CTU Blogs

Conservative vs. Liberal Healthcare Viewpoints

September 11, 2012 •Health Sciences • 8 Comments

By Kathy Wood, Ph.D., FHFMA, Dean of Health Sciences

We’re celebrating the 225th birthday of the U.S. Constitution with a week-long blog series covering topics related to American freedom and democracy. In our second post, Dr. Wood looks at both sides of the current healthcare debate.

CTU Health Sciences Degree - Healthcare debate in Congress Healthcare, its access and costs, has been discussed and debated in presidential elections for decades. As November 6th quickly approaches, it remains at the forefront of political dialogue. The total and per capita spending on healthcare continues to rise each year as does the national healthcare expenditures, reaching in excess of trillions of dollars. Although many minor modifications have been made over the years, Obama has been the first President to make significant changes. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) was signed into law on March 23, 2010. Its passing signified the most transformative changes to healthcare since Medicare in the mid-1960s.

Democrats and Republicans agree that an alternative healthcare plan is needed to help improve affordability and coverage options for all Americans. How it is implemented however, is highly debated by candidates on both sides of the isle. Some question whether Obama’s plan is constitutional. Others ask if it should it be driven at the federal or state level? How much will it save in healthcare costs and will these savings be transferred to the operational aspect of the new regulations?

Below is a summary of the healthcare reform issues being discussed by the Presidential candidates for election year 2012 broken down into three main topics.

1. Government Involvement

Conservative view: Government involvement should be minimal. Healthcare should be operated like a business in a free market-based system.
Liberal view: Everyone has a fundamental right to have access to healthcare. It should not be run like a business.

2. Healthcare Entitlement

Conservative view: Everyone is entitled to healthcare coverage. Those who can afford to pay should. No free healthcare handouts if you can afford it.
Liberal view: Everyone is entitled to healthcare coverage. No one should become bankrupt because they can’t afford to pay.

3. Federally Mandated Insurance

Conservative view: Believe insurance should be mandated on a state by state basis. Federal funds should be diverted to states. Against financial penalties if individuals fail to comply with mandate.
Liberal view: Support federal insurance mandates. Believe individuals should face penalties if not compliant.

Continue to question and review the stances of each candidate as we head into the heart of election season. In the words of Joseph Joubert, “It is better to debate a question without settling it than to settle a question without debating it.”

It’s your turn to weigh in. Where do you stand on the topic of healthcare reform? Is ACA a step in the right direction or are we moving backwards?

Image credit: Health-Care-Debate-Congress by Jennifer Kohnke

Kathy Wood, Ph.D., FHFMA is the University Dean of Health Sciences at Colorado Technical University. A fellow of the Healthcare Financial Management Association (FHFMA) with over 30 years industry experience, she also serves as director of Chapter Services on the board of the North Carolina Chapter of the Healthcare Financial Management Association (NCHFMA) and is a member of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS).

Comments

Jeremy Howell, CTU Faculty •September 22, 2012 at 08:48 PM

I agree that our healthcare system is in need of reform. Some would argue that we don't even truly have a healthcare system at all, just a conglomerations of hospitals, physicians, and other means to care for the sick and injured with various parties controlling industry (government obviously the biggest controller). What we saw in the ACA was not reform at all, in my opinion. It was instead, another government program created to put a band-aid on a problem that will only continue to be exacerbated. We have two government programs, Medicare and Medicaid, that cost the taxpayers billions of dollars and now we have added another program that the CBO projects will cost roughly $1 trillion over the next decade. All Americans need to look beyond the surface and see what truly has caused the healthcare system to get where it is today. The cause of spiraling healthcare costs can be traced back to 1965...

Ben Robinson •September 21, 2012 at 07:33 PM

I didn't choose my parents. I've worked as much as I could since the age of three. I've finished High School. I've served in the military. I attended college until I had no crackers for soup or no soup for crackers, no books, homeless... Went to work and worked hard until I could go,no more...permanently disabled... Medical care with additional co-pay, medical therapies with co-pays, Medicare Premiums plus additional premiums for insurance that never covered what has been co-pay charges, not enough money ever...

Kathy Wood, CTU Faculty •September 14, 2012 at 05:46 PM

The comments definitely add insights to the conservative vs. liberal viewpoints. It looks like everyone agrees that everyone should have healthcare and everyone currently has healthcare in an emergency situation. What needs to change is the accessibility to care for preventive and maintenance, rather than emergency care. Having the right, and qualified people, make the decisions on how healthcare should be handled is vital. Many areas in healthcare need reforming. Join us live on the 17th for Constitution Day and Healthcare Entitlement to share more viewpoints. Thank you for your comments and I look forward to more of your stories and insights!

Arletrice Watkins, CTU Faculty •September 12, 2012 at 09:34 AM

Given above discussion, I fall into the liberal view and believe that everyone is entitled to affordable healthcare. I have worked in healthcare for many years and have seen patients come in via the emergency room so ill because they were unable to visit a physician early on due to cost. They have stated to me that it was between feeding their family or spending money to see the physician. Why should anyone have to chose? Yes,there are costs associated with ACA, but we have to resolve this as it is only getting worse. My hope is that all Americans have the right to quality healthcare that is affordable, no one should have to worry about what happens if they or a loved one is sick not being able to seek care due to the cost.

Fredrick Blanken •September 12, 2012 at 09:00 AM

Dr. Wood: Although I am currently a B.S. Major of Psychology at CTU Online, I am also a 42 year old Homeless individual who hasn't had Insurance in almost a decade. This is due to the fact that I have various disabilities that I have been struggling to provide evidence for in a State where the Charity Care System is scarcely limited in what services they can provide in terms of diagnostic and treatment options. From a Political Standpoint, I have always taken a Libral approach, as I believe that from my Native American, and Apalachian upbringing we are all inter-connected to each other, and what happens to one of us, can and does affect all of us sooner or later. I may not have all of the answers, but I too am willing to ask the questions. I also recognize that this debate is far from done, and that there is a great many factors that need to be examined and addressed before a solution can be reached. However, I do believe that a solution can be reached if only both sides of the isle are willing to communicate instead of butt heads over philosophical differences. Thank you for sharing your views on this topic.

Jackie Mullin •September 11, 2012 at 07:36 PM

I am an older person than most students and I only wish that the medical services could be organized and reformed by capable Medical people. A person sitting behind a desk in Washinton cannot possibly know what tests or procedures a person needs. My medical team does not want a job in Washington so those in Washington need not apply for my doctor's job. Let's be fair and let everyone do the job they are paid to do.

Amy Croft, CTU Employee •September 11, 2012 at 05:13 PM

Conservatives believe everyone has a fundamental right to healthcare too, they just don't believe it should be controlled by the government... Conservative view: Everyone is entitled to healthcare coverage. Those who can afford to pay should. No free healthcare handouts if you can afford it. Liberal view: Everyone is entitled to healthcare coverage. No one should become bankrupt because they can’t afford to pay. That infers that conservatives want people to go bankrupt? No - conservatives want people to take responsibility, to be entrepreneurial... I just think the way these are phrased are not consistent... but I appreciate the discussion!

Rockie McDaniel, CTU Faculty •September 11, 2012 at 03:53 PM

So, reading these key points of healthcare within our two political parties, the question that continues to be difficult to answer is healthcare a commodity or a right to the U.S. population.

What do you think?

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