Health Systems: Research & Counselling

Who should pay for health care in the US

Although health care is government run in most of the modern world, including most of Europe, Canada, Japan, Korea, amongst others, there seems to be an odd debate over who should be held financially responsible for health care within the United States.

In those countries where health care is government run, the debate of this issue in the United States seems a peculiar one, and this issue becomes even queerer when certain members of Congress question who should have to pay for health care. There is one obvious answer to those with free health care: everyone. At any point during anyone’s life, the need for a hospital bed, prescription medication, or even surgery, will arise. Equal citizen payments by means of taxation are the only logical approach.

Some argue that they should not have to pay for another person’s poor lifestyle choices. For example, why should a healthy individual be forced to pay extra taxes to support the medical costs of an obese alcoholic with a pack-a-day smoking habit? That’s a valid issue; but here’s an example of tax dollars spent and their uses: I put on my saucony running shoes and walk to work every day. I don’t own a car, nor will I ever. Why should I have to pay for the potholes to be filled or the traffic lights to fixed? They don’t affect me. The issue is civil responsibility. I don’t know if I will ever be stuck in a hospital, or will require heart surgery when I’m sixty, but it’s reassuring to know that I can have expensive surgery without having a wheel barrel full of money.

However, the growing cost of health care is quite the burden. In Canada for example, the cost of health care has risen to $2Billion. This is a rather large burden considering the global financial climate.

There are many arguments for either side of this debate; however, the government has a duty to its people: keep them alive.