Access to and Coverage for Health Care: A Fundamental Right
I believe that health care should be seen as a fundamental human right and not as something determined by market laws. First, healthcare is a human necessity and right that cannot be denied based on one’s social or economic status. It significantly determines the quality of life in a given society. Secondly, beneficence and justice require a system that will provide the needed care for all patients irrespective of their ability to pay (Folland et al., 2024). Moreover, countries that have adopted universal healthcare policies are likely to have better health and costs. Hence, the United States should implement policies that guarantee extensive coverage to support the moral and ethical responsibility of equal healthcare access as a right.

Market-oriented healthcare delivery system discriminates against the needy and the vulnerable as it provides care to those who can afford to pay for the services. Health care as a business means that some people are denied their fundamental rights to health services since they cannot afford them. Based on the basic economic concepts, health care is not an ordinary supply-and-demand product as people cannot plan or prevent illnesses (Shi & Singh, 2022). In addition, the uninsured population threatens public health and the emergency systems’ financial costs. At the same time, by introducing a rights-based approach for reasonably protecting all citizens and focusing on the goal of achieving coverage, healthcare disparities are eliminated, and the result is a healthier and more productive population and, thus, the welfare of the labor market and economic stability of the country.

Expanding access to health care is ethically, economically, and socially responsible and is in the public’s best interest. The countries that have adopted the universal health care system incur less per capita on health care but have better results. Furthermore, the uninsured population tends to shift their costs to other insured individuals and healthcare facilities, which affects the quality of services and is ultimately paid for by taxpayers (World Health Organization, 2023). Implementing comprehensive coverage will make it possible to provide preventive care, hence cutting down the population’s long-term medical care costs. Health care should not be for the elites only but rather a right that must be afforded to all citizens. This ensures that people across the globe have access to essential services to protect their health, reduce inequality, and enhance the quality of life.

References
Folland, S., Goodman, A. C., Stano, M., & Danagoulian, S. (2024). The economics of health and health care. Routledge.

Shi, L., & Singh, D. A. (2022). Essentials of the US health care system. Jones & Bartlett Learning.

World Health Organization. (2023). Tracking universal health coverage: 2023 global monitoring report. World Health Organization.