Is Healthcare a Right or Privilage (1)
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Indiana Institute of Technology *
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Medicine
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Feb 20, 2024
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Is Health Care a Right or a Privilege
Derica N. Gibson Indiana Tech
HCA 1100: Intro to Healthcare Walpole
December 11, 2022
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Introduction
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Healthcare is a critical factor in human lives. Without healthcare, humans would not be able to access the proper treatment and care for injuries or health complications. To properly define healthcare, according to webster's dictionary, it is efforts made to maintain or restore physical, mental, or emotional well-being, especially by trained and licensed professionals. Over the years, people questioned whether healthcare is a right or a privilege, and many have opinions about this topic. A right to something is a moral or legal entitlement to obtain something or to act
a certain way. At the same time, a privilege means an advantage granted or available only to a particular person or group. Healthcare can be seen as a privilege because not all can afford health
insurance, healthcare workers can accept and refuse medical assistance to patients, and difficult to access medical facilities.
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Health insurance is a system in which people can sign an agreement with a preferred insurance company. The agreement is that the insurance company will pay for medical expenses;
in return, people must make monthly payments to continue receiving coverage. Health insurance costs vary from state to state. According to Besson, "in 2021, the average health insurance benchmark premium is $452 a month, or $5,424 a year" (Besson, 2021). Insurance can be expensive, and not all can afford this. If healthcare were a right, everyone could afford health insurance. Currently, insurance is only affordable to those who can afford it. According to the Peterson Foundation, in 2021, during COVID-19, twenty-seven million people were uninsured. Those who are not able to afford insurance struggle with medical expenses such as medication needs, hospital bills, doctor bills, and much more. Without health insurance, people must pay the total medical expenses, which can lead to medical debt and possibly lead to someone not seeking
medical treatment again. Insurance is one-way healthcare is seen as a privilege, and healthcare workers can accept and refuse medical assistance.
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Doctors and hospitals have the right to refuse medical services to patients. For hospitals, this is known as patient dumping. Patient dumping typically occurs when patients cannot pay for service or when hospitals have a shortage of beds. Doctors' offices can refuse treatment or services to any patient that may be hostile, incompetent to make their own decisions, and patients
that cannot pay. According to the World Health Organization, "the WHO constitution (1946) envisages the highest attainable standard of health as a fundamental right of every human being" (2022). In this case, with doctors and hospitals being able to refuse patient treatment, the right to medical care is taken away from human beings causing healthcare to be a privilege. Accessing medical facilities and care plays a crucial role in human life, but there is a downside to this.
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Hospitals and doctors' offices are built throughout the world, but when we see these facilities, they are primarily in highly populated areas rather than rural areas. For example, the article Healthcare Access in Rural Communities states, "the supply of primary care providers per
capita is lower in rural areas compared to urban areas" (Rural Health Information Hub). This can be complicated for those who need transportation to access these facilities and cannot exercise their human right to medical care. The Rural Health Information Hub also states, "rural populations are more likely to travel long distances to access healthcare services" (Rural Health Information Hub). Without transportation, people in rural areas struggle the most, and not having
access makes it a privilege for those who can access healthcare services.
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Healthcare has expanded and progressed over the years. As it continues to progress, many complications are going to continue to arise. Healthcare is not accessible to everyone throughout the United States. People are either struggling with insurance, finding the right doctor, or not being able to have access to healthcare services, and because of this, healthcare can be seen as a privilege. Healthcare is only accessible to those who can afford insurance and service fees. If healthcare were accessible to everyone, this would make healthcare a right, but due to unfortunate circumstances, healthcare is a privilege and not a right for some.
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References
Besson, A. (2021, March 11). What is the average cost of health insurance?
QuoteWizard. Retrieved December 24, 2022, from https://quotewizard.com/health-insurance/how-much-
does-health-insurance-cost
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Health care. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved December 24, 2022, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/health%20care
Peterson, P. (2022, November 17).
Nearly 30 million Americans have no health insurance
. Peter G. Peterson Foundation. Retrieved December 24, 2022, from https://www.pgpf.org/blog/2022/11/nearly-30-million-americans-have-no-health-insurance
“Rural Health Information Hub.” Healthcare Access in Rural Communities Overview
, 21 Nov. 2022, https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/topics/healthcare-access
.
World Health Organization. (2022, December 10). Human rights
. World Health Organization. Retrieved December 24, 2022, from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/human-rights-and-health