There is a claim that healthcare should be made free by the government for all its citizens, whereas others believe people should pay for their own medical expenses. While both views are sensible to an extent, there has to be a sustainable approach where both the officials and the individuals share responsibilities in terms of healthcare.
Healthcare is a fundamental need, which is why many people insist it should be free, especially for a country’s own citizens. Hospitals, clinics and other infrastructure are usually run on taxpayer money, encouraging people to demand health services to be free. By making healthcare free, governing bodies can ensure there is an improvement in health among citizens and help them save money on medical expenses. Such a policy also removes any money-related health discrimination, as healthcare becomes free for all. Thus, in a country where people regularly pay taxes, the notion of making healthcare free prevails.
Others, however, claim individual responsibility should be prioritized in health matters. Each person has specific habits leading to specific health issues, making the topic of health quite an individual topic. For example, a person who willingly consumes fast food on a regular basis, smokes cigarettes and drinks alcohol should expect health issues associated with the mentioned habits. In case of a sickness, this individual should be responsible for any medical expenses, as the cause of the illness is personal irresponsibility, not damage done by others. This example helps explain why free healthcare for all may not be the most rational idea since there are people who can benefit from universal healthcare unfairly.
I, on the other hand, believe both viewpoints explained above are arguably extreme. Healthcare should not be totally free and there is no need for a concept of full responsibility for one’s health either. Instead, I would advocate for a program where healthcare is affordable but certain procedures are only completed through payment. This balanced approach can create a system where people can still benefit from government assistance but pay for some of the health issues they are mostly responsible for. Any alcohol- or drug-related treatments, for example, should not be free, to make sure people associate those health issues with personal medical expenses.
In conclusion, healthcare should be affordable but not free for all people. There are procedures that should be maintained on a paid basis, meaning people should still be asked to pay for some of their medical expenses.