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US Health Care Falls Far Short

Medical care is a human right, and the US health care system falls far short. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations with strong US engagement, specifically lists adequate medical care as a human right (Article 25).Tomorrow, President Obama will address a joint session of Congress to press our Senators and Representatives to advance meaningful health care reform. Therefore, it is essential that we remind our legislators now that crucial human rights are at stake.So today, tell your US Representative and Senators that healthcare reform must address human rights.Any reform process must urgently address:

  • the plight of the uninsured
  • personal bankruptcy due to the cost of illness
  • ethnic disparities in delivery of care
  • lack of access to quality health care
  • denial of care to undocumented workers

All of the above are flaws of the current system and all are morally untenable human rights violations.Tell Congress to ensure that health care reform lives up to principles derived from the internationally recognized right to health.Physicians for Human Rights does not take a position on the specific details of existing reform proposals. That said, we strongly believe that any effective plan must respect the internationally recognized right to the highest attainable standard of health.

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