Should health care be a privilege and each individual’s responsibility?

1. Who pays? Should health care be a privilege and each individual’s responsibility? Should you be allowed to decide if you want to spend your money on some form of health care insurance or use it for other purchases? Should you be allowed to decide that you live a healthy lifestyle, and you will pay out of pocket for your needs? If you get into a situation that is beyond your ability to pay, should you have to suffer the consequences? Should those consequences include permanent damage or death?

Is illness and infirmity a burden on society and health care for every citizen a right? Think of other rights extended to American citizens. We are entitled to free primary education, a safe food and water supply, public health surveillance for communicable diseases, and police and fire protection. These are all funded by public money, which comes from taxes. Should health care join that list? Is the average taxpayer willing to assume that burden?

If a public health care system is selected, who should be the administrator? Should the same people who run Medicare run a national health system? Is the Medicare system running well enough to be expanded to everyone? If a public option is selected, what happens to the current health care insurance industry? How would the transition from private to public be orchestrated?