BellaOnline Forums News and Politics Republican Party Health Insurance - Right or Responsibility

In the last debate, McCain and Obama were asked whether they considered health insurance a 'right' or a 'responsibility.' McCain said it was a responsibility and Obama said it was a right. How do you feel?

Health Insurance single choice
	Right
	Responsibility
	Undecided
Votes accepted starting: 10/13/08 10:01 PM You must vote before you can view the results of this poll.

I believe health insurance is a responsibility. I have always considered health insurance in the equation when considering job offers.

If health insurance is a 'right' then who has the obligation to provide it? Government? Employers? If it is a 'right' then are individuals freed from the obligation of contributing anything towards the cost? If so, this type of system would lend itself to abuse. If a person has no monetary loss in order to access health benefits then they are more likely to abuse the benefit and go to the doctor for frivolous reasons. They also have no incentive to maintain a healthy lifestyle in order to reduce medical problems. You are more likely to make healthy choices if you have something to lose otherwise.

I think health CARE is a right, but insurance is a responsibility.

I do think they are two different issues. If insurance is a right, then I'd like to see where in any of our constitutional rights it is outlined as such.

Right now I work part time and because of that, I do not get health insurance through my work. Luckily my husband carries family insurance on all of us through his work.

Question, is it fair that some families struggle to pay for insurance through their work so they are "covered" (many still have pretty high deductibles too) when there are others who get FREE health care... some of which COULD work but don't?

Also, what about SAHM's. Is it fair their husband's have to pay a higher family cost to cover everyone when there are other mom's staying home on welfare who get it free?

There are some huge flaws in the system.

You make some good points toddzgrrl02. I certainly agree that there are some flaws in our current system but I do not believe health care is a right. Our only rights according to our constitution are the rights to life, liberty, property, and the pursuit of happiness.

The right to life does not mean that we have a right to health insurance, food, health care, etc. just as the right to the pursuit of happiness does not mean that we have a right to a trip to Hawaii. Certainly, the trip to Hawaii would make me happy but my only right (according to the constitution) is the right to the pursuit of happiness, meaning I have the right and the opportunity to work for my trip to Hawaii.

Our rights should be seen from the viewpoint that they give the individual the right to action, not the right to rewards from other people. The greatest thing about our American system is that we have the right to work for what we want.

Health Care is a Right

But, with our current system of a for profit insurance system it makes the rest of the equation difficult. We need to get rid of these for profit insurance companies.

I truly believe that according to our constitution we should have free basic healthcare paid for by tax payers including catastrophic care. Anything else, let people buy insurance.

Right now in America we spend more tax dollars on health care than socialized countries do and we're not doing a great job of it. Thousands die each year for want of money to get proper treatment. That is not right. Can you honestly say that a young man or woman who develops cancer should not be treated or should lose their home, and everything they own just because they don't earn enough to afford expensive coverage?

Everyone cannot be a rocket scientist. We will always have burger flippers, thank goodness, because sometimes you need a 99 cent hamburger. The way I see it, is this: I am subsidizing someone's health insurance so that they can afford to make me that burger and still live a life worth living. Why would I not want to do that? The easiest way to do this is to let the government do it. Just like with schools and highways.

Honestly if we close the loop holes that allow corporations and the super rich to get away with not paying their fair share of taxes, stop giving them MORE money when they take jobs out of country, we wouldn't have a deficit and we would have more jobs in America and we would easily be able to afford this. Do you realize only a small portion of this 700 billion dollar bail out could have been used to cover every american? But billions for banks is ok, but a fraction of that for health care is not ok?

Health care, BASIC health care and Catastrophic health care should be a part of our government provided services just as highways are and public schools are. We do already provide immunization via the health department free or a reduced cost, why? Because it is in societies best interest to do so.

Frankly I'm appalled that either candidate signed this bail out bill and then both candidates still want to use for profit insurance companies to run their health care plans.

How can any republican say with a straight face they're against socialism now? This is the worst kind of socialism. Bailing out multibillion dollar corporations? I feel like I've fallen down the rabbit hole.