Your Right to Healthcare

There has been an increasing call over the last few decades in the United States for universal healthcare. Certain groups say healthcare is a basic human right. What they are actually referring to is not healthcare per se, but rather free medical care, run directly or indirectly through the federal government. Of course, nothing in life is free; rather, it is just a matter of who pays for it. I do not know which way the political winds will blow regarding healthcare and the level of government involvement in the near future. Suffice it to say that governments in general move more toward collectivist solutions rather than away from them over time. It was true of the Roman Empire and the British Empire, and it is true of the United States.

Regardless of whether you support government run and mandated medical care or not, you need to understand your actual, indisputable, human right to healthcare, and it is this: You have the absolute right to "care" for your own health! That's it! You have to take care of yourself, because no person or entity cares about your health like you do.

You cannot rely solely on Doctors, or the government, or your insurance company, or your spouse, or your neighbors to promote or maintain your health.

No one mandates or forces you to eat poorly, or overindulge (even if government policies have often promoted exactly that - search for our post on gluten and food enrichment as an example). No one prevents you from reading labels, understanding what you are eating, or studying the science behind proper nutrition. Likewise, no one prevents you from exercising regularly. No government agency has yet announced a ban on walking regularly, or getting moderate sun exposure whenever possible, or going to bed early in order to get adequate sleep at night. Since no one can prevent you from pursuing healthy lifestyle choices, it is incumbent upon you to do just that. That is, of course, if you want to live a healthy and productive life.

Also, many of us voluntarily engage in activities that put us at risk of injury or illness. We participate in sports where an injury occur, or we spend time in the outdoors where we can get infections like poison ivy or tick bites, or we engage in risky behaviors (ex. alchohol and drug consumption, reckless driving, extreme sports, etc.) that can increase the odds of injury or disease or even death. These are personal choices each of us make and they are choices that often add to the richness of our lives. However, we must realize that since we made these choices for ourselves, we alone are responsible for living with the consequences. We must pursue our vices and hobbies in moderation and we must prepare for our own health-related expenses. This preparation might include having decent medical insurance and/or saving a portion of our income for potential medical expenses. Also, tying into the above discussion, by living a healthy lifestyle, we are able to recover much more quickly from injury or illness than someone who is less healthy. Having a strong health "constitution" will serve you well over the course of your life.

If we take these recommendations to heart, our encounters with medical care will be few and far between, and that is how it should be. If we fully exercise our right to care for our own health, we can live the most productive and happy life possible.

If you haven't been exercising your right to care for your own health, start today! Have a modest sized, healthy dinner. Take a walk after eating, and go to be early tonight. Plan on exercising this week (Give us a call at Total Results - we can help!) Enjoy your recreational time, but exercise caution.

That is much better healthcare than you could ever get at the hospital, and at a fraction of the price!

Start your own health care today!