A hot topic in today’s news is the rising cost of health care and how we, as a country can provide health coverage.
Is healthcare a right or choice?
Do you believe health care should be regulated and government funded?
Or do you believe health care should be provided by the private sector and allow competition to bring down the cost of healthcare.
In addition, what are some viable alternatives to this problem? What implications might these alternatives have with respect to other individuals?
Please include the market structures and governments role in the health care industry (think about unit three and the market structure i.e… pure competition, monopoly etc..).
Healthcare System
The State came into existence with clear objectives, which included protection and nourishment of life, in all forms. State expresses its will through the government and works through institutions. The contemporary state has various obligations, which include ensuring sustainable economic growth, high employment and yielding equal opportunities for all citizens (there are several others such as the implementation of law, etc.). However, most of the states have interpreted its primary obligations, such as the protection and nourishment of life as providing healthcare facilities to its citizens. Therefore, in most of the countries, healthcare is regarded as more right, rather than privilege and most of the developed countries provide healthcare to its citizens. However, the structure of healthcare and its benefits/costs vary from countries to countries. For instance, some countries have devised such healthcare system that shares the cost with individuals. However, other healthcare programs endure all the cost of providing health care system (Hsieh).
However, the debate regarding the healthcare, whether it is privileged or right, is still quite hot and certain parties, which belief in the small size of government, assert that it is a privilege and not a right. The debate is relevant in the United States, especially after Obama Care. It is because Democrats and Republicans have made this issue highly controversial and it is being used to galvanize support on the state and national level. To better understand the subject, it is essential to understand it from both economic and political points of views (Bernstein).
IS HEALTHCARE RIGHT OR PRIVILEGE?
I firmly believe that healthcare is right; a state has emerged to protect and nourish life. The state should allocate its resources to provide better health to its citizens so that they could exploit the opportunities, which are provided by the economic system. However, I also believe that to avoid moral hazard; government should only partially lift the burden. It implies that individuals must pay a portion of the bill for utilizing healthcare services. It will address the concern regarding the possibility of an increase in irresponsible behavior about health, because of free healthcare services (Moral hazard).
SHOULD HEALTHCARE BE REGULATED?
In a country like the United States, where large corporations can manipulate the system in their favor, it is essential for the government to intervene. There is enormous evidence regarding the tempering of the system, by large corporations, to ensure higher profits. It is also true for the healthcare industry, which benefits enormously. As per statistics, it is one of the most lucrative industries of the United States, which also influence legislation through lobbying. Therefore, I believe that not only healthcare should be regulated, but also provided by the state.
PRIVATE SECTOR AND ALLOW COMPETITION TO BRING DOWN THE COST OF HEALTHCARE
In recent years, the private sector, of the United States has grown strong to the extent that it exerts its influence on government through various means (spending in elections and lobbying). The notion that competition will bring down the prices is not very true, and if accepted, for the sake of arguments, it would take considerable time to lower the prices, as learn that it’s an oligopoly industry. Therefore, relying on the private sector, to provide better healthcare services at an affordable price, is absurd (Mahar).
ALTERNATIVE AND IMPLICATIONS
Around the world, governments/states are providing healthcare facilities and simultaneously addressing contradictions/issues about healthcare. For instance, in the Canadian healthcare program is less expensive than the United States. Similarly, the healthcare program of Great Britain is comparatively less expensive. From statistics, we learn that not only the cost, of healthcare service, in the United States, is high, but also the quality is inferior. This situation suggests that the problem of cost and quality is not associated with the phenomenon of the state, providing healthcare services, as we learn that even in 2004, healthcare system of the United States was poor in quality and expensive (Bernstein).
CONCLUSION
Health care is a right and not a privilege. From the discourse, we also learn that cost and quality do not correlate with the government-funded healthcare system. However, it must be acknowledged that to avoid moral hazard, the government should not foot the entire bill, and it must lift the partial burden of cost.
Work Cited
Bernstein, Lenny. “Once again, U.S. has most expensive, least effective health care system in survey.” The Washington Post. WP Company LCC, 16 June 2014. Web. 16 November 2017. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2014/06/16/once-again-u-s-has-most-expensive-least-effective-health-care-system-in-survey/?utm_term=.c297000cf24c.
Hsieh, Paul. “No, The Government Should Not Provide Health Insurance For All Americans.” Forbes. Forbes, 29 December 2016. Web. 16 November 2017. https://www.forbes.com/sites/paulhsieh/2016/12/29/no-the-government-should-not-provide-health-insurance-for-all-americans/#451366fd7f6b.
Mahar, Maggie. “It’s Not Just Profit Wrecking American Healthcare.” Ineteconomics.org. Ineteconomics.org 15 May 2017. Web. 16 November 2017. https://www.ineteconomics.org/perspectives/blog/its-not-just-profit-wrecking-american-healthcare.
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