University of Virginia Hosts The Real Debate

Monday, May 12th 2008
Healthcare Policy • Health News • Uninsured • Healthcare Costs • Civil Liberties • Single Payer

Is health care a right?

That is the question the thoughtful should be asking; not whether guaranteed access for all can work. Let us be honest, if you goal is improving utilitarian public health measures - life expectancy, infant mortality, time to treatment for diseases, access to care - then a single payer system could work in the United States, provided enough funding. Complaints and nay say against such a system by providers is nonsense and nothing but protection of self interest. There are tradeoffs with such a system, but there are trade offs with any health care system. Look at our current one. If you want to improve what the public would consider ‘health’ then a well funded single payer system would be far superior to our current system, no matter America’s ‘uniqueness’.

But should we do that? The real debate is should the government fund access for those who cannot afford it themselves. Who has such a right?

The Miller Center of Public Affairs tried to do that recently with a panel debate. On the transcript at times the talking heads fall short in defining the debate and staying on course, but it still something worthwhile to look at.

Audio of the Panel

Take a look at the transcript of the entire event.