Universal Health Care for Children: Why Every Self-Interested Person Should Support It

Abstract

By comparison to other developed nations, both the health care and the health status of children in the U.S. are poor. Ethical arguments for covering all children for health services are numerous, but most of them require the suppression of self-interested motivations. Drawing from and developing the arguments of David Hume, this essay argues that self-interested motives need not work against an inclusive system, and can strengthen the case for covering children in particular. Anyone who hopes to benefit from the inter-generational transfers currently required by Social Security and Medicare policies should be an advocate for health care for all children.