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Mele Mamata
Professor Allison Fernley
English 1010
April 23, 2018

Healthcare Should be a Right

One controversial issue has been whether Healthcare should be a right or a privilege.

There have been countless debates on this issue. Some say those who can afford it can have it

which are the privileged and others say Healthcare should be for all. I believe we should propose

that Healthcare should be a right. This has been proven in other countries as they guarantee

Healthcare for all. To make this possible we would need to shut down Private Health Insurance

companies and go publicly funded as single-payers. My thoughts on Healthcare have been from

sources proven in other countries and to see United States be taken care as a whole and not just

on a person who is able to afford Healthcare.

Currently in the United States Healthcare is a Privilege. We have high priced Private

Health Insurance companies who are partnered with employers and those who can afford

Insurance. The system of health Insurance companies are they take a certain percentage of

money from your paychecks and put it towards your Health Insurance. They may take a lot but

you will at least think you would be covered doing to the Doctors, Clinics, Hospitals and not

having to pay for Medicine, however if you really think about it, you’re not 100% covered. You

are still responsible for a certain amount of what is left over from your Medical bills after

Insurance has been taken care of. Also, currently a lot of us who do have Health Insurance, often

call and argue with Insurance companies as to why not the whole bill was paid, or why they had

to pay for their high-priced medicine out of their pocket, etc. Growing up my family was
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privileged to have Health care but I remember my mother on the phone with Health Insurance

Companies countless times to make sure what is covered and what is not, how much medication

will be if Insurance runs out. My family is a very outgoing athletic family and if someone was

injured they would spend time in hospitals and I remember when everyone is home and injuries

are being fixed, we would get a bill from the hospital for the time stayed at hospitals and I could

remember my parents trying to hide their stress as they tried to figure out how to pay off the debt

that Insurance did not cover. Many other experiences have been shared, I read an Article about a

Doctor by the name of Dr. Joseph Williams where, he shared he has helped many patients and

most patients would have large Medical bills. He seems patients pass on a certain treatment and

had to look at the only other option was to watch time go and die. Some cancer patients also

were not able to afford the treatments to get better. Dialysis wasn’t an option in their Health

Insurance plan. Dr. Joseph Williams also remembers he would have his patients that couldn’t

afford high priced medicine to cut their pills in half. This system here in the United States should

not be this way. The United States is one of the richest countries in the world and we’re not

caring for all.

In other Articles I have read , Shares some opinions on how Healthcare should be a

privilege. Reasons are because when people are sick and are looking for treatment. The better the

treatment the high priced it will be. They believe if we extend Healthcare to all, we would not

find the treatment we need if we will be single-payers and fund publicly health insurance. In the

article shared Healthcare should only be to those who know the importance of health and those

who can afford it. The best treatment would be provided this way and if it is given to all we

wouldn’t get the best treatment because they believe they won’t have enough money to perform

such treatment or get the help that’s necessary.

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If we were to change Healthcare from being a privilege to a right, what would be needed?

During the 2016 Presidential campaign, Senator Bernie Sanders stated and I quote “ We must

end the private Insurance company domination of Healthcare in our country and move toward a

publicly funded, single payer Medicare and or Medicaid.” The Year 1965, the United States

Government discovered Medicare. Medicare is for those of age 65 and older, the retired and the

elderly who are dying. Medicare helps the government for the seniors of need and brings a

system of low cost tax payers to those who need it most. Medicare has a working system that is

unexpectedly affordable. Then there is also Medicaid which is a jointly funded, Federal State

Health insurance program for low-income and needy people. It covers children, the aged, blind,

and disabled and any other people who are eligible to receive federally assisted income

maintenance payments. But like Medicare, Medicaid is for the Low-income and Medicare is for

65 of age and older. If Healthcare becomes a right we need to have something like Medicare or

Medicaid for all.

In other countries such as Canada, France, Switzerland, Australia and etc. Every citizen

of those countries are guaranteed Healthcare through a single-payer, publicly funded health care

program. It not only has improved but it has also saved families and their country itself. They

can save so much money, However the United States has not proven to use such a system and I

believe that is why The United States is also in so much debt. Guaranteeing Healthcare as a right

should be important for personal and financial reasons. Citizens of those countries share how

important having healthcare is. They are always taken care, more aware of their health. They do

not have to have countless arguments with Insurance companies like my mother. They do not

have to worry about what is covered and what is not. Senator Bernie Sanders stated and I quote
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“Now is the time for congress to stand with the American people and take on the special interest

that dominate healthcare in the United States. Now is the time to extend Medicare for everyone.”

Expanding Medicare to all would make sure everyone is take care of. To not fund private

Health Insurance organizations but to fund public Health organizations like Medicare to provide

for all. Medicare is currently given to those of retirement that lack health insurance and with

Medicare it is at such a low cost making it possible for everyone. I have read an article given by

Judy Feder in which shares her that we should be single-payers. Healthcare would be available to

all despite their circumstances. Also in her article, she shares about Health reform and restoring

it to all. Reform means reducing the burden of rising Healthcare cost to all. In order to reduce we

must set our minds and refocus our Healthcare systems in a form of care and treatments that

work. Judy Feder stated, “It also requires that everyone, all the time have affordable health

insurance regardless their work, income, age and health status. Families cannot be economically

secure as long as they face financial crisis when illness strikes.” I personally agree with Judy

Feder if we can extend Medicare to all and provide Healthcare for all it will lead us on the path

of making life a priority. Affordable Health care for all would give everyone a peace of mind

knowing we will be taken care of no matter our Health Status. We would save as much as we

spend on single paying publicly funded insurance then paying Private Health Insurance

organizations. Judy Feder also shares” Affordable healthcare does bring Satisfaction.” And

which I agree. We always hope for satisfaction and through Healthcare as a human right gives

that opportunity to us regardless of anything else.

In conclusion, We should shut down Private Health Insurance companies and go Public.

extend Medicare to not only the senior citizens of age 65 and older but to all. Reforming

Healthcare to all families. Making Healthcare a right is giving everyone a privilege to have
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Health care, despite work, income, age and health status. It has been proven that guaranteeing

Healthcare and publicly funded saves money, The United States is currently in debt and with

Making Healthcare a publicly funded area we would be saving more. Other Countries have

proven that the system works and that they are saving more. We will be able to save not only one

person but a whole nation. Healthcare should be a right and extend Medicare to all. We should

care about our health and making life a priority.

Work cited

1.Sanders, Bernie. “Bernie Sanders: Why We Need Medicare for All.” The New York Times, The

New York Times, 20 Jan. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2017/09/13/opinion/bernie-sanders-medicare-

single-payer.html/.

2. Pies, Ronald. “Health Care Is a Basic Human Right -- Almost Everywhere but Here.” Health Care

Is a Basic Human Right - Almost Everywhere but Here | Physicians for a National Health Program,

13 Mar. 2011, www.pnhp.org/news/2011/march/health-care-is-a-basic-human-right-almost-

everywhere-but-here.

3. Williams, Joseph P. “The Unexpected Costs of Medicare.” U.S. News & World Report, U.S. News

& World Report, 15 Oct. 2014, health.usnews.com/health-news/medicare/articles/2014/10/15/the-

unexpected-costs-of-medicare.

4. Hiltzik, Michael. “Here's How Expanding Medicare Could Set Us on the Path to Universal Health

Coverage.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2017,

www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-hiltzik-medicare-universal-20170818-story.html.
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5. Sanders, Bernie. “Medicare for All: Leaving No One Behind.” Bernie Sanders, 16 Feb. 2016,

berniesanders.com/issues/medicare-for-all/.

6. Feder, Judy. “The Importance of Assuring Affordable Health Care for All.” Center for American

Progress Action, 17 Mar. 2009,

www.americanprogressaction.org/issues/healthcare/reports/2009/03/17/5789/the-importance-of-

assuring-affordable-health-care-for-all/.

7. Bialik, Kristen. “More Americans Say Government Should Ensure Health Care Coverage.”Pew

Research Center, 13 Jan. 2017, www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/01/13/more-americans-say-

government-should-ensure-health-care-coverage/.

1. What did I learn from my small group audience and their positions on my issue? What
background do I need to provide and what questions do I need to answer for the class as
audience?

There were 7 in my group. And 2 of them felt that Healthcare should be a Privilege, their opinion
was based on that the United States is one of the richest countries, and also, we have the best
treatments. People come from all over the world to get treated here in the U.S We always have
upgraded systems and technology, and it is obviously expensive but with the best treatments you
have to pay for it. The 2 also believe that if we were to go publicly funded, all treatments would
be the same.

The rest of my group agreed with me, 2 shared that they were in a home that had Medicaid for
insurance. They said it was very helpful in their times of need in their life.

Others believed that it should be a right because I had given them information that it has been
proven in other countries that their citizens are guaranteed Healthcare and that it saves many
lives. Also They see how Healthcare being a right will save money since the U.S is in debt.

2. What appeals have I used as I try to persuade the class audience (more ethos? logos? pathos?
kairos?)

I feel like I tried to convince my class by a lot of Ethos and Logos.