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Life, Liberty, and Healthcare?

Melody L. Beverly

MSN Leadership/Education, Kennesaw State University

NURS 7797: Health Policy

Dr. Diane Keen

October 8, 2023
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Life, Liberty, and Healthcare?

The Declaration of Independence outlined the right to life and liberty as inalienable

human rights guaranteed to all. Life and freedom or liberty are connected to an individual's

health. However, healthcare is not currently a right in the United States. Within the U.S. many

citizens are uninsured or underinsured (Case & Deaton, 2020). The cost per citizen for healthcare

in the U.S. is one of the highest among developed countries and is fraught with barriers such as

inequity, poor education, and access to services (Shah et al., 2021). Since the COVID-19

pandemic, the gap in providing effective and timely care has widened due to an increase in

provider shortage and lack of resources. Many other developed countries provide healthcare

benefits and services to all citizens (Shah et al., 2021). The United States should recognize that

healthcare is a right that will support the life and liberty of its citizens and develop a system of

accessible equitable healthcare. This paper will explore theory, legal/ethical considerations,

government role, and human factors to show that healthcare is a right rather than a privilege.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is a theory that describes the necessities that an individual

seeks to thrive. While these are not always met in a specific order the factors work together to

contribute to well-being (Hinkle et al., 2021). Healthcare that is provided to all citizens and

recognized as a basic human right will promote the achievement and maintenance of individual

health. If individuals are ill, fear illness due to lack of care access, or cannot participate in

preventative care they will not be able to progress to higher levels of the hierarchy. This can

often be observed in patients with chronic disease when the total focus becomes coping with the

signs and symptoms leading to financial distress or reduced mental health function for the patient

(Buck et al., 2021). It is also seen when patients in minority or special care groups receive care

that does not address their special circumstances. When healthcare is defined as a right patients

will be more fully engaged in participating as partners in gaining and maintaining health.
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Healthy individuals or those who can effectively manage chronic illness are more likely to have a

positive self-image and strive for self-actualization.

In the United States life is a right given in the constitution. The government does not

provide a positive process for care and so voids its promise of the right to life. To achieve life

and health, it is essential to put in place a care process that is universal and guaranteed. Similar to

the process of HIPPA put in place to protect a citizen's healthcare privacy within the

government's broad guarantee of privacy. The complex system of law protects many avenues of

health and health decisions but still neglects to make available the care to pursue these choices to

individuals (Harvard Law Review, 2021). Even the members of society who are in government

institutions are often unable to access care due to claimed cost barriers. Meanwhile, the current

system allows private companies to profit millions of dollars through consumer payments that do

not support equitable, effective health solutions (Quigley, 2020).

Dignity and autonomy are principles promoted within healthcare (Hinkle et al., 2021).

When access and equality are not available to individuals of all backgrounds and socioeconomic

status these principles are not prioritized. When healthcare is viewed as a right it eliminates

barriers, improves the distribution of resources, and patients are better able to make informed

decisions about their health. Understanding ethical considerations and using measures to ensure

ethical promotions improves the health of the general population (Case & Deaton, 2021). This

can support the achievement of government goals that improve the health of the country such as

those outlined in the Healthy People 2030 initiatives.

The human factor is one of the most important when it comes to healthcare as a right. The

basic and simple view that all humans are equal and should have equal access in times of illness

as well as equal ability to maintain health is fundamental. A human should not be treated less
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equally or be given less access to the best evidence-based treatments or education to maintain

health based on the ability to pay. Patients with chronic disease or debilitating acute illness can

often lose benefits when these circumstances cause their employer-based insurance to lapse.

Patient and provider stories provide a basis for the need to make healthcare access a right so that

the focus can move from payment to health.

Healthcare is a fundamental human right that should be guaranteed. Providing healthcare

services reflects a society's commitment to equality, social justice, and well-being. When

healthcare is recognized as a right, the government can work towards building equitable and

supportable healthcare systems that address the needs of diverse populations.

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References

Buck, H. G., Shadmi, E., Topaz, M., & Sockolow, P. S. (2021). An integrative review and

theoretical examination of chronic illness mHealth studies using the Middle‐Range

Theory of Self‐care of Chronic Illness. Research in Nursing & Health, 44(1), 47–59.

https://doi.org/10.1002/nur.22073

Case, A., & Deaton, A. (2020). The sickness of our system. Time Magazine, 195(7/8), 80–81.

Developments in the Law - Intersections in Healthcare and Legal Rights: Introduction.

(2021). Harvard Law Review, 134(6), 2158–2162.

Hinkle, J. L, Cheever, K. H., Overbaugh, K., (2021). Hinkle and Cheever: Brunner and

Suddarth's Textbook of Medical-Surgical Nursing, 15th ed., Wolters Kluwer.

Shah, A., Schneider, E. C., Fields, K., Doty, M.M., Williams II, R.D., Tikkanen, R., (2021).

Mirror, mirror 2021: Reflecting poorly - health care in the U.S. compared to other high-

income countries. Commonwealth.org, https://issuelab.org/resources/38740/38740.pdf

Quigley, F. (2020). Seize the moment: The opportunity to realize the human right to healthcare in

the United States. Indiana Health Law Review, 17(1), 53–62.