Week 5 discussion reply I feel that all people should have access to basic healthcare. I grew up in a high level of poverty without insurance. I constantly lived in a state of anxiety about something happening or getting sick and not being able receive treatment. People should not have to worry about going bankrupt if they get sick. We all have enough things to worry about. I agree with providing healthcare for all, even non-US citizens; Anyone who pays taxes. Healthcare is a fundamental right. No one plans to get sick. It doesn’t matter who you are, what race or culture, you deserve the right to see a doctor when you need to. If everyone was able to receive preventative care, healthcare costs would go down. In my field, most of the causes of kidney failure are preventable. “Diabetes is the most common cause of ESRD. High blood pressure is the second most common cause of ESRD.” (kidneyfund.org) As members of the medical community, we are all painfully aware that these are preventable and if kept in check, could save our government millions of dollars by avoiding dialysis from the start. I had a patient who was a police officer who had high blood pressure. He did not know that he was sick, there was nothing else wrong with him; his diagnosis of ESRD was a shock to him. He lost his job because he was too sick to work, then he lost his car, his house and then his insurance and is now on Medicare/Medicaid (you must have secondary insurance with this disease because dialysis costs so much). This man was my age and lost everything he had. That should not happen in our country. I feel that everyone should pay for everyone’s healthcare. It should be part of our taxes. As human beings, we should care enough about each other to bear the burden of healthcare. Costs would go down significantly if we could keep people from using the ER as their PCP because they don’t have insurance. People would be more willing to go to the doctor for basic care if they could afford it. I can’t tell you how many patients I have talked to that ended up on dialysis because they couldn’t afford their BP meds or their insulin. Our healthcare system definitelyneeds to be looked over and revamped because we have right now is failing ourcountry.

Access to basic healthcare is a fundamental right that should be available to all individuals, regardless of their economic status or nationality. In a society where healthcare is not readily accessible to everyone, individuals are forced to live in constant anxiety about the possibility of falling ill and not being able to afford proper treatment. This is particularly true for those who live in poverty or without insurance, as they are more likely to face financial hardship in the event of a health crisis.

The provision of healthcare for all individuals, including non-US citizens, is not only a matter of social justice but also makes practical sense. I concur with the idea that healthcare should be available to anyone who pays taxes. By extending healthcare services to all individuals, healthcare costs could potentially be reduced. This can be achieved through the implementation of preventive care measures, which can help prevent the development of chronic conditions that often require expensive treatments. For instance, in the field of kidney health, it has been found that conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure are leading causes of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) (kidneyfund.org). If individuals had access to regular check-ups and preventive treatments for these conditions, the incidence of ESRD could be significantly reduced, resulting in substantial cost savings for both individuals and the government.

Consider the case of a police officer who was diagnosed with high blood pressure and subsequently developed ESRD. The officer was unaware of his illness until it was too late, leading to him losing his job, car, house, and insurance. Now, he relies on Medicare/Medicaid for his healthcare needs, which necessitates the need for secondary insurance due to the high costs associated with dialysis. This tragic scenario illustrates the dire consequences of inadequate healthcare access and highlights the need for comprehensive healthcare reforms.

In order to achieve universal healthcare coverage, it is crucial to adopt a system where everyone contributes to the healthcare costs. This can be accomplished through taxes. As compassionate human beings, we should be willing to bear the burden of healthcare costs for the benefit of society as a whole. By spreading the costs across the population, healthcare expenses can be significantly reduced. Furthermore, if individuals have access to affordable healthcare, they are more likely to seek timely medical attention, preventing the need for expensive emergency room visits. Many patients have ended up on dialysis because they couldn’t afford their blood pressure medications or insulin, further highlighting the urgency of addressing the shortcomings of our current healthcare system.

In conclusion, access to basic healthcare is a right that should be guaranteed for all individuals, despite their socioeconomic status or nationality. By providing healthcare for all and implementing preventive measures, healthcare costs could be reduced, and the overall well-being of the population would be improved. It is imperative to reevaluate and revamp our current healthcare system, as it is failing to adequately serve our country. By coming together as a society, we can ensure that no individual has to suffer the devastating consequences of inadequate healthcare access.