Health-Care Reform and the Common Good *

Abstract

Many have criticized the United States for having restricted access to health care. This is belied by the facts that legally no one can be denied health care in the U.S. regardless of their ability to pay, and the U.S. spends as much on public health-care programs (as a percentage of the GDP) to cover one third of the population as many other developed countries spend to cover their entire population. The principle of subsidiarity states that the state should not usurp the proper functions of the individual, the family, the community, and the doctor-patient relationship. People in public health-care programs often are unable to choose the health care available to them. This undermines the person's assuming responsibility for their own care. As noted by Donald Condit, “A socialized system would increase state dependency and diminish motivation for charity.” ¹ The competitive marketplace for health care in the U.S. also fuels innovation and the rapid advance of medicine. Any health-care reform must support individual freedom and rights over health-care decisions.