Medicaid (was RE: Walzer on the Left)

[Jim Westrich]

I would have to agree whole-heartedly with Max's general sentiments.  If 
getting a "health care right" was quick,easy, and painless I would say 
great.  But it would be a whole lot of work and a "right to health care" 
would likely only address health care access issues, which while important 
are not the whole game.  If the health care system does not also control 
costs, provide for quality, and provide for an equitable distribution of 
care; not much has been gained.

Unlike Max I think that this can be accomplished with well-reasoned changes 
in policy on a systemic basis (however, like Max my criterion for 
evaluating that policy would be incremental--does it make things better?).

Peace,

Jim

At 01:00 PM 3/27/02 -0500, Max Sawicky wrote:
>As you know, one can have rights to benefits without
>benefit of a constitutional amendment, and one can
>have an amendment but no effective rights.
>
>mbs
>

Marta Russell wrote:


> > There is no constitutional right to healthcare -
> >   Acting as an apologist for the current system, Everett Koop reminded
> > an audience recently of that fact.  He said the Bill of Rights does
> > not provide for such a thing and nor was it meant to in his opinion..
> > More people, however, are thinking that health care should be a right.
> > What about fighting for a constitutional amendment to that effect.
> > That may be the ONLY way to see to it that we get decent health care.

"You know, we're living in a world of greed and hate"

       -- Merle Travis