Health Care Is a Basic Human Right
To the Editor:
I believe that health care is a basic human right. This principle is recognized internationally in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (United Nations, 1948), which declares that everyone has the right to “a standard of living adequate for health and well-being, including medical care.”
Cindy Rodibaugh’s letter of November 14, 2025, argued that extending tax offsets for the Affordable Care Act (ACA, often called “ObamaCare”) is fiscally irresponsible. She also criticized any policy that would provide benefits to undocumented immigrants. President Trump has persuaded some among us that the flow of undocumented immigrants across the southern border is doing great harm to our country. I believe this view of immigration is too simplistic and inconsistent with the facts. Of course, every nation must secure its borders and should provide humane treatment for immigrants. Both the Republicans and the Democrats have failed that imperative.
Historical facts and our Constitution mandate a primary role that the federal government must fill to ensure health care for anyone living in the United States. The Affordable Care Act is an imperfect program, but it remains the best option for many who cannot afford better or any health insurance at all. The Congressional Budget Office (2021) has reported that repealing or reducing ACA tax credits would cause insurance premiums to rise significantly for millions of Americans.
The Constitution’s Preamble declares that one of its core purposes is to “promote the general Welfare.” That phrase has long justified federal programs like Social Security, Medicare, and laws protecting public health and safety (U.S. Const. Preamble.) While the courts have not explicitly ruled that this clause requires universal health care, legal scholars have argued that promoting the general welfare includes access to health and safety protections (Fleming, 2015).
The Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment reinforces the government’s moral duty to ensure equal opportunity and protection for all citizens—a duty that logically supports universal health care (U.S. Const. amend. XIV, §1). Although the Supreme Court has not recognized health care as a constitutional right (San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez, 1973), ensuring equitable access aligns with the principle of equal protection when health disparities disproportionately harm low-income families and racial minorities (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2023.)
Despite spending nearly twice as much per person as other wealthy nations, the United States consistently ranks last in overall health system performance (Commonwealth Fund, 2021.) Americans pay more and receive poorer outcomes, including higher infant mortality, shorter life expectancy, and more preventable deaths (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development [OECD], 2023). Meanwhile, citizens in countries rated the happiest—such as Denmark, Sweden, and Norway—all have universal health coverage (World Happiness Report, 2024). While happiness cannot be reduced to a single factor, these countries demonstrate that comprehensive, equitable health systems can coexist with high well-being.
Ensuring essential health care to all, including undocumented immigrants, also makes economic sense. Research shows that undocumented immigrants contribute significantly to state and local tax bases—an estimated $11.7 billion annually (Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy [ITEP], 2022)—and they are less likely than U.S. citizens to use public benefits (Cato Institute, 2018.) Denying them preventive care only shifts costs to emergency rooms, increasing uncompensated care burdens and driving up overall prices (American Hospital Association, 2022.)
Furthermore, major economic analyses conclude that immigration overall has a net positive effect on the U.S. economy and does not depress wages or employment in the long term (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2017.)
Affordable, good-quality health care for all fulfills the Constitution’s promise to promote the general welfare and ensure equal rights. Access to good health care should not depend on one’s ability to afford it. Providing good health care is both a moral and practical necessity—and, above all, a basic human right.
Bill Balch La Grange