Medical Ethics

The biggest question involved with the under and uninsured is: Does everyone have the right to have access to healthcare? And if so, are there limits to this right? According to Donald Light in his article concerning Justice-based care, goals for healthcare include; “support[ing] fellow members and their families when ill…and to minimize the financial impact of illness.” He also articulates his belief that “…any just or fair health care system must make needed and effective services available to everyone, regardless of their health condition, risks, and ability to pay.” Other writers, such as Karen Eggleston address the moral issues involved with insurance such as how “…heavily insured consumers tend to overuse services that appear to be “free” or are heavily subsidized.” This leaves limited resources for the under and uninsured, helping to further support the fact that wastefulness is a rampant problem in healthcare practices. A great push is being made within the US to establish universal healthcare; however, the reality of this type of system being established will take quite a few years.
There are also those who oppose this ‘right to healthcare’. Leonard Peikoff, a PhD holder discusses how healthcare is not a right like those documented in the Declaration of Independence, because it calls for the action of others, while other rights outlined are seen as a right to act rather than a demand for others to act on behalf of another individual. By making excuses why people should not all have access to healthcare, these arguments only help to further push the healthcare system into its downward spiral. If we continue to ignore the needs of the under and uninsured, they will continue to take away resources from those who are able to afford insurance through emergency care, as well as increase the cost of already expensive healthcare services. Although everyone cannot agree whether healthcare should be a right to all, they must recognize that if something is not done about the current status of our healthcare system, only the extremely wealthy will be able to afford medical care, in the near future.