Soc 490 Week 5

Yesterday night we had a really good discussion in class about health care.  We have been talking about health care since the start of the semester and most of the discussion has been on whether or not health care is a right or a privilege.  After many readings and discussions in class I decided that  I couldn't really make up my mind about which side that I believed was stronger.  I tended to use the terms "But" and "Although" in my argument a lot. 

The discussions that we have had more recently are more interesting to me because it does not revolve around rights and privileges.  I learned a lot about health care and what it would mean if the United States moved to a universal health care system.  I have never known much about health care but it was helpful to discuss how others view it and their opinions about it.  This helped me to form my own.  Also, by looking at another aspect to health care that is not just revolving around right and privilige helped me to make up my mind.  I now support Universal Health Care and believe that it would be a positive change. 

A question that one might ask is whether or not you have control over your health or not.  I believe this is a good question but it all depends on the definition of a healthy lifestyle and for many individuals there is not one exact definition that is clear. I believe that everyone can control the lifestyle they live.  You can choose the foods you eat and the amount of excersise you receive.  The only way that someone would not have control over their health is if a genetic disease or illness effects them such as cancer.  This is something that cannot be controlled. As a whole, everyone has control over their health. 

After reading the assigned articles this week I have found that really agreed with Gladwell.  He states that many individuals do not have health care and that this is the crisis.  "The death rate in any given year for someone without health insurance is twenty-five per cent higher for someone with insurance..."  I believe that this proves that there are many people without insurance that do need it and a universal system would help to relieve these numbers. 

I also agreed with Gladwell when he states that the Moral Hazard debate is something that is dramatized and that it is not an issue. " "You always hear that the demand for health care is unlimited.  This is just not true.  People who are very well insured, who are ver rich, do you see them checked into the hospital because it's free?  Do people really like to go to the doctor?  do they check into the hospital instead of playing golf."" I agree with this statement 100 percent.  I do not think there will be an overuse of the system.