Quality of life is the current definition of health, and the quality of life in a country is only as good as the health

care system in a country. Many of the top countries in health utilize a socialized form of medicine (Canada and Sweden) however the United States uses an employer-based health care system and is subsequently rated only 27th in the world. With the introduction of the Affordable Care Act, debates about whether or not health care is a right have started. I believe that health care cannot be a right. Constitutionally one has the right to life, but that does not mean that the government has to make life luxurious, it simply means that the government should not take ones life. I think that the more prominent issue is whether health care can be defined as a right, because if such a principle was assumed, there could be negative repercussions on the rights of others (their right to their money, which would be taken from them and used in a way that does not benefit them at all). Health is essential for people to be productive. If health care is not a right, those who cannot afford it out-of pocket will not be able to recover from illnesses in a relatively short period of time leading to a loss of labor in the work force. Although this is not the biggest problem when only one or two people are sick, the issue is quickly compounded when many people become sick (and becomes even a larger problem when there are large breakouts like the H1N1 Virus a couple years ago). Due to the recession, many people are out of work, and as the American health care system is largely based on employer provided health care, it is not always accessible, especially to those who have just been lost their job in the lower end of the social bracket, as they cannot afford it. However, if health care was a right, there would be a much larger focus on preventative care, which would lead to lower costs in the long run. If the government took steps to

making health care a right, and a service accessible to everyone breakouts of viruses would be contained much better as poor sanitary conditions, lack of health care, and lack of knowledge about the dangers of various infections play a large role in the spreading of viruses. As information about the transmission of viruses and illness should be provided when care is given, sanitary conditions should improve leading to a much smaller radius for a breakout. Health care is a privilege. The lack of knowledge relating to the dangers is one of the largest causes behind many illnesses. It is the governments responsibility to make such information easily available to the public, but it is not the governments responsibility to force people to absorb the information. If people choose to ignore information they are given, they should lose their privilege to health care. For example there is a government warning on all packs of cigarettes, but smokers do not heed these warnings and often end up with chronic illnesses. Treatment for these chronic illnesses is not cheap and quickly becomes a burden on the general public. Our own decisions often lead to our health problems down the line. Not getting vaccinated may lead to infections diseases that should have been prevented. Not paying attention to our livers limits can lead to cirrhosis, which may lead to liver cancer. Not following traffic rules can lead to accidents, which may lead to serious injury or death. Affordable health care is a privilege, because if it was a right, it would be abused. As a member of the middle class, I support health care being a right. My parents have many financial responsibilities and it is wrong that their money goes to supporting the health of those who knowingly made decisions that put their health in danger. Working people in a lower social bracket that have come upon some misfortune deserve

affordable health care and they would have access to it as they have done nothing to lose their privilege. However, when a person who contributes nothing to the community accesses free health care, they are nothing more than a burden on society and such abuse of the health care system is why health care cannot be a right.

Works Cited Wenar, Leif, "Rights", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2011 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = <http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2011/entries/rights/>.