Advantages and Disadvantaqes of Free Health Care (Essay Sample)

Advantages and disadvantages of Free Health Care
Human health is one of the most crucial assets for the well-being of a society and the nation as a whole. Governments -in most cases- are often working on ways of ensuring healthcare services are made accessible to most, if not all, people. Even though free healthcare has various pros it also comes with a number of cons. This paper outlines the advantages and disadvantages of free healthcare.
Tim Benson notes: “Free healthcare is a major function of stable economies around the world.” This strategy makes healthcare services not only affordable but also available to most members of the public. The general health of citizens is (largely) enhanced. A nation’s economy is also improved when workers are healthy; free healthcare improves workers’ health and hence productivity. At the same time, free healthcare lowers overall healthcare costs. Individuals can, therefore, invest the resources in other ventures hence encouraging to self-reliance. According to Angood & Birk (2014), free healthcare reduces infant mortality rates as doctors have more elaborate contact with children. It also increases the demand for medical services which is essential for societal wellness. To humanity, free healthcare is a gift!
Free healthcare, on the other hand, has its disadvantages. It may encourage individuals to lead irresponsible lifestyles as they are sure of obtaining medical help in case of health challenges. The strategy also slows down the rate of economic growth especially when the government uses a lot of resources to support the system. It may also overburden the government with debts and slow down developments in other sectors. Free healthacare reduces competition within the healthcare fraternity which may jeopardize healthcare service quality (Aragon & Garcia