Title: Reading: (CU1 M4) Other Opinions
Course: SkillsCom CMA 112 14.0 > Section: Credit Unit 1 Module 4

On this particular topic, it is important to acknowledge the viewpoints of others. Review the following statements made by other groups. Pay attention to those who do not agree with you and reflect on their right to have a different opinion.

- Group 1
- Group 2
- Group 3
- Group 4

Healthcare should be a right.

- We believe healthcare should be a right for all legal residents of the United States. This right will help to promote the general welfare of our fellow citizens.

- First, we believe there should be the right to access the privilege of healthcare. By treating healthcare as a right, it in essence becomes a privilege for all our citizens. If people are turned away from receiving healthcare due to an inability to pay the required premium, then there is a right/privilege divide.

- Second, we believe that healthcare as a right is a means to level the playing field among all our citizens. As a right, healthcare is no longer limited just to those who have the financial means, the good fortune of family coverage, or the right employer that provides healthcare coverage. This does not mean that healthcare is simply handed over to people. With this right comes a great responsibility to apply our tax dollars and healthcare duties wisely.

- Third, we believe that healthcare as a right does not mean that it has to be applied equally. For instance, some have the misfortune of a health issue that is no fault of their own. However, others will engage in behaviors that increase the risks of acquiring health issues. These types of risk-takers can be addressed differently to better manage the system.

- Fourth, we believe that healthcare as a right requires standards that help to manage accountability within the system. These standards will help to encourage “healthy” behavior rather than “risky” behavior. Penalties may be imposed to encourage citizens to be more responsible to their own health and, in turn, responsible to the sustainability of the healthcare system.

- Fifth, we believe that healthcare as a right truly should be affordable to a reasonable degree. For young, healthy citizens, there may not be an apparent benefit to paying for others' healthcare while they struggle to make ends meet. An appropriate fee structure may be needed that considers incentives to retain those facing financial challenges and reasonable penalties for those who opt not to participate in the healthcare system.

We believe that healthcare should be a right extended to our citizens. Although not foreseen by our nation’s forefathers in the Bill of Rights, the right to healthcare does support a critical principle of the Constitution. Healthcare as a right promotes the general welfare of our citizens.

It was a difficult issue for our group to reach a majority decision. By a 4-3 majority, we have decided that healthcare is, and should be a privilege, not a right. There are many different ways Americans can take care of our healthcare needs, and not one of those ways is anything to which we are entitled.

- We, as consumers, do not directly pay for medical research.  We go to the doctor to get answers, which our doctors can only give us as a direct result of past medical research. If we, the consumers and the patients who want answers, are not effectively contributing to the advancement of medical technology and capability, then why do so many of us believe and demand that we are entitled to it? While we accept new medical advances, and as a result of those advances then demand a higher level of care, we cannot believe that we have a right to these advances because to a great extent, we do not pay for them.

- If healthcare becomes a right, then what will happen to physician services? Does the level of care decrease because now everyone is demanding that they be treated for things that, if healthcare was simply a privilege, they wouldn’t normally see a physician? What about specialized care? Will that, too, suffer?

- “Our only rights are the rights to life, liberty, property, and the pursuit of happiness.” According to our founding fathers, we are not born with the right to a trip to Disneyland, the right to a meal at McDonald's, or the right to kidney dialysis, or the 18th-century equivalent to these things. We were given these rights, and these rights only. But why only these? It needs to be noticed that all legitimate rights have one thing in common: they are rights to action, not to rewards from other people. The American rights impose no obligations on other people, merely the obligation to leave you alone.

- The system guarantees you the chance to work for what you want, not that it be given without effort by somebody else.

We believe that healthcare in the United States should be considered a privilege. The Webster’s dictionary defines privilege as: "a special advantage, immunity, or benefit granted to or enjoyed by an individual, class, or caste." A right is defined as "something due a person or governmental body, by law, tradition, or nature". We do not believe that with this definition in mind that healthcare today is a right. We are not “owed” anything; the government is not giving us the right to have healthcare, the government is just requiring us to have healthcare insurance.

- Healthpaconline.net states that over 47 million Americans are without health insurance and 9 million of those are children. Not everyone in the U.S. can afford to see a doctor or pay for prescriptions that they may need. Wealthy people are privileged in the fact that they can afford the healthcare they need.

- With rising healthcare costs, uninsured people are becoming more afraid of getting sick because it means having to spend money on visiting the doctor, and possibly having to pay for prescriptions. They may also fear that they will lose their daily living necessities because they won't be able to pay their bills after having to pay for healthcare. So people only get checked out if it is absolutely necessary, which leads to an increased amount of under-treated/sick patients.

- If healthcare insurance were a right, many people would find themselves in a state of dependency on the government. This would also increase taxes significantly due to the demand in healthcare provisions. As a one of our group members put it, “People are responsible for themselves; the government is an ‘overseer’ of healthcare. If healthcare was a right that would make the government more of a ‘caregiver’ to the people".

- Large portions of the population get refused by insurance companies because they have preexisting conditions. Many times, their conditions aren't even their fault; it may be something that is hereditary and can’t be controlled. If you don’t qualify for aid, there’s no guarantee that you can afford an insurance plan offered by your employer. More than 8 out of 10 uninsured people are from working families (Healthpaconline.net).

We believe that healthcare in The United States is a privilege for the following reasons:

- “One does not have the right to healthcare only the right to purchase healthcare from a willing seller,” Edolphus Towns, New York Congressman. Let’s face it, healthcare is a commodity that is bought and sold. It’s a product we all need but, it is something we earn, not something we have a right to.

- There are far too many people who are capable of contributing to society by working but, choose instead, to “work the system”. They do not have a job. They do not pay taxes. The majority do not volunteer their time to help a worthy cause. They do not serve in our armed forces, or are disabled in any way. For their “efforts” they are given FREE food, clothing, and shelter and yes, healthcare, through government funded programs. These programs are NOT funded strictly by the government. They are funded by hard-working taxpayers.  Why then are there so many hard working taxpayers barely scraping by and do not have any healthcare because they can’t afford it and can’t get any help from these government programs because they supposedly make too much money; yet, the ones who are lazy and do nothing get everything handed to them? No, the lazy do not have a right to healthcare. It is a privilege afforded to them by their fellow Americans.

- Nowhere is it written in either the Bill of Rights or The Constitution that healthcare is a right. Many men, women, and children have fought and died for us to have the privilege of living in The Land of the Free and because of that everything we say, do, feel, and act is a privilege in this country, including having healthcare.

- If a person or persons are immigrants, have a job, work hard, have a family, a home, contribute to the economy, yet are illegal; and they or family member becomes ill or gets injured, of course, they will go to the ER or doctor’s office. It is without a doubt a privilege for them to receive the healthcare treatment they need. It is a privilege that they will receive that treatment and not be held responsible for the cost. It is a privilege, not a right.

- A right and a privilege are not the same. A right is an entitlement. A privilege is a “special” right that is EARNED only for a particular person or group of people. Healthcare should be a privilege given freely for those who are serving in our armed services, veterans, including veterans who are unemployed, and ALL of our legal elderly. It should be an unconditional privilege for legal, tax paying, contributing members of society. Otherwise, you don’t have a right to it!