Obviously, the government is formed to ensure that there is balance and control in society. The essence of control is to ensure that people exercise their liberties with due caution. This means that people enjoy their liberty without obstructing others from enjoying their liberties. On the other hand, for a stable society to exist, authorities have to ensure that resources are shared among people in a relatively equitable way (Lazar & Hilaire, 2004). Since people are acquisitive, it is necessary to control the use of resources, so that even those who are not strong enough to bargain for their share are protected. Generally, those who are financially weak, children, and the elderly are susceptible to suppression by the rest of society.
One of the basic social amenities that need precise control is the healthcare system. Health is important in human development, thus high-quality healthcare is a requirement for children. In addition, the old are usually fragile in terms of health, so they need health care to preserve life. Although the poor are not necessarily susceptible to ill health, the government should protect them from financial barriers that hinder them from accessing quality health care (Lazar & Hilaire, 2004).
Although healthcare spending is high in the United States of America, it is not evenly distributed across the population. Statistics in the United States of America show that people aged sixty-five and above were responsible for thirty-five percent of total health care spending. The particular age group accounted for fourteen percent of the total population (PHS, 2006). The reason for this is that old people have reduced immunity to diseases. In addition, with age, the human body is subjected to exposure to adverse environmental conditions and harmful chemicals. This exposure coupled with the effects of prolonged risky lifestyle results in the development of chronic diseases and disorders that are common among old people. Moreover, old people are not very productive and need support to ensure quality health care for them. This is the responsibility of the government since its amounts to protecting life (PHS, 2006).
The healthcare system tends to favor the rich. Wealthy people can afford better health care services than those who earn less than the average income. For children, the quality of healthcare depends on the financial ability of their parents. It is beyond the capability of the children to determine the quality of healthcare they get. It is the moral obligation of the government to protect them by ensuring that they access affordable health care services (Thompson, 2005). Furthermore, the health of an individual during the early years of development determines their health status during adulthood and even old age.
Those people whose income is below average account for the majority population in most parts of the world. Even in the United States, these people are a significant proportion of the population. They also pay relatively higher taxes to the government. The government should ensure that although the rich can afford better health care by themselves, the poor also have access to essential health care (Thompson, 2005). The provision of affordable health care for these people protects them because they may not afford health insurance covers.
The three categories of citizens are the vulnerable portions of society. Since the government must protect the lives of all citizens, it must provide health care for those who cannot afford it by their means or through insurance.
References
PHS, M. M. (2006). The High Concentration of U.S. Health Care Expenditures. Research in Action, 10(19), 2-10.
Lazar, H., & Hilaire, F. (2004). Money, politics and health care: reconstructing the federal-provincial partnership. Montreal: Institute for Research on Public Policy, and the Institute of Intergovernmental Relations.
Thompson, D. F. (2005). Restoring responsibility: ethics in government, business, and healthcare. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
