The Case for Universal Health Insurance

Abstract

The previous chapters have examined three significant objections to universal health insurance—objections focused on fiscal risk, efficacy, and personal cost. This chapter synthesizes the responses to those concerns, revealing that they fit together into a single, coherent outlook on the ethics of health care. It is argued that in light of the considerations offered in previous chapters, the Affordable Care Act is problematic—deserving of support only in the face of inferior alternatives. In contrast, there are no similar problems with well-designed single-payer or regulated-market systems. The chapter concludes with some reflections on the next steps in a complete case for universal health insurance.