Patrick Bohan for Congress: Healthcare Policy
The right to pursue health is a fundamental right but that does not guarantee a healthy life, nor does it mean that everyone should have healthcare insurance (we should be focused on lower healthcare costs instead of mandating people buy an expensive product). If healthcare is affordable then people will get it. Individual rights are controlled by the individual such as pursuing health. Healthcare and health insurance are not fundamental rights because it is out of the control of the individual since the government, companies, and the economy control these facets of healthcare. Healthcare and health insurance are examples of how the government impedes our right to pursue health. More government intrusion into healthcare means less liberty. To improve healthcare and health insurance the focus should be on trying to lower costs by increasing private sector competition for drugs, healthcare services and products, and insurance. For instance, drugs from other countries can be used to compete with big pharma. Furthermore, reducing the regulations and red tape from the Food and Drug Administration could also reduce prescription and medical costs. Prioritizing tort reform to protect doctors from frivolous lawsuits to lower malpractice insurance. Allowing private sector companies to provide in home service for infusion treatments, blood draws, X-Rays, physical therapy, or other basic health needs can reduce costs by taking the hospitals and clinics out of the equation. President John Kennedy “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” What can we do? We can pursue our right to health. The healthier Americans are then the lower the demand for healthcare and subsequently the lower the costs are for everyone. Yes, everyone has a right to live an unhealthy life, but one of the best ways to fight the high costs of the healthcare system is to be healthy.
In Gonzales v. Raich, the Court held that a California citizen, following state law, could not grow medical marijuana for cancer pain relief. Liberal jurists felt it was more important to protect commerce clause power attained from Wickard v. Filburn then allow a citizen the right to use medical marijuana. Raich is a perfect example of the government failing to do its job to protect the rights of citizens. After all, people should have the right to choose a legal treatment option that makes them pain free. In Raich, both the right to choose and pursue health were denied.