I know I'm an ethicist, but I have to tell you I believe that ethics are the foundation of American health care. Because we think health care is a kind of basic need. It responds to something that all of us experience. We experience either the threat of illness or the actuality of illness, and we respond on a very intimate and personal level to that when we see it in ourselves, but also in others. So it's easy for us to understand how acute the need for health care coverage can be for anybody who falls ill.
Ill health can devastate a family.
It can devastate them physically, emotionally, and financially. When illness comes, we should respond as best we can to minimize the physical impact. There's no way to eliminate the emotional impact on a family of ill health, but at least we can spare them the financial devastation that so often comes along with a serious illness. We Americans are very good at denying the connection between our most deeply held ethical values and our public policies. We need to connect those in the realm of health care.