Healthcare should be guaranteed to all as a right
Key terms
- Healthcare
- consisting of those treatments deemed necessary by qualified medical personnel
- guaranteed
- For the purposes of this topic, guaranteed means provided regardless of the individual's ability to pay- typically paid with via tax revenue.
For
- The WHO (World Health Organization), which has 194 member states, include healthcare as a right in its constitution. According to the WHO (World Health Organization) preamble of the constitution health is defined as "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." The WHO constitution preamble also states, "The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition." Also, that "the extension to all peoples of the benefits of medical, psychological and related knowledge is essential to the fullest attainment of health." And "governments have a responsibility for the health of their peoples which can be fulfilled only by the provision of adequate health and social measures." [4] If health is to be maintained to its highest ability, healthcare needs to be provided by each country and each state, province, etc. within each country. In order to make healthcare a right it must be within reach of each person within the country whether they are citizens or not.
Notably, the United States formally left the WHO, which is the "United Nations agency dedicated to advancing health for all" on January 20, 2025, by President Donald Trump during his second term. The U.S. cited the WHO of "severely mismanaging and covering up the {COVID-19] crisis, especially the initial outbreak in Wuhan, China." [5] This withdraw was not done under the belief that healthcare should not be a right for all but instead was done regarding COVID-19. Before it's official withdrawal, the U.S. was a member of the WHO for 78 years. When the U.S. joined the WHO on June 14, 1948, President Harry S. Truman said "I have today signed a Joint Resolution providing for the U.S. membership and participation in the World Health Organization. I have at the same time signed the Instrument of Acceptance of the Constitution of the World Health Organization, which will immediately be send to the United Nations for deposit." [6] Therefore, it can be concluded that the U.S. believed healthcare was a right for all for at least 78 years since it is listed as a right in the constitution of the WHO and the U.S. signed the Instrument of Acceptance of the Constitution of the World Health Organization. The planet has 195 countries and with the U.S. withdrawal that makes 194 countries a part of the WHO, which means 99.49% of the world is part of the WHO and have signed the constitution and are currently active members. [7] Therefore, if over 99% of the world has signed documentation stating that healthcare is a right, there is overwhelming acceptance of the idea that healthcare should be guaranteed to all as a right. Whether or not this practice of healthcare for all as a right has been fully put into place in each country or not is a different topic.
- According to the United States Declaration of Independence all men are created equal and endowed with certain unalienable rights. In order to uphold these rights healthcare must be provided. These rights include "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." [8] Therefore, that without healthcare to uphold individuals' health they are unable to pursue happiness and maintain life.
- Having health care would improve peoples' health and happiness enabling them to work more and more reliably. Companies would therefore make more in profit and the country's GDP would increase overall.
- In the United States, if healthcare is guaranteed to all as a right, individuals won't need to put their money towards healthcare, minus taxes, and therefore people will have more disposable income which would help stimulate the economy.
- The ability to live a full life with human dignity and equality makes healthcare as a right imperative.
- In the United States Christianity is the main religion, and the main religion politicians claim as their own. Even though there is the separation of church and state often the lines are blurred. Looking at the Bible and going off of the beliefs of Christianity, healthcare should be guaranteed to ALL as a right. Not just to citizens or productive individuals but to all peoples. According to the article "Christian Approach to Healthcare Access: Justice for All in Communities of Faith" by Adam Phillips, it states "A Christian approach emphasizes that justice in healthcare should be a priority for all [...]. This perspective inspires a collective effort to ensure that everyone, regardless of their circumstances, has the right to quality medical care." According to Adam Phillips, "by examining the current healthcare crisis through a biblical lens, it becomes clear that Christians are called to advocate for those in need." "[...] communities play a vital role in promoting justice and compassion, demonstrating that caring for others is at the heart of their faith [and] this pursuit of equitable access not only serves those who suffer but also enriches the entire community." "In the Christian worldview, justice in healthcare emphasizes the intrinsic value of every person [and} [...] the call to care for those who are poor and needy. These principles guide the understanding of healthcare access as a matter of justice." [9]
According to the Christian Bible, Matthew 25:40 [10], [...] "emphasizes the importance of caring for those in need, suggesting that providing health care aligns with this principle". "The biblical support for the idea that everyone should have access to health care can be found in the teachings of compassion and care for the sick and needy." [11] As we discussed above, a right is defined as "righteous, upright, being in accordance with what is just, good, or proper and conforming to facts or truth, correct" [3]. Christians argue they uphold what is just, good and proper. Therefore, in order to uphold these principles believers must provide, as a right, healthcare for all, including citizens and non-citizens alike. ' ' ' ' '[1] [(07/11/2026). Health. Webster Dictionary. HEALTH Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster (2026)]. [2] [(07/11/2026). Healthcare. Webster Dictionary. HEALTHCARE Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster (2026)]. [3] [(07/11/2026). Right. Webster Dictionary. RIGHT Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster (2026)]. [4] [(07/11/2026}. World Health Organization Constitution. World Health Organization. Constitution of the World Health Organization (2026)]. [5] [(07/12/2026). U.S. severs ties with WHO, raising concerns about flu epidemics. NBC News. U.S. severs ties with WHO, raising concerns about flu epidemics (January 23, 2026)]. [6] [(07/12/2026). Statement by the President Upon Signing Resolution Providing for U.S. Membership in the World Health Organization. National Archives. Statement by the President Upon Signing Resolution Providing for U.S. Membership in the World Health Organization | Harry S. Truman (Date Unknown)]. [7] [(07/12/2026). Countries. World Health Organization. Countries | World Health Organization (2026)]. [8] [(07/11/2026). Declaration of Independence: A Transcription. National Archives. Declaration of Independence: A Transcription | National Archives (2026)]. [9] [(07/12/2026). Christian Approach to Healthcare Access: Justice for All in Communities of Faith. The Witness. Christian Approach To Healthcare Access: Justice For All In Communities Of Faith - The Witness (April 3, 2025)]. [10] [The Holy Bible. New International Version, NIV. Matthew 25:40 (2011)] Matthew 25 | NIV Bible - Bible App[11] [(07/12/2026). Everyone should have health care. Bible Both Ways. "Everyone should have health care". See what the Bible says (Date Unknown)].
Against
Healthcare has the same problem as religion, definitions. Doctors like gyms need to pay the bills and from whom comes the money? To whom do we authorize for receipts? Excluding gwenyth paltrow's nonsense might be reasonable enough, but what technical definition will we enforce to create a new, what needs to be more inclusive, licensed class of "healthcare providers?"