Prior to the economic crisis, the nation’s health care system was already suffering from a letdown due to its inability to realize its purpose of providing health care services to all citizens. Apparently, access to health care services was limited to a diminutive population as compared to the total population of the nation which is supposed to be covered by the public health care system. The government administration began discussing health care reforms as the impending effects of limited access to health care puts the life and health of the citizens at risk.
As the efforts by the Congress and the Bush administration were evident on the reformation of the health care system, it has yet suffered another blow due to the economic crisis disabling it from convalescing in the process. An editorial published by the New York Times has revealed how the situation of American families has worsened since the economic breakdown in terms of their access to much needed health care services. It has led to the aversion of family members from undergoing medical care despite serious illnesses and diseases.
In addition, although there is a need to purchase prescription drugs to alleviate particular symptoms of their illnesses, individuals still choose not to order them in order to limit expenditure. These observations were affirmed by the Kaiser Family Foundation. It will be fractious not to agree with this argument as people have experienced the effect of the economic crisis not only in health care, but also other areas of living as well. Information and arguments that support this assertion will be discussed in the remainder of the text. The Influence of the Economic Crisis on Health Care
Access to health care is a right, at least in terms of humanism and in observance of fairness and the privilege to live a high standard quality of life. This assertion is supported by legal concepts in writing that has established the entitlement there is for every human being to be granted health care services without being troubled for eligibilities and other requirements. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights or UDHR, along with the concepts presented by the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights or ICESRC, strengthen the right of every human being to health care services.
(Center for Economic and Social Rights, 2004) The UDHR expresses the right of every human being to live a life within the standards or conditions that foster quality health and wellbeing state of affairs. (Center for Economic and Social Rights, 2004) The purpose of health care services leans toward the impositions of the UDHR in such a way that health-related services and assistance will help human beings live under the context of desirable living conditions augmented by agreeable circumstances of health and wellbeing.