Discussion 3.1

The 10th Amendment to the U.S.
Constitution ensures that the federal government does not

have total authority over all of the states on matters not specifically outlined in the
constitution. It basically mandates that the default position in conflicts between the states and the
federal government rests with the states (Cummings, 2020). A national healthcare plan is not
specifically outlined in the Constitution and is therefore up for debate.
Article 1 Sec. 8 outlines the taxing authority granted to Congress as “The Congress shall have
Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for
the common Defense and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and
Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States." (Maharrey, 2010). Opponents of a
national health system argue that this does not give the federal government the authority to enact
a universal healthcare plan under the constitution; proponents argue it does. The case against a
national health plan shares that American’s do not want it, financial interests and businesses do
not want it, and that entitle programs are hard in general to enact (Callaghan, 2016).
In my opinion, however, federal government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid are
already being used within our healthcare system to protect vulnerable populations. Mandating
that all US citizens receive healthcare is within the scope of the Constitutions claims to “general
welfare.” I believe that healthcare is a human right and should be granted and protected for every
American. Whether or not this will ever happen in the United States is still up for debate and
honestly, in my opinion, is still not looking promising.
I agree with what you said about the 10th amendment as it relates to a national healthcare plan as
being a confrontational sticking point. It is interesting that this amendment is used to say that the
federal government cannot make a national healthcare plan a law. We already have Medicaid and
Medicare which are federally ran and funded but employed by the individual states. I wonder if
we could have a national health plan funded by the federal government but run by the healthcare
industry. This is an interesting topic for sure. Great post!
Callaghan, T. (2016, October 26). 3 Reasons the U.S. doesn’t have universal health coverage.
U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved from https://www.usnews.com/news/national-
news/articles/2016-10-26/3-reasons-the-us-doesnt-have-universal-health-coverage#:~:text=As
%20policy%20experts%20have%20pointed%20out%20in%20studies,structurally%20biased
%20against%20this%20kind%20of%20comprehensive%20reform.%22
Cummings, W. (2020, April 14). Here’s what the Constitution’s 10th Amendment says about
Trump’s claim to have total authority over states. USA Today. Retrieved from
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/04/14/trump-claim-total-authority-claim-
10th-amendment/2988013001/
Maharrey, M. (2010, October 18). Health care plan violates 10th Amendment. Lexington Herald
Leader. Retrieved from https://www.kentucky.com/opinion/op-ed/article44055324.html
Suzan,
I agree with you that the US will probably never be able to have a national health system due to
politics. Those politics are driven by the special interest groups that you mentioned like
insurance companies and pharmaceuticals. With all the data available, a national health plan
would be in the best interest of all Americans; better care that is less expensive. If it was truly
about the health of American’s we would already have a system like this in place. Sadly,
however, it seems to be more about the best interests of the lobbyists influencing both sides.
Great post!
The benefits of telehealth are vast and promising especially in rural areas. Access to specialists
during emergency situations will help with morbidity and mortality rates while improving overall
patient care and outcomes. When I worked for a rural hospital years ago patients were frequently
transferred out with possible delays in care due to a specialist not being available at our small
facility. Telemedicine will help bridge this gap and ensure proper care. I also like how you
pointed out that the facility offering telehealth will still be receiving revenue from the patients
that they would have transferred out in the past. I can honestly say I hadn’t though of that. Great
PowerPoint.
Transportation issues will always be an issue with some of our most vulnerable populations
especially in rural areas where there is not mass transportation or taxi services. EMS services are
already used to transport rural patients from home to hospital at insane costs. When I worked at a
rural hospital, EMS was called to bring in patients for every kind of visit, not just emergency
services. I would like to think that if these patients have better access to telehealth in the first
place, their need for transportation would be lessened which would in turn provide better real
time care and save money.

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The 10th Amendment to the U.S.

Constitution ensures that the federal government does not

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