What does “shared responsibility” mean to PHAN?
Much of the public debate around the health care crisis is framed by the discussion of responsibility. This way of framing the debate hooks easily into broader political debates between conservatives and liberals or between partisans of the Republican and Democratic parties. PHAN believes we as individuals are responsible for our own health care. We need to follow healthy lifestyles, seek preventive care, follow the advice of medical professionals, and within our economic means, save enough money to meet reasonable deductibles and co-payments. But it is nonsense to say (as some conservative commentators do) that consumers have too much health insurance, that consumers are using too much medical care, or that consumers should shop around for doctors and manage their own medical care to stay within a budget. That turns a positive value – personal responsibility – into an ideology that is disconnected from the reality of life. PHAN also believes employers play a key role in our health car
