Examining whether healthcare coverage and access ought to be a right for every American or viewed as a good in demand by the market, the economy, and society at large (supply and demand).

Examining whether healthcare coverage and access ought to be a right for every American or viewed as a good in demand by the market, the economy, and society at large (supply and demand). I have to argue that everyone in America should have access to and coverage for health care as everyone has the fundamental right to good health. “However, access to coverage does not necessarily mean access to care, nor does it ensure a healthy population” (Mason, 2020, p. 2). Working in a telemetry unit, I witness heart failure patients who are perpetually readmitted for chronic heart failure exacerbations because they are unable to pay for their medications. Lack of access to reasonably priced or covered medications results in worse health outcomes and a rise in readmissions, which raises the cost of coverage per person. The amount that the United States spent on healthcare in 2011 was $2.7 trillion, or $8,680 per person, more than the anticipated rate of inflation (Mason, 2020, p. 5). In this case, it is not realistic for the government to pay for every American’s medical expenses at this expensive cost. Health care policy focuses on access, quality, and cost “the Affordable Care Act (ACA) attempted to address all three goals (access, quality and cost) by increasing the access to insurance, setting mandates that were set to control cost, and setting mandates in performance quality of health care (Austin & Wetle, 2016, p. 11). Even though the Affordable Care Act (ACA) significantly increased insurance coverage, measures to guarantee high-quality healthcare still need to be improved.