Introduction

Government has a responsibility to safeguard and protect the health of its citizens. The interests of the society should be the interest of the government. It has an obligation to ensure the provision of high-quality care because improving the health of the citizens will also strengthen a nation. It is possible to provide high-quality care by building strong relationships with the state, federal and local governments. The private sector can play a significant role by contributing a percentage of their profit on improving the healthcare services of the nation.

In 2006, the San Franciso Board of Supervisors established the Healthy San Francisco Program and it became the first city in California to deliver health services to the uninsured residents (Jacobs & Lucia, 2018). The program is not any health insurance. It has been established to offer affordable healthcare services and basic services to uninsured residents. The employment status or the immigration status of the residents will not be considered. On July 2, 2007, the enrolment of the uninsured residents into the program began.

Government’s role in regulating healthy and unhealthy behaviour

The government in the United States have consistently played a significant role in providing quality healthcare and reducing the number of medical errors. Patient safety has been one of the priorities across the USA. Notably, the vulnerable population requires access to quality healthcare. Therefore, the government should continue to play a regulating role in order to enhance healthy behaviour among the people. Safeguarding the health of the vulnerable groups should be one of the priorities of the government and it is obligated to take specific actions. A combined effort of the private and public sector will enhance the quality of care. Hence, the decision of the San Francisco government to make it mandatory for business owners to contribute to the program is worthy of appreciation. The government can be significant in addressing issues prevalent in population health and lifestyle behaviours and this, in turn, will reduce health disparities as well as chronic diseases (Whitsel, 2017). Moreover, the incidences of chronic diseases have increased worldwide because of the poor lifestyle behaviours such as physical inactivity, obesity, and poor diet quality. Hence, governments across nations are obligated to cater to the needs of the citizens and implement policies to address health issues.

Therefore, the government of San Francisco has designed affordable health care services so that the basic healthcare needs of uninsured residents can be met. The San Francisco Department of Public Health (DPH) operates the program. As per DPH, 73,000 adults in San Francisco are not insured and it represents nearly 11% of the total non-elderly population. Uninsured residents need to gain access to the public healthcare system. The program offers access to medical services, inpatient care, speciality care, primary care, mental health services, and diagnostic services and so on (Healthy San Francisco, 2020). The service users can have access to it through San Francisco General Hospital. Moreover, 27 clinics in San Francisco also participate so that the overall provider network can be expanded with program maturity.

However, one of the controversial aspects of the program is that businesses are supposed to contribute a minimum amount of their profit to the healthcare aspect of their employees. Firms consisting of nearly or greater than 20 employees fall under the scheme. However, business owners are considering it as a burden. However, it is necessary for employers to understand that offering health services to employees will make the employees feel supported. They will perceive that the employers care about them. The comprehensive health coverage would guarantee the health and well-being of employees and the turnover rate or absenteeism is likely to get reduced.

Analysis of personal freedom and government’s healthcare responsibilities

The American healthcare system is at a crossroad. The government spends a huge amount on improving the healthcare system and it implies that the government has greater control over the decision-making process in the healthcare sector (Shadegg, 2020). There is an imbalance between the type of control that should be exerted on the healthcare system. Greater government control implies that the government has greater political and economic power and it can impose rules on the citizens as noted in the city of San Francisco. Hence, a drift towards shifting responsibilities on the families and individual citizens regarding healthcare is prominent now. One of the leaders in the healthcare policy, Congressman Shadegg has introduced several bills in order to enhance the healthcare system. He proposed the Health Care Choice Act and it will enhance the freedom levels of families and individuals to buy health insurance whenever they feel necessary. One of the primary goals of Congressman Shadegg is to restore personal freedom in the USA. On the other hand, the ruling governments in the USA have always emphasised on a government-controlled system and they like to name it “universal coverage.” The idea seems fair; however, people will lose control. In the case of universal coverage, the insurance companies will make decisions for the patients and the patients will lack control over health-related decision-making. Hence, it is necessary to create a balance and the government should come forward and make patient-centric decisions. Any patient receiving care from a medical team posses the right to make decisions. He or she should consult about the health-related concerns. There is a need to address this domestic issue. The government cannot erode the fundamental rights or liberties of citizens by refusing their right to participation (Bayer, 2007).

Conclusion

The assignment is centred on the Healthy San Francisco Plan launched in San Francisco. The obligation of the government to ensure healthcare access to its citizens has been considered important. Therefore, the ways in which the government regulates the healthy and unhealthy behaviour of citizens has been explored in the paper. It has been noted that the public is benefitted due to the programs launched by the government in San Francisco. However, the need to create a balance between the government’s control over healthcare services and the rights of individual citizens over healthcare decision-making has been highlighted here.

References

Bayer, R. (2007). The continuing tensions between individual rights and public health: Talking point on public health versus civil liberties. EMBO reports 8(12), 1099-1103.

Healthy San Francisco. (2020). Retrieved 21 July 2020, from https://healthysanfrancisco.org/#:~:text=An%20Innovative%20Health%20Access%20Program,of%20Public%20Health%20(DPH).

Jacobs, K., & Lucia, L. (2018). Universal Health Care: Lessons From San Francisco. Health Affairs, 37(9), 1375-1382.

Shadegg, T. (2020). Health Care at the Crossroads: Personal Freedom or Government Control?. Retrieved 21 July 2020, from https://www.heritage.org/health-care-reform/report/health-care-the-crossroads-personal-freedom-or-government-control

Whitsel, L. P. (2017). Government’s role in promoting healthy living. Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases, 59(5), 492-497.

Case Study Reflection

Pssst… we can write an original essay just for you.