The right to health care: Some cross-national comparisons and U.S. Trends in policy

All developed, industrialized nations provide some system of health care for the treatment of acute and chronic illness. However, nations differ in terms of their policy toward the provision and distribution of health services. Basic to policy regarding access to medical care is the notion of health care as a right. This paper examines the evolution of the concept of a right to health care in three industrialized nations—the U.S.S.R., Great Britain and the U.S. Trends in the U.S. health care delivery system suggest an emerging policy which favors equity through federally subsidized care for the indigent. However, the U.S. health care system tolerates unequal distribution of services. The U.S.S.R. and U.K. health care systems have adopted explicit policies which support the right of all their citizens to health care. U.S. policy supporting the right to health care has been hampered by two primary factors. First is opposition within the medical profession toward the notion of health care as a right. Second is the inability of federal agencies to develop a comprehensive plan for health care delivery.