Nursing Policy Organization and Financing Healthcare
Discuss your position regarding access to and coverage for health care. Are we obligated to provide access to and coverage for health care for all Americans as an entitlement (a right)? Or should health care be considered a commodity that is subject to the influences of economic, social, and market demand (supply and demand)? Be sure to include the rationale for your position in your discussion.
Any reference to clinical setting must be about Emergency Department
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Solution
Nursing Policy Organization and Financing Healthcare
The debate over whether health care in America should be an entitlement or commodity is at the heart of why the country has one of the costliest yet poorest healthcare in terms of quality and care outcomes, compared to other developed countries. Despite being a developed country, the US does not have a universal health care system. Consequently, the country has a high rate of uninsured and a high rate of healthcare disparity. These significant problems in the US healthcare sector can be addressed if access to healthcare is made an entitlement (Karunanayake, 2020). I firmly believe that healthcare providers should be obligated to provide access to care for all Americans as an obligation for various reasons.
First, being a developed country, America is one of the wealthiest nations on earth; thus, none of its citizens should go without health care. America has a greater GDP than other developed countries such as France and the United Kingdom, yet they provide a right to health care for all their citizens. Therefore, America should provide healthcare to all its citizens with its current resources. Secondly, the right to health care is an internationally recognized human right. The US is a part of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Smith, 2019). This document states that the right to healthcare is a fundamental human right.
Besides, by virtue of humanity, American citizens are entitled to healthcare, irrespective of nationality or economic status. Only by the free exercise of the right to health can Americans enjoy a life of dignity. A right to health care could save lives and improve public health. Studies indicates that a lack of health insurance and poor access to healthcare are associated with a high rate of morbidities and mortalities (Chakravarthi, 2021). Furthermore, a right to health care could have some economic benefits. For example, it can stop medical bankruptcies when people without health insurance cannot pay for medical bills and household needs. It can also improve the economic productivity of people.
References
Chakravarthi, I. (2021). Universal Healthcare and Health Assurance Through Healthcare Industry and Market Mechanisms: Evidence Versus Ideology. In Universalising Healthcare in India (pp. 19-37). Springer, Singapore. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-16-5872-3_2
Karunanayake, S. W. (2020). Should the Right to Health be a Fundamental Right Internationally?. http://ir.kdu.ac.lk/bitstream/handle/345/4899/Should%20the%20right%20to%20health%20be%20a%20fundamental%20right%20internationally.pdf?sequence=1
Smith, P. (2019). Health Iniquity: Access to Healthcare in the US. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Pete-Smith/publication/334773455_Health_Iniquity_Access_to_Healthcare_in_the_US/links/5d409b8692851cd04694ab93/Health-Iniquity-Access-to-Healthcare-in-the-US.pdf