What Do We Have A Right To?

I agree with the statement that people have a 'right' to quality, affordable health care.  But once you get past the good feeling that statement engenders, you have to consider the question:  What does it mean?  What exactly do we have a right to?  Quality compared to what?  Affordable to whom?

Most reasonable people would agree that there have to be logical limits to this statement.  But where?

Starting with an absurd example:  There is a medical procedure that will keep someone alive for one more day and it costs $1MM dollars.  They don't have $1MM.  Do they have the right to expect that someone else (i.e. the rest of the USA via the US Government) will pay for that?  Even in this extreme example, I would not want to be the person who says 'no' to that person.  Would that everyone could have everything.  But of course we can't.

What about $100,000 for an extra month of life?  $10,000 for a year?

I'd be willing to pay $10,000 of my own money for an extra year of life.  But, again, if I couldn't afford it, do I have the right to expect someone else to pay for my extra year of life?

Whichever entity (insurance companies, government) that we expect to subsidize care that we cannot otherwise afford on our own will have to establish limits to what they will and will not cover and at what price.  As heartless as that may sound, there is no alternative since insuring everyone for everything is clearly not a realistic option.

In conclusion, one could say that we have an absolute right to any healthcare that we can pay for ourselves.  But if some third party is going to paying for our healthcare, there will inevitably be some limit to what care we will receive.  So, make sure that whichever third party you choose to assist you with your healthcare expenses mission is in line with your own values and care objectives.

Watch for future posts about rich vs. poor and 'fairness'.