Homeless and Healthcare Essay

Healthcare is a basic human right, just like education, shelter, and food and government has a responsibility to make sure every citizen has access to affordable healthcare. The government is in place to work for the people of the nation and not just for those who can afford to support the government in return. One of the ways to ensure access to affordable healthcare is healthcare insurance plans which cover a wide range of services such as medication, hospitalization, and other miscellaneous healthcare expenses.Homeless and Healthcare Essay

But as can be expected, a significant proportion of homeless people are without healthcare insurance and the risk of being without healthcare insurance only increases the longer the individuals stay homeless . Humanity has a natural responsibility to help one another in terms of maintaining health through the basic needs of mankind. This means that, working for the people would include helping humanity fulfill that responsibility. The U.S. Government has a responsibility to ensure affordable healthcare for every citizen and even more so for those who are at the greatest risk of being without healthcare coverage such as homeless people.Homeless and Healthcare Essay

Homeless people could be defined as those individuals who, due to disadvantageous economic circumstances, are forced to be without permanent shelter and end up on places such as streets and crowded shelters. According to Alexander-Eitzman, Pollio, and North (2013) the inability to obtain or maintain permanent shelter makes it difficult for these individuals to keep up with health needs such as vaccinations and health monitoring physicals. The individuals are also more likely to fall victims to crimes which would put them in greater need for medical care (pg. 1).

Due to poor living circumstances, they are more susceptible to various illnesses and diseases and this should concern the government because this also increases the risk of spread of certain diseases among the general population. In addition, their limited economic means they will not either seek treatment or even if they do try to, they will simply be rejected by healthcare providers. Thus, the U.S. Government should provide healthcare insurance to homeless people because doing so will not only raise the healthcare standards among some of the most impoverished members of the society but will also reduce risk of exposure to certain healthcare diseases for the rest of the population.Homeless and Healthcare Essay