Provision of health care to its citizens is one of the main responsibilities of the United States of America. However, during the past few decades, the USA and its government failed to guarantee these rights to its citizens. In terms of this paper we will discuss health care in lives of American citizens. Today opinions concerning health care are rather different. It is possible to say that there are two groups of people with bipolar opinions on the issue. While the first group of people believes that health care is a right, another group is convinced that health care is nothing but a privilege in the USA. At the beginning of this discussion, it is essential to speak about the notion «right» in general. Thus, any right, including the right to health care, is something, which is guaranteed by a government to its citizens. So, what do we understand under the notions "right to health" and "right to health care"?
Quite often rather different things are meant by these phrases. The first right appears to be much deeper than the second one. For example, if any country wants to guarantee the right to health, then its government should promote healthy way of life, encourage healthy activities among population, prohibit smoking and other behaviors, which are unhealthy. It is more than obvious that it is rather hard for the government to comply with all the conditions that are necessary to guarantee such right.
Unlike right to health, right to health care is more specific. It has a narrower meaning, which is mainly focused on delivery of health care, its quality and accessibility. Probably, it is one of the main reasons, why at present we hear more about the right to health care. For a long period of time America did not experience any problems with private insurances, covered by employers. However, with the flow of time something has gone wrong and the number of people, who receive health coverage at their work, started to decline. At present time the issue about healthcare and medical insurances is especially acute. Although it is generally considered that all people have a right to receive health care, in practice the situation is more than just disturbing. In accordance with numerous surveys, about 45 millions of American citizens do not have health insurances and therefore cannot receive appropriate health care. It is crucial to note that absolutely various types of workers and their families became affected. It is known that "full-time workers, workers with a college degree, and workers in the highest wage quintile experienced declines in coverage between 2000 and 2006, and children’s coverage fell six percentage points during that time, from 65.9 percent to 59.7 percent" (Engelhard, C., Garson, A., p. 10).
Nowadays the reality is far away from the pictures described by politicians and laws written in our constitution. More and more often people find themselves in such situation, when they realize that health care is for privileged layers of society. In addition to over 45 millions of Americans, who do not have earth insurances at all, there is also a huge number of people, who are called underinsured. Indeed, despite the fact that it is constantly underlined that all people are equal, in reality socioeconomic status of a person is one of the most important criteria, which can either allow a person to receive health care or not. It appears that income, type of education and employment are the most decisive factors and only judging by them it can be decided whether you have a right to access health care or not. It is also worth mentioning that race still remains to be not the least of the factors. In spring 2012 the debate concerning healthcare as a right became especially actual, because of the new health care law adopted by the Obama administration. This law underlined once again that healthcare should be understood «as a social right, not a privilege for the rich» (White, J.). «ObamaCare is an unofficial name for The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act which was signed into law on March 23, 2010. In a more general sense ObamaCare and The Health Care for America Plan or any such name is a reference to the ongoing health care reform under President Obama» (ObamaCare Facts). The Affordable Care Act is a so called reform in the medical, health care industry and insurance system. Its main aim is to help millions of American citizens to get health insurances and acquire proper health care. Medical health is not a privilege, but during the last years the situation for many American citizens was rather unfavorable. New reform is aimed at expanding Medicaid and Medicare insurances and therefore will allow over 44 million of American citizens to afford qualified health care. The mentioned above health care reform was signed in 2010, but due to its complexity and extensiveness, it will come into force gradually year by year and should be absolutely implemented by 2022. The main change of health care system will lie in the fact than any legal citizen of the United States will be able to obtain health care. However, it is crucial to remember that ObamaCare is not meant to replace Medicare and Medicaid. On the contrary, ObamaCare will work "hand in hand with private insurance by regulating insurance practices and giving citizens affordable options and making sure that every American citizen has access to affordable healthcare" (Haury, A.). Moreover, the government underlined that without private insurances, ObamaCare will not work. Unfortunately, during the past years the USA fell behind the majority of industrialized countries regarding this question and the Affordable Care Act is exactly that step, which can help to remind everybody that human health is one of the fundamental rights. In a rather interesting way Anita Pereira described the situation with healthcare in America. In her paper «Live and Let Live: Healthcare is a Fundamental Human Right» she wrote: «In the United States, healthcare is for those who can afford it. In the United States, healthcare is a commodity. In the United States, those marginalized in society suffer and die needlessly from common medical ailments such as tuberculosis and sexually transmitted diseases. In the United States, the consensus is to spend money on the dying rather than the living» (Pereira, A., p.1). The situation that existed for a long period of time has made an impression that health care is not a right, but a privilege. Specialist describe this situation as discrimination, because American population did not have equal access to medical services. Among the most widespread reasons of such discrimination and inequity, sociologists name economic status and racism. Poor families, Afro-Americans and some other group of people became so called underprivileged layer of society. No doubts, it is an utter fallacy. When speaking about our compatriots, who cannot get appropriate healthcare services, it is worth mentioning that not all of them are unemployed. However, interconnection between occupational, insurance and health statuses is more than obvious. There are numerous proofs that low social and economic status results in poor health of American citizens. The same negative consequences on health care has the ethnicity. Because of the situation described above quite often people begin to wonder whether health care in our country is a right or privilege for people and the government of Barack Obama reminds once more that it is a social right of every American citizen.
References
Engelhard, C., Garson, A. (n.d.). "The Right to Health Care and The Role of Government in Health Policy." Miller Center, Public Affairs. University of Virginia. Retrieved 24 January, 2013 from http://www.medicine.virginia.edu/clinical/departments/phs/news/docs/mcbriefingfinal.pf
Haury, A. (2012). "5 Things You Have to Know about ObamaCare." Retrieved 24 January 2013 from http://www.sfgate.com/business/investopedia/article/5-Things-You-Need-To- Know-About-Obamacare-4059943.php
"ObamaCare Facts: Obama's Health Care Reform." ObamaCare Facts. Retrieved 24 January 2013 from http://obamacarefacts.com.
Pereira, A. (n.d.). "Live and Let Live: HealthCare is a Fundamental Human Right." Retrieved 23 January 2013 from http://www.law.uconn.edu/system/files/private/pereira.pdf
White, J. (2012). "Health Care is a social right, not a privilege for the rich." World Socialist WebSite. Retrieved 24 January 2012 from http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2012/04/heala05.html.
