Question

Debate the question: "Is health care a basic right in the United States?" Answer this question through the lens of your role as RN. Support your response utilizing ethical theories and principles.

Answer 1

The World Health Organisation defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well beings. Healthcare in term can be described as the provision of services necessary to treat disease and promote health.

This statement is supported by several leaders.

In 1943, President Roosevelt proposed a ''econd bill of rights' that include ' the right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health.

The Universal Declaration of Human rights published by the United Nation provided ' everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and we'll being including medical care'.

The International Convenant on Economic, Social and Cultural rights stated that it is 'the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health's.

Some ethical statements also support this concept.

Peter Singer states that,

- Suffering from a lack of medical care is harmful.

- If it is within our power to prevent something harmful from happening, without sacrificing anything nearly as important, it is wrong not to do so.

- By improving health care, suffering can be prevented without making significant personal losses.

Therefore, by not improving health care, and to an extent, by not introducing health care as a right, we are doing something wrong.

But nowadays it is very difficult in achievement and enjoyment of good health by all because of rising heath care costs and aging poplution. US health care has gained significant attention in recent years, with a strong drive towards a right based system. This movement is not simple, but rather burdened with complexities of funding, logistics, ethical, and rationality.