Please help reply to this discussion post.

I think that that policy trap described by Professor Starr is a fascinating take on the current healthcare market. To have a system that was set up, and made unnecessarily complicated, but benefits and protects enough people to keep the system in place is certainly something that can describe allot of systems in todays society. However, in the United States this issue has become synonymous with healthcare and thusly it provides an interesting example. In a world of constant innovation and change, especially in the world of healthcare, it's amazing to see systems in place that have not changed in years. One could argue that the reason this is the case is that the current system works, however I am more inclined to side with Professor Star in believing that the system works for just enough people to keep the system in place. However how many more fall through the cracks within a system like that.

I believe the answerer to there being a right to healthcare is a multifaceted question but to give a yes or no answer I will say yes, I do believe there is a right to healthcare. Similar to education I believe that having a healthy population is vital to a state/nation. A sickly population gives little hope of economic development, therefore it's in our best interest to have citizens in the best health they can possible be in so that they can live happy and productive lives. I believe the health system does support this theory in that areas with a population that is healthy have greater economic development, with the population living happier and healthier lives.

I'm not sure I have a firm answer on weather or not I believe a state should be in charge of their own access to healthcare. I would say that coming from a smaller state and seeing how biased some legislation can be I would not want to leave healthcare up to the choice of a state. Especially seeing how monitories in a state could be left out in certain states. On the flip side I do understand the argument that who better understands the needs of its population than the state. However I believe that this positive thought is outweighed by the negative in this case.