The aftermath of COVID-19 has led to an outpouring of appreciation to our healthcare workers from various media. However, while nurses and doctors deserve their praise, several amendments are yet to be made to show our full appreciation of this workforce. Most healthcare services have not received enough appreciation in terms of their salaries. Besides, most nurses are getting a massive chunk of their salaries going to their health insurance; hence, they cannot sustain themselves properly. As a result, this begs the question, “Should healthcare workers pay for healthcare services?” While this question has not received enough attention in many studies, it is a question of contention, and many healthcare workers are pushing for the necessary changes around the industry. Healthcare workers should not be charged for healthcare services as they have fully dedicated their lives to improving the general population’s quality and access to healthcare.
Healthcare workers should not pay for the same services they provide as they have helped develop a flourishing pharmaceutical industry. According to Belak et al., the healthcare industry is expected to grow with a tone of 6.4 % by 2024. Besides, the drug prescription industry is also expected to grow by more than $900 million. With the constant growth every year, it is essential that healthcare services receive appreciation perks from the government to fulfill the demand for healthcare services in the United States. Besides, the government should set aside some of the profits to cover any health services offered to healthcare workers.
Healthcare workers should not also pay for healthcare services because they risk their lives to save other people. This statement can be made about the recent pandemic where most healthcare workers lost their lives trying to deliver healthcare services. Also, many healthcare workers contracted the disease regardless of the necessary measure put in place. It is also important to note that there was a shortage of PPE in hospitals which also contributed to the suffering of healthcare workers (Morley et al., pp. 36). Based on these challenges that healthcare workers face every day; they must not be charged for these services due to their patriotism and humanity in serving the healthcare industry.
Healthcare workers should not also pay for healthcare services since they are actively involved in educating the public regarding the prevention and treatment of many diseases that arise. Regardless of the healthcare worker’s position, they all have different knowledge that spans across different fields of their experience. As such, their relentless efforts around health education should be noticed and given enough credit by receiving healthcare services for free (Naher et al., pp. 7). To some extent, some healthcare providers offer these services for free to people who cannot afford them. This is another level of humanity that cannot be experienced in any other industry.
Healthcare workers are people who have an eye for detail due to the nature of their work. They are empathetic and can drive people towards making the right decisions regarding their health. Besides, the intensity of education in the industry is intense and excessive. A doctor takes many years to cover content and labs in school since their nature of work requires utmost perfection to prevent any loss of life. As such, it is essential that the government recognizes the process of making healthcare workers and rewards them genuinely. While the government addresses healthcare salaries and allowances, they should also address free healthcare insurance and services for healthcare workers. This is a topic of contention and should be tabled in the House and Congress for the necessary amendments to be made. Healthcare workers hold a crucial docket in the government, which saves lives and takes preventive measures to prevent the demise of people.
Works Cited
Belak, Andrej, et al. “Why don’t health care frontline professionals do more for segregated Roma? Exploring mechanisms supporting unequal care practices.” Social Science & Medicine 246 (2020): 112739.
Morley, Georgina, et al. “Covid‐19: ethical challenges for nurses.” Hastings Center Report 50.3 (2020): 35-39.
Naher, Nahitun, et al. “The influence of corruption and governance in the delivery of frontline health care services in the public sector: a scoping review of current and future prospects in low and middle-income countries of south and south-east Asia.” BMC public health 20 (2020): 1-16.
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