Question From Professor Nursing 510 Week 1 Prompt 11 Krist

510 Question From The Professornursing 510 Week 1prompt 11 Kristopher

Access to healthcare implies that people can use health services in time to realize the best health results. Health coverage involves various processes that ensure the citizens have access to health services. The health services required by citizens include the promotion, prevention, treatment, palliation, and rehabilitation care. These services should be of standard quality and effective in ensuring that the users do not suffer financial hardships. All Americans should have healthcare coverage and access, as is the case with the country's public-school system.

The lack of healthcare services adversely affects a person's overall social, mental, and physical health status. A country that enables access to healthcare eliminates issues such as unmet healthcare needs, lack of preventative services, financial problems, delays in accessing necessary treatment, and preventable health complications (Frueh, 2015). Access to healthcare also improves the quality of life of the citizens. Therefore, the government should improve healthcare access by reducing the cost of healthcare, providing care services, encouraging culturally competent healthcare, and ensuring that insurance cover is adequate and affordable. Healthcare coverage ensures that Americans can enter the healthcare system.

The lack of coverage prevents people from seeking or getting medical attention. People should gain entry into health care systems without accumulating huge medical bills, which pose the threat of bankruptcy (Alshreef, 2019). Uninsured people are at risk of poor health, delayed diagnoses, and premature death. Therefore, healthcare coverage is an absolute necessity for Americans. Coverage and access to healthcare help reduce disparities in the healthcare sector caused by ethnicity, race, age, status, disability status, gender identity, area of residence, and sexual orientation.

The quest for health access and coverage will push for innovation in the healthcare system and in collaboration with telehealth and other innovative technologies that will improve healthcare outcomes. Therefore, ensuring access and coverage in healthcare is beneficial for the healthcare system, the citizens, and the economy of the United States.

Paper For Above instruction

Access to healthcare and comprehensive health coverage are fundamental pillars of a functional and equitable health system. Recognizing healthcare as a basic human right rather than a commodity profoundly influences policy decisions and societal attitudes towards health equity. In this context, healthcare access refers to the ability of individuals to obtain necessary health services in a timely manner, while health coverage involves the means—insurance or similar mechanisms—that facilitate that access without imposing financial hardship. The debate surrounding whether healthcare should be regarded as an entitlement or a market commodity centers on ethical, economic, and social considerations, each with significant implications for the United States' health policy landscape.

Advocates for viewing healthcare as an entitlement argue that access to essential health services is a moral imperative grounded in human rights principles. The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasizes that health is a fundamental right linked to human dignity and social justice; thus, everyone should have equal access to health services regardless of socio-economic status (WHO, 2010). When healthcare is treated as a basic right, it fosters social cohesion and systemic equity, ensuring that vulnerable populations are not marginalized. This perspective supports policies aimed at universal healthcare coverage, such as the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which seeks to reduce uninsured rates and provide broad access across demographic groups (CBO, 2019).

In contrast, those who view healthcare as a commodity maintain that marketplace dynamics—supply and demand—should govern access and provision. This perspective emphasizes individual responsibility and economic efficiency, suggesting that healthcare's quality and availability improve when driven by consumer choice and competition. However, critics argue that this approach exacerbates inequalities, as it favors those with greater financial means and leaves marginalized populations at risk of untreated conditions (Squires & Anderson, 2015). The notion of healthcare as a commodity also raises ethical questions about the societal obligation to care for all citizens, especially in crises like pandemics, where market forces may hinder equitable access.

From an ethical standpoint, considering healthcare as a right aligns with principles of justice and beneficence. It underscores the societal responsibility to ensure access regardless of income or status. Economically, evidence suggests that universal health coverage can reduce long-term costs by emphasizing preventive care, which diminishes the need for expensive interventions later (Kaiser Family Foundation [KFF], 2020). Economically disadvantaged groups often experience worse health outcomes due to lack of access, which not only affects individual well-being but also imposes broader societal costs through increased emergency care utilization and productivity losses.

The challenge lies in defining what constitutes "basic health services" and delineating boundaries between essential and elective care. Determining the scope of coverage involves ethical, social, and political decisions regarding resource allocation. Public input, expert panels, and evidence-based assessments are vital to establishing these boundaries, ensuring they reflect societal values while maintaining financial sustainability (OECD, 2018). For instance, many countries define core services—immunizations, primary care, emergency services—as universally accessible, while elective procedures may require additional coverage or out-of-pocket payments. Transparency in these decisions fosters public trust and helps balance equity with economic feasibility.

In conclusion, framing healthcare as a right rather than a commodity is essential for fostering health equity, improving societal well-being, and building a resilient health system. While economic realities necessitate careful resource allocation, the moral and practical benefits of universal access to essential services justify policies that prioritize health as a fundamental human right. Going forward, societal consensus should inform the definition of "basic health services," ensuring that health systems remain equitable, sustainable, and responsive to the needs of all citizens.

References

• Congressional Budget Office (CBO). (2019). The Budget and Economic Outlook: 2019 to 2029. https://www.cbo.gov/publication/54918
• Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF). (2020). Widening Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Uninsurance. https://www.kff.org/racial-equity-and-health-policy/issue-brief/widening-racial-and-ethnic-disparities-in-uninsurance/
• OECD. (2018). Health at a Glance: OECD Indicators. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/health-glance-2018-en
• Rumbold, B., et al. (2017). The financing of universal health coverage in high-income countries. The Lancet, 390(10103), 2030-2040.
• Squires, D., & Anderson, C. (2015). U.S. Health Care From a Global Perspective. The Commonwealth Fund. https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2015/oct/us-health-care-global-perspective
• World Health Organization (WHO). (2010). The World Health Report: Health Systems Financing. Geneva: WHO Press.
• Meiyer, M. (2017). Universal health coverage: The fundamental right to health. Journal of Global Health, 7(2), 020302.