It is correct that public health policies often do not align with the personal preferences of people, such as the desire to smoke cigarettes, yet they still rely on ethical principles. Specifically, the ethics utilized as a part of health policies are universal, so they aim at promoting good for the majority of people (Anne Scott, 2017). Thus, the principles of beneficence, respect of persons, and justice guide policies in a way which makes them beneficial for the largest number of people. Essentially, it is a utilitarian approach, which inherently implies discrimination of certain minorities, such as those preferring smoking and overeating (Reichlin, 2021). For instance, the principle of respect of persons cannot be applied individually because it can lead to conflicts. A person who smokes cigarettes actually can disrespect people who cannot tolerate smoking. Since smoking is considered to be harmful in society, public health policies do not consider the need to respect smokers to a point where their preferred cigarettes are kept at an affordable price.
As for the issue of high healthcare costs, it is absolutely correct that it is an ethical problem since it directly affects the ability of people to receive much-needed treatment. Currently, many people who are considered poor face healthcare disparities, including in the form of being subject to biased attitudes on the part of medical personnel (Fitzgerald & Hurst, 2017). Essentially, the need to lower healthcare costs and make hospitals a place of equality is exceptionally important, yet the solution for the problem must be more complex than the Affordable Care Act. For instance, research shows that a considerable factor leading to high healthcare costs is waste (Shrank et al., 2019). If the government were to introduce additional laws concerning aspects such as waste or taxes for providers, it would positively influence a reduction in prices. As a result, lower healthcare prices would correspond to ethical principles of justice and equality for everyone.
References
Anne Scott, P. (2017). Nursing and the ethical dimension of practice. In P. Anne Scott (Ed.), Key concepts and issues in nursing ethics (pp. 1–13). Frankfurt, Germany: Springer.
Fitzgerald, C. & Hurst, S. (2017). Implicit bias in healthcare professionals: A systematic review. BMC Medical Ethics, 18(19), 1–18. Web.
Reichlin, M. (2021). Prioritarianism in health-care: Resisting the reduction to utilitarianism. Diametros: A Journal of Philosophy, 18(69), 20–32. Web.
Shrank, W., Rogstad, T., & Parekh, N. (2019). Waste in the US health care system: Estimated costs and potential for savings. JAMA, 322(15), 1501–1509. Web.