The Moral Obligation of Healthcare - Essay Sample

Introduction

The subject of who has the moral duty of healthcare is essential in understanding the parties and their roles in healthcare provision. The aspect of 'we' arises when exploring the subject of the moral obligation of healthcare. Healthcare professionals are given the responsibility to serve everyone in healthcare without discrimination.

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Healthcare as a Commodity or a Right

The Patient Protection and Affordable Act 2010 consists' of two elements of healthcare that are contradicting. Healthcare is described as a commodity and a right (Collyer, Willis & Lewis, 2017). As a commodity, healthcare provision in the market should govern the costs, demand, and supply. In this case, the insurance exchanges as provided by the law regulate the demand, quantity as well as prices of healthcare. As a right, healthcare should be submitted to every citizen. Therefore, it becomes a need and not a choice. As stated earlier, healthcare professionals have the duty to provide medical services in a manner that meets ethical standards. They have a code of conduct that guides their medical profession and how to handle everyone when providing medical services.

What and Who Defines the Need in Healthcare

The need is defined by the commitment to moral responsibility on the part of healthcare providers. For the proper provision of medical care by medical professionals, healthcare is not a commodity. It must be regarded as a right for every citizen. Healthcare professionals have no choice but to work to meet the obligation of healthcare. They should not be limited by anything when promoting the moral culture to ensure all people receive medical services (Smits, Bowden, & Wells, 2016). The need for healthcare is defined by the government that sets the law for regulating the medical care standards that may be compromised by insurance companies with their effort to reduce costs of healthcare. All people have a right to receive medical care, and healthcare professionals should hold their moral duty to meet the ethical standards in medical care as required by the government.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the moral obligation of healthcare rests on healthcare professionals and the government. The government defines the need for healthcare by setting the standards of performance by medical providers. The need to serve all citizens morally is determined by the commitment on the part of the professionals working in the healthcare sector. As a government and healthcare providers' we have a moral obligation for giving care services to everyone as needed. Considering healthcare as a commodity does not support the moral responsibility for the providers and the regulation set by the government.

References

Collyer, F., Willis, K., & Lewis, S. (2017). Gatekeepers in the healthcare sector: Knowledge and Bourdieu's concept of field. Social Science and Medicine, 186, 96-103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.06.004

Smits, S., Bowden, D., & Wells, J. (2016). The role of the physician in transforming the culture of healthcare. Leadership in Health Services, 29(3), 300-312. https://doi.org/10.1108/LHS-12-2015-0043