The ability to live a healthy life constitutes one of the basic needs of any individual. However, in the U.S. environment, the range of opportunities for accessing healthcare and receiving relevant services is significantly limited. Since healthcare is not viewed as a basic human right, universal access options are not provided. However, since maintaining proper health can be seen as one of the key prerequisites to not only thriving but also basic survival, healthcare must be regarded as a basic human right and treated as such in the current legal framework.
The right to have unlimited access to healthcare services is linked inseparably to the right to live, which is why accessibility to healthcare must be regarded as a human right. Indeed, the right to live remains one of the foundational rights and freedoms that people must be entitled to according to the legal standards of most states, including the U.S.. In turn, the inability to have proper health management options often means introducing risks to life or ending it. Therefore, healthcare must be recognized as an irrefutable basic human right.
Similarly, when considering the arguments in favor of healthcare as an indispensable human right, one should point out that the described change will increase access to healthcare, therefore allowing addressing a plethora of public health issues. These may range from infectious diseases such as the coronavirus to chronic illnesses and mental health issues. Therefore, by making healthcare services a basic human right, one will improve public health rates significantly.
Finally, one must mention that the right to free healthcare services could be seen as the essential prerequisite to building a just and fair society. Indeed, with the recognition of the health rights of all citizens, one will build the basis for recognizing the value of human life on a statewide level. As a result, the core building blocks for an improved society where fairness and justice are prioritized will be laid.
Admittedly, there are several sensible arguments against regarding health services as an indisputable human right. The associated financial concerns should be considered first as the primary obstacle to facilitating universal healthcare services. Specifically, with the shift toward free health management options, the extent of healthcare financing opportunities swill drop, which will inevitably lead to the deterioration of health management quality. Furthermore, the transition to the proposed framework will entail a rapid and nearly uncontrollable rise in the level of the U.S. debt.
Nevertheless, the problems outlined above do not negate the fact that healthcare services represent one of the vital needs and, therefore, ought to be deemed as a basic human right. Specifically, the opportunity to manage health issues properly could be seen as an extension of the right to life, which is enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. Therefore, the right to free and accessible health services must be recognized on a legal level.
Since proper health is one of the essential factors contributing to any individual’s chances to survive and have their dignity recognized, providing essential healthcare options ought to be deemed as a basic human right. Furthermore, the foundational Constitutional principles based on which the U.S. law is built suggest that access to healthcare services must be constant and uninhibited. Therefore, the transition to universal healthcare must be regarded as an indispensable and inevitable change.