased cost for the resources that are utilized, such as emergency room visits (Alexander, LaRosa, Bader, & Garfield, 2010). These costs, usually very high, have to be “eaten” by the hospital which results in higher costs for healthcare overall. I have seen decreased quality of care for a patient because the doctor’s know that the reimbursement for the patient will be little to none. I do not see, in our society, an emphasis on preventative care; with lack of insurance this would be hard to afford. If the U.S. could figure out a way to at least cover preventative care fully, this nation has the potential to be healthier.

Alexander, L. L., LaRosa, J. H., Bader, H., & Garfield, S. (2010). New dimensions

in women's health (5^th edition). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett.