Is access to healthcare a moral right? Why? or why not?

Question

Laura Valenzuela

RE: Discussion Prompt

COLLAPSE

I do not believe that healthcare is a natural human right, but I do believe that America's healthcare system should be structured like Australia's universal public health insurance system. Not everyone is lucky enough to have health insurance. Chronic illnesses are more common among the poor than among the wealthy. Those who have insurance are generally healthier than those who do not ("Should All Americans Have the Right (Be Entitled) to Health Care?," 2017). Cosmetic surgery, which is considered a luxury in this regard, is used by the wealthier population, and take advantage of today’s technology and knowledge. It is understandable that America is known for having the latest medical equipment, but as time passes, technology continues to develop. Why have all this luxurious technology if only the wealthiest have access to it? It seems a little self-centered to me. People in the United States are going bankrupt because they cannot afford their medical bills, which is absurd. The Medicare Benefits Scheme (MBS) and Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme (PBS) are funded by the Australian federal government for the benefit of citizens (Tikkanen et al., 2020). Americans would feel fortunate and fair to the rich if the United States could restructure its government funding by providing free healthcare to everyone.

References

Should all Americans have the right (be entitled) to health care? (2017, February 23). Britannica ProCon.org. https://healthcare.procon.org/should-all-americans-have-the-right-be-entitled-to-health-care-pro-con-quotes/

Tikkanen, R., Osburn, R., Mossialos, E., Djordjevic, A., & Wharton, G.A. (2020, June 5). International health care system profiles: Australia. The Commonwealth Fund. https://www.commonwealthfund.org/international-health-policy-center/countries/Australia

Hi

I need to respond to the statement above. Thank you.