Tag Archives: health care

That Distribution of Wealth Thing

Why should the wealthy give up money they have accumulated (though not necessarily worked for) only for the money to be enjoyed by those who didn’t earn it? The dreaded “S” word, socialism, haunts these discussions.

But what about our systems of public education? Aren’t free schools a distribution of wealth? We pay for them through taxes whether we have children or not, whether we send our children to them or, instead, pay for our children to receive a private education. Children of the poor may attend them as well as children of the more affluent.

We have decided that our communities and our nation as a whole will benefit from educated citizens.

Most of us believe roads and bridges and infrastructure should be maintained by our taxes. We believe this even though a poor person who pays little or no taxes (except perhaps sales taxes) can use the roads and sidewalks. We all benefit from cheaper goods facilitated by an efficient transportation system.

What about health care? Won’t the nation benefit from more productive citizens if they are in good health? To be sure, preventive care should be a major part of any health care system, not simply paying hospital bills. Obviously, some systems of health care are more efficient than others, as are systems of education, but the aim is a healthy population that will benefit the nation. Proper health care is an investment, like schools and roads.

The best investments yield gains in the long term. Some distribution of wealth is an investment.

Roads, Schools, and Health Care

The presidential election campaign for 2012 appears to be in full swing despite the election being almost a year and a half away. Health care looks to be one of the issues.

Just over six years ago, I was diagnosed with cancer. Because I’ve been blessed with good health insurance, regular checkups are paid for, and the cancer was caught early. My treatment was a simple operation to remove the cancerous tissue, but I did not have to undergo radiation. I thank God that I have had a blessed six years with no recurring cancer.

This is not a plea for a particular political party’s health proposal. I only wish, after my experience, that all had the medical blessings that I do. I think of Jesus, who healed all who came to him in faith. He was touched by physical suffering, as his followers have been ever since. Healing was a gift given to some of the early followers. Medieval monastery hospices ministered to the sick. Many of today’s modern hospitals were begun by Christian groups.

Reasonable health care also might be seen as an investment. We make investments in roads and bridges and other infrastructure that we all use, regardless of how much we pay in taxes, because we know our economy functions better with such infrastructure. We invest in our schools and educational systems for the same reason. Public education is open to all Americans no matter how much their families pay in taxes because we believe an educated population is necessary for an effective and productive democracy.

Our country will better function if our citizens enjoy good health. Access to prevention-based health care leads to less illness, less expense, and less stress on families. Done correctly, it is an investment.