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The moral obligation of healthcare?

Thursday, Aug 20 in Government | Comments (11)

Question: Ann wants to hear Dave's opinions on healthcare being a moral obligation.

Dave Ramsey's advice: I think if I were arguing for government healthcare, that is the card I would play. The people who want the government to take over healthcare are playing that card because the issue is so emotional. Playing an emotional trump card is an excellent move on their part as part of a political snowjob.

But is it a moral obligation for the government to provide healthcare? Absolutely not. Healthcare is not a human right. We need to care for each other and have a process in the healthcare system for people with no coverage to be helped. But Jesus wouldn't provide healthcare through the government. Nowhere in Scripture was the government used to help people. People helped each other.

There is nothing Christian about the government taking care of anyone. Churches can do it and have been and should do more. We should take care of each other. I think those who are ticked off about the government doing all this should start outgiving the government and put the government out of business.

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Comments (Your comment will not appear until approved.)
Dave, I completely agree with you. I was a bit ticked when I heard the "moral" issue being raised in regards to Healthcare because of the same reasons you listed. While I do have a moral obligation to help others, it doesn't extend to the gov't doing it for me. Keep up the good work!
# Posted by Jared | 8/20/09 5:59 PM
First, let me say that I completely agree that I do not want the government taking over health care. But I also don't believe that Jesus would be against it. I don't think that government's role in society is a moral issue that you can pinpoint Jesus's view of. I think Jesus can work in either system.
# Posted by Melissa | 8/20/09 7:37 PM
Police and fire departments help people. Does Dave want to cancel those services because its funding sources are not outlined in the New Testament?

I feel universal health care is humane.
# Posted by David | 8/20/09 8:51 PM
Does this mean hospitals should start turning out emergency patients who don't have insurance or cash? Right now the government reimburses hospitals for uninsured patients who can't pay. Perhaps you are suggesting that the hospitals charge everyone else more to cover these uninsured patients instead. Since we should all be happy to help each other, we should all be happy to pay extra for procedures to cover the costs of the uninsured. And doctors should be happy to give their time to uninsured patients for free. Now if only I could get my mechanic to fix my car for free.
# Posted by Margaret | 8/20/09 9:51 PM
The moral obligation of healthcare is that as long as government is acting as a provider of different things, the more people become reliant upon them. The arguement about police and fire dept is idiotic and is such a childlike argument that you should be laughed out of a chatroom for bringing it up!! Those are what we like to call necessary services & people are willing to pay taxes to support common sense services like this. People are not willing to give up to the government both rights and tax dollars to fund someone elses healthcare, just because they do not or can not purchase it on their own!! Should we as a giving people donate our money to charities that support these efforts? Absolutely!! Government cannot run programs like this efficiently or provide as high quality service as private entities & and argument against this is laughable!! Name 1 govt program outside the military that is run efficiently and effectively??? Cash for Clunkers?? Yeah right!! Medicaid??? come on people?? You will NEVER find one.
# Posted by Jason | 8/20/09 10:22 PM
Dave, you bring up some interesting points here. Although I don't necessarily agree with you, I am glad I
finally understand the perspective of the "other side." Thank you.
# Posted by Shannon | 8/21/09 11:27 AM
I would also like to add that it is a moral obligation of ours to help...not to be helped. The Bible says "Those who do not work do not eat." Can you imagine if the church actually took that stand? We will help feed and cloth you, but only if you have given a regular donation? I thank God every day for the opportunites he has given me and for the ambition to do something about them.
# Posted by Kristina | 8/21/09 12:14 PM
I'd also like to point out that the philosophy "people have a moral obligation to give" could still be construed to allow for government health care, by saying that we choose the government to be the agent that we use to "donate" this money. (Remember, we pay taxes, not donations.) However, we need to combine this philosophy with the "be a good steward of your wealth" philosophy. I think that most people would agree that government does not spend money wisely. Government, is the worst steward of our wealth that we could appoint. Social Security, Medicare, Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, and even the USPS are all examples of government programs that have wasted money in a totally irresponsible manner. One of the reasons some are touting health care reform is because Medicare is going bankrupt. (and this should help us how?)

In my opinion, this country is going to need to realize that we have paid an awful lot of Stupid Tax on programs that don't work, and just walk away.
# Posted by Steve | 8/24/09 10:27 AM
So what is the answer? I hear a lot of negatives, but no real solution. I live in an area where it has become the norm for companies to stop offering healthcare to their employees. We are all in the same boat, so thereis no one to "help" each other with healthcare costs. No one can afford to go to the benefits anymore.
# Posted by Chris | 8/30/09 7:27 AM
Chris,
In regards to the right answer to the heath insurance issue, I believe it should be more like car insurance. Car insurance rates are kept low because of aggressive competition and less government interference (compared to health insurance). Car insurance is something most people shop for themselves, so they have an incentive to find the best value, which also puts a downward pressure on prices.

Another weird thing right now about health care is that companies get a tax break for their expenses in administrating health care plans, but people on their own get no tax relief.

The last piece of the puzzle is reforming the legal system so that the awards on frivolous malpractice lawsuits are limited, thus lowering the cost of malpractice insurance for doctors, thus allowing them to lower prices for the care they provide.

Most people could then buy health insurance just like they do home, car and life insurance. The people who could not afford insurance would still be cared for, just like they are today (today if you go into an emergency room you are treated, regardless of your ability to pay). I believe these are the people that Dave had in mind when he was talking about out-giving the government.
# Posted by Adam | 9/4/09 12:26 AM
In the time of Jesus the Church was the Government, ask Moses. Dave's way would work if we were all Christians and belong to Churches. Maybe we should just kick out all Non-christians?
# Posted by Greg | 10/5/09 1:59 PM

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