Is access to healthcare a right or a priviledge?

I am one individual who feels that everyone should have the right to health care. Illness, disease, and death will keep our society from prospering. Individuals that cannot afford insurance for health care are normally those people who work the hardest in the factories and plants. These workers are the lowest on the totem pole and they hardly ever miss a day of work for anything. I feel that some of us who have great insurance and can run to the doctor when we have a little abuse our right to health care. We run to the doctor a lot of times for viral infections and demand the miracle cure. Instead we should let the infection run its course.

The main thing is to get health care affordable for everyone. After reading some of the extra readings for this module and listening to the State of the Union address I feel that Health care reform is needed. His new plan is to get more cash to the American people, prompt people to buy their own insurance, and get tax credits for purchasing insurance. It is confusing to me so I will share an example;

• 4 insured people in a family with an annual income of $60,000 who have employer provided insurance will save $424 on their taxes.
• 4 uninsured people in a family with an annual income of $60,000 will receive a $4,545 tax break if they chose to purchase their own health policy. Their tax break would reduce their cost of coverage from $6,100 to $1,555.

My concern is the ability to pay that $6,100. Would the consumer have to pay that amount and receive the tax refund after taxes. It is a program they are just beginning to research. Secretary of Health & Human Services Michael Levitt will be traveling the United States for the next three months get responses from Americans on President Bush's Health care reform.