Universal Health Care

With the recent passage of the Senate legislation, we are at a momentous possibility of dramatic health care reform. One of the primary goals of health care reform is to expand coverage to insure those who currently have no health insurance. Like most other medical students, I believe that health care is as fundamental a right as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Anyone who needs care from a physician should get it. This is a patient-centered approach, but I also believe the flip side is true as well. Providers should provide for anyone. Students love working at the county hospital and at homeless clinics not only because we believe in universal access to health care, but also because we want to take care of diverse patients. We feel obligated to care for the poor and underserved. I think both of these ideas are central to the expansion of health care coverage. We are broadening the insured, and we need doctors to take care of them. Luckily, I think most of the medical students and physicians I know have a commitment to taking care of anyone who walks through the door. We need everyone to contribute to the care of these patients, rather than retreating to the profit-drive "concierge" practice of taking care of only the wealthy. Even those who have primarily practices that care for the wealthy and working can still contribute their time by volunteering at free clinics or through international medical missions. All people deserve medical care. All physicians by virtue of being such have an obligation to care for the underserved.