Catholic Social Teaching,the Common Good,and Health Care in the United States: Seeking a Universal Model of Health Care Coverage

Weil T. , and Jorgensen N. , “Why Market-Driven Forces in Our Health Industry Might Eventually Stumble: What Could Happen Then?” Journal of Health Care Finance 22/2 (Winter, 1995) 3–4. For more recent statistics, see National Council of Churches, Universal Health Care 2000 Education Handbook: http://www.u2kcampaign.org/resources/educationhandbook.htm #America's Health Care Excludes too Many.

Our development of their position is taken from the following articles: Alain Enthoven and Richard Kronick, “A Consumer-Choice Health Plan for the 1990s: Universal Health Insurance in a System Designed to Promote Quality and Economy (First of Two Parts),” NEJM 320/1 (January 5, 1989) 29–37; ibid., (Second of Two Parts), 320/2 (January 12, 1989) 94-101; and id., “Universal Health Insurance through Incentives Reform,” JAMA 265 (May 15, 1991) 2532-2536.

Id., “Universal Health Insurance through Incentives Reform,” 2533.

See USCC, NCC and Synagogue Council, “The Common Good: Old Idea, New Urgency,” Origins 23/6 (June 24, 1993) 83.

Economic Justice for All: Pastoral Letter on Catholic Social Teaching and the U.S. Economy (Washington D.C.: National Conference of Catholic Bishops, 1986) n. 14.

Dillon Mary Ann Sr. , “A Dynamic Force for Change,” Health Progress 78/2 (March/April, 1997) 32.

See Gaudium et Spes.

U.S. Bishops, “Resolution on Health Care Reform,” Origins 23/7 (July 1, 1993) 99.

Dillon , “A Dynamic Force for Change,” 31.

Economic Justice for All, n. 85 (quoted from Pope John XXIII, Mater et Magistra, n. 65).

Benedict M. , Ashley O.P. , and Kevin O'Rourke O.P. , Health Care Ethics: A Theological Analysis (Washington D.C.: Georgetown University Press, 1997, 4th ed.) 115.

See United Nations, Universal Declaration of Human Rights (New York: United Nations Publications, 1948) art. 25.

Economic Justice for All, n. 86 (emphasis in original).

Economic Justice for All, n. 87. See Dorr Donald , Option for the Poor: A Hundred Years of Vatican Social Teaching (Dublin: Gill and Macmillan/Maryknoll; New York: Orbis Books, 1983).

Economic Justice for All, n. 16.

Paul VI , Populorum Progressio, 1967, nn. 43, 44, 46 and 47. See Dillon, “A Dynamic Force for Change,” 32 and 42, n. 5.

Paul John II , Solicitudo Rei Socialis, Origins 17/33 (March 3, 1987) n. 38.

Economic Justice for All, n. 88.

Pius XI , Quadragesimo Anno. n. 79.

Economic Justice for All, nn. 27 and 228.

Catholic Health Association, “Health Care Reform Proposal,” Origins 22/4 (June 4, 1992) 61. See also, U.S. Bishops. “Resolution on Health Care Reform,” 99.

Catholic Health Association, “Health Care Reform Proposal,” 61.

Catholic Health Association, “Health Care Reform Proposal,” 61

“Religious HealthCare's Essential Role,” Health Progress 77/4 (July/August, 1996) 46.

See the special section on the common good and healthcare in Health Progress 80/3 (May/June, 1999).

Enthoven and Kronick, “A Consumer-Choice Health Plan for the 1990s (First of Two Parts),” 35.

Id., “Universal Health Insurance through Incentives Reform,” 2532.

Id., “Universal Health Insurance through Incentives Reform,”, 2532–33.

Id., “Universal Health Insurance through Incentives Reform,”, 2533.

Id., “Universal Health Insurance through Incentives Reform,”, 2533

Id., “Universal Health Insurance through Incentives Reform,”, 2533–34.

Id., “Universal Health Insurance through Incentives Reform,”, 2534–35.

Id., “A Consumer-Choice Health Plan for the 1990s (First of Two Parts),” 36.

Id., “A Consumer-Choice Health Plan for the 1990s (First of Two Parts),” 36

Id., “A Consumer-Choice Health Plan for the 1990s (First of Two Parts),” 36

Id., “A Consumer-Choice Health Plan for the 1990s (First of Two Parts),” 36

National Conference of Catholic Bishops/United States Catholic Conference, Tenth Anniversary Edition of Economic Justice For All (Washington, D.C.: United States Catholic Conference, Inc., 1997) 4.

I am indebted to Dr. John Carlson for bringing Enthoven and Kronick's model of universal health care to my attention.