Liberal Road Blog Individual Freedom and Equality

As I wrote in an earlier post the cost of doctor visits makes people avoid going to a doctor even when they would need it. More than 25% of Americans have skipped or postponed an important medical visit due to the costs According to a poll by MSN-Zogby.

The problem is that the poor are much more likely to skip health care due to the costs than the wealthier. The poor that have difficulties in financing a doctor visit are in a very unequal situation compared to wealthier persons.

Health care is a basic necessity and therefore it should be free and financed by the state. A bad health situation limits the choises you can do in life and in that way not being able to afford health care is actually an indirect limitation of your freedom.

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One thing the draw my attention today was health care costs. Health care is one of the basic needs that should be free to everyone. It is necessary in order to guarantee the equality.

The problem when patients have to pay for the health care is that those with low incomes won’t have the same chances to afford it. It can also dissuade the poor to go to doctor. However being sick can limit quite a lot what you can do in life.

Nowadays in Sweden you pay usually between 100 and 150 Swedish crowns (approximately EUR10-16, USD14-20, GBP7-10 with current exchange rates) to visit a doctor. However, it is only a fraction of the real costs and the rest is financed by taxes. It is also only a fraction of the price in some other countries. But still, it is a lot of money for the poorest (for example the homeless, some the unemployed and so on). Even if they can afford it they may prefer not to go to doctor until they really have to.

One commonly used argument against free health care is that if going to a doctor is free, people would run there for almost nothing. This leads to increased costs to the state and possibly higher taxes. Here I want to ask: isn’t it better that people visit a doctor too often than too seldom (when it may be too late for treatment)?

Money shouldn’t be an obstacle in getting treatment.

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