Is Public Healthcare a Right or a Reward? - Julio Frenk

Complete video at: http://fora.tv/2009/09/30/Julio_Frenk_Health_Reform_in_an_Era_of_Pandemics

Dr. Julio Frenk, Dean of Harvard School of Public Health, argues that an ethical debate to the nature of healthcare is a necessary part to reform. He urges us to decide whether healthcare is a universal right or as a conditional reward.

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When pandemic H1N1 "swine flu" broke out this spring, Frenk was in the thick of discussions by the Mexican government, the World Health Organization and governments and organizations worldwide in his roles as the current dean at Harvard School of Public Health and the former minister of health in Mexico.

In Mexico, he also oversaw the design and implementation of a successful reform to achieve universal health insurance by covering more than 50 million uninsured persons. The reform also established a new public health agency and strengthened epidemiological surveillance with the aim of protecting the population against health threats.

These experiences enable Frenk to provide a unique perspective on the lessons he believes the United States can learn from other countries about health reform, universal health care and the ever-present threat pandemics pose to health and economies.

Dr. Frenk is an eminent authority on global health who served as the Minister of Health of Mexico from 2000 to 2006. He pursued an ambitious agenda to reform the nations health system, with an emphasis on redressing social inequality.

He is perhaps best known for his work in introducing a program of comprehensive national health insurance, known as Seguro Popular, which expanded access to health care for tens of millions of previously uninsured Mexicans. He is currently Dean of the Harvard University School of Public Health.

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[Daniel44125]

Taxes the way they are implemented are wrong. The are heavily graduated and set up to redistribute wealth. That is immoral and theft. Taxation for government costs like police and fire dep is not. Everyone benefits equally from it. Healthcare is different. Its requires innovation and competitiveness. Free markets provide this best. Our market isn't free. When the market is free the consumer wins.

[Daniel44125]

Its an oath a doctor takes voluntarily so in effect your argument is flawed. That oath does not extend to me to pay for their healthcare. I believe in charity and not government theft. I study economics. So don't try to convince me with your socialist bullshit. Healthcare is expensive because of corporatism. That needs to be solved first not trampling individual rights in order to only temporarily solve a problem. Every American social program is bankrupt wake up lemming

[guyjohn59]

Did the millions of Russians that starved to death under Lenin and Stalin have 'the right' to not starve to death? Probably; but because they believed in that right, they starved to death.

[davedavedaveannoy1]

Just doing some math and found the average person spends approximately $6,280 on healthcare a year (national average). Now multiply that about 307,000,000 Americans (and imagine an increase of about 1.5% a year). That comes to 1,927,960,000,000 in costs a year. And consider the amount of people flocking to it once its completely free, it just about quadruples. Now ask yourself liberals, CAN WE FUCKING AFFORD THAT? DO YOU REALLY WANT A PRACTICALLY 100% INCOME TAX AND A BANKRUPT NATION FOR THIS???

[swu880]

All rights are derived from property rights. its a shame that there are Americans who dont even understand the elementary concept of property rights yet they have a nerve to even claim to be American- such foolish ignorance

[swu880]

@TheAleska1987

i suggest u learn just what is a right. go learn about property rights

lol

you have NO right to "free" food, education, housing, clothes, computers, cars, or any commodity! And u sure as hell don't have a right to "free" healthcare! Right is something inalienable not given by any collective & not by any govt! Govt can not give u rights- it can only give certain 'privileges' to a few while trampling on the REAL RIGHTS of the individual.

[Anarkokommunist]

Wow, what an idiot.

Healthcare is not a right.

[TheAleska1987]

I just dont understand how you can 'reward' somebody for caring for their health. So an expectant mother is rewarded when a doctor helps to deliver her baby? Im not getting the logic behind this. A 72 year old man going into cardiac arrest is rewarded when paramedics give him life saving treatment...I feel by THIS definition your saying poor people DESERVE to die. If you are indeed REWARDING them with LIFE by giving them good safe medical care.

[MattCutlerMusic]

Daniel44125, You are indeed very well informed.

[kmg501]

This man is a liar, the polls DO NOT show what he claims. There is not now and never has been a right to enslave people to satisfy your wants.

[Daniel44125]

I don't study lame stream economics, otherwise called Keynesian economics. Which is what got us into this mess. Maynard Keynes was a socialist and is what is taught in our colleges. I am of a different school on economics, Austrian or what our founders implemented so it could be called Constitutional. So my science works. Its the main stream that doesn't. BTW all Obama's advisers are Keynesians.