Should Healthcare be a Civil Right?


Should healthcare be considered a civil right? Does it deserve a place in the Bill of Rights? Currently, the United States is the only developed country that does not have an answer to these challenging questions. It is also the only developed country that doesn't use the universal health care system. There are many controversial views on the topic and an ongoing debate on whether the government or the people should be in control over the issue. While some think that the government should provide free healthcare through taxes, others believe that individuals should invest in insurance to cover their own healthcare needs.
If the United States participated in the universal healthcare system, it's people would put a certain percentage of their money into the “healthcare pot”. The government would use this money to pay for everyone’s healthcare by pulling money out of the pot as it is needed. However, people in higher tax brackets will end up investing more money than people in lower financial brackets. Despite the fact that some people are contributing more, everyone in the country will still receive the same healthcare. Also, by providing free healthcare, the government has to manage a challenging budget. How can it predict the number of heart surgeries or pain pills allowed per hospital per city? If a hospital exceeds its budget does it stop offering care until the next year? Additionally, people wouldn't be able to receive immediate care or service from the doctors of their choice due to crowd control and supply/demand. Universal Healthcare may be “free” but will cost the people their ability to choose a doctor and be seen as needed.
The United States could continue to use their own unique system which places less power in the hands of the government and more in the hands of the people and private enterprises. Rather than investing different amounts of money into a shared budget and getting the same healthcare out, this system allows people to get out what they put in. This means that, by paying for their own healthcare and using insurance, individuals are able to receive immediate healthcare from the doctor they trust in the hospital of their choice.
The United States is well known for its medical treatments, advanced technology, and cutting edge research. If the medical system is burdened with a budget in hopes of giving everyone a bandaid, it is unable to invest in the medical advances that end up changing the world. Interestingly, people who come from the very countries that provide free health care still chose to move to the United States to make a better life based on freedom and choice.
Personally, I feel like healthcare should not be made a civil right and that the United States should rely on the enterprising people and businesses that make our country stand out. While I do wish that everyone could have access to healthcare, there is not an existing solution that offers more than it takes away.




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