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Physicians Have a Responsibility to Meet the Health Care Needs of Society

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2021

Allan S. Brett
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Extract

In one of the televised debates among Republican primary candidates for the 2012 U.S. presidential election, moderator Wolf Blitzer presented this hypothetical case to candidate Ron Paul:

A healthy 30 year old young man has a good job, makes a good living, but decides — you know what — ‘I’m not going to spend 200 or 300 dollars a month for health insurance because I’m healthy, I don’t need it.’ But something terrible happens, all of a sudden he needs it. Who’s going to pay if he goes into a coma?

Paul, known for his libertarian views, initially responded that the patient “should assume responsibility for himself,” and that he should have purchased a major medical policy before he became ill.

Type
Symposium
Information
Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics , Volume 40 , Issue 3 , Fall 2012 , pp. 526 - 531
Copyright
Copyright © American Society of Law, Medicine and Ethics 2012

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References

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