The Glass Castle Journal

Heart Disease and Health Care: Where Do You Stand?

As the leading cause of death in America, heart disease maintains its status as a crucial societal issue. Lifestyle choices such as smoking and excessive alcohol have consistently been put in the spotlight as having a direct correlation to cardiovascular disease. Thus, the statement has been raised that people who refuse to alter unhealthy lifestyle choices should not be permitted equal access to public healthcare. The implementation of this idea would be immoral as well as disastrous-it would violate the right to life, allow the government to make unsound judgements on the lifestyle choices of each individual, and cause national injustice and distress financially.

Foremost, this statement directly opposes the rights of the people. For example, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, enshrines that “Everyone has the right to life, liberty, and security…” Health care is a right, not a privilege. Those who have heart disease, regardless of their “lifestyle choices”, are in great need of healthcare to sustain life. By stripping them of this essential need, we are inhumanely denying them their right to life.

Furthermore, there would be no way to implement this idea justly; the term “lifestyle choice” is simply too vague. Each person is subject to their own specific situation; a quick judgement cannot be made on whether someone is “refusing to alter their lifestyle choices.” For example, would someone who binge eats or smokes as a psychological addiction be penalized? How many hours per week would a person with high blood pressure need to exercise in order to be considered viable for health care? In order to remain impartial, this answer would need to change for each individual’s situation, especially with the involvement of genetic disposition. It would be long and tedious process, one the government would be unlikely to follow up on. As well, where would the government draw the line on an...