Justice for All = Health Care for All?

Last updated on: March 24, 2017 at 2:28 pm by Paul Louis Metzger

Justice for All = Health Care for All? 2017-03-24T14:28:32-07:00 Paul Louis Metzger

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Creative Commons

How just and how advanced is a society that does not provide affordable, quality health care for all its members? Our answer may depend on whether you and I consider human health a fundamental human need and right.

Is the solution to allow market forces to dictate what is right and just? If so, Wall Street and Washington, D. C. have become one. In that event, there would be no recourse to regulating market forces when such forces can’t keep health care costs down (one should ask here: when have market forces ever truly kept health care costs down?).

Affordable, quality health care that excludes a significant portion of the population is only fair if we define an advanced society as one favoring the materially advantaged. The materially advantaged may alone be able to pay for high quality in health care. But can we view health care that is of high quality truly just if we view it as a luxury item? In that case, even justice becomes a luxury commodity—available only to the highest bidder. I would be happy to settle for good quality in place of highest quality, if that meant universal coverage.

Of course, there needs to be concern for economics, as economic vitality also impacts human well-being. On my view, all parties must be involved in cultivating a system that celebrates affordable, quality health care for all its members. We are all stakeholders, even though we are not all shareholders in health care industries. Speaking of economics, I am told that preventative health care lowers costs down the road for all concerned. Thus, proper exercise, proper diet and regular checkups as well as ongoing education are key ingredients for keeping long-term costs down. Provisions for emergency room-only visits will not be sufficient for sustaining people’s lives. In the end, consideration of economic benefits must account for the long-term health of the workforce, as well as those who will someday enter it, and those who have retired after dedicating much of their energies to building our country.

One Christian activist with whom I spoke yesterday indicated that as the federal government seems set to pull back on various health care services for many Americans, the church must step into the gap. While I appreciate very much his heart and rigorous activism, and though I resonate with his claim that the church must always be ready and engaged in providing support, it cannot do it alone. The costs are too great, and the burden beyond any one group’s ability to cope.

Furthermore, I don’t agree with those in my circles whom I hear placing the blame solely on the church. I have heard on numerous occasions fellow Christians claiming that the church alone is responsible for addressing the nation’s health care plight. What would that mean anyway—increasing church budgets to provide the funds for health care premiums for all their attendees? Even if churches were to increase their budgets to pay for all their attendees (which I doubt any church could or would do given the extremely high costs for health insurance), that still would not cover most people in society. We can only face the daunting challenges for affordable, quality health care for all members in our society if there is universal collaboration, including government agencies, public and private health care systems, educational institutions, commercial insurance providers, manufacturers of medical technologies, pharmaceutical companies, and faith-based as well as other non-profit community organizations.

I corresponded with a leading medical doctor and ethicist who reflected upon the percentage of a GNP that can be safely spent on health care. He argued that the U.S. needs to curb costs quickly because we are now up to 16% or more. In his estimation, we cannot curb costs by refusing to provide services, but we can curb costs by reducing what is charged for services. He added that this will be painful for those delivering services, but it will need to be done by someone at some point in the future.

There is a lot at stake in the present and future, not simply politically for Republicans and Democrats, and not just economically either. Beyond the impending vote in Congress on health care, we need to ask ourselves if our society will be known more for working together toward universal solutions, or for continuing down the path of partisan and class divisions. Will our seemingly advanced society be known for advancing the concerns of the advantaged to the neglect of those most in need? If so, we should replace justice for all with justice for some—or $ sum.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

March 21, 2017

Was the Apostle Paul the Biblical Equivalent of the Most Loyal Trump Supporter?

Next Post

March 24, 2017 Marital Union with Jesus: the Ultimate White Elephant Gift Exchange?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month June 2025 April 2025 March 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz