Week 8 Discussion Forum

Some consider fair access to health care a moral right, while others disagree. We have defined the term moral right as “a privilege to act in some specific, intentional manner or to obtain some specific benefit because one is a moral agent living in a community of moral agents under a shared moral standard.”

• Is access to health care a moral right?
• Why or why not?

Week 8 Discussion Forum Answer (2)

I believe health care is a moral right. According to deontological ethics such as the one advanced by Immanuel Kant, people should be treated as ends in themselves rather than as mere means to achieve an end. A person is a moral agent when his act or omission can either be morally permissible or not (Pence, 2017). Denying a person access to health care is morally impermissible and therefore, health care is a moral right.

Week 8 Discussion Forum Answer

 Access to health care is a moral right. People should be regarded as ends in themselves and for this reason, the right to health should be recognized as a moral right. People should not be given health care simply because health is a pre-requisite to productivity and a productive workforce is key to economic development. If the provision of healthcare is viewed from this regard, then the same is not provided as a moral right because people are being treated as mere means to achieve an end, which is economic development