Health Care in the US

[From Church of the Brethren Annual Conference Statement on Health Care in the United States (1989)
 and Church of the Brethren General Board Resolution on Health Care in the United States (1992)]

Throughout the Scriptures, God calls for justice and fairness for all people. Therefore, it seems particularly clear that in the richest nation on earth, God expects access to adequate health care to be a basic right for all citizens, regardless of gender, race or financial status. While good health cannot be assured to everyone, good health care can and should be guaranteed.

Our Judeo-Christian heritage has taught us that God’s holy purpose includes everyone, that every person is of worth. As God’s people, we are to be concerned for the health of all people and to nurture health for one another. In the past, the church has accepted the responsibility of caring for others; today the church is called to a new level of involvement. As God’s people on earth, the church is called to work for high quality, comprehensive health care for all.

AFFIRMATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS:

• We believe that as tangible evidence of the covenantal nature of our Christian faith, all persons should receive adequate health care as a basic human right and as a reflection of personal dignity;
• that the responsibility for fulfilling the right to adequate health care rests not only with the individual and society, but with government as an instrument of society;
• that Christians should model health lifestyles;
• and that [members of the Church of the] Brethren should support legislation that promotes adequate health care for all.

WITH THE INTERRELIGIOUS HEALTH CARE CAMPAIGN:

• seek a national health care plan that provides basic health care for all and ministers to the needs of the whole person; and
• recommend a national health policy that rectifies current inequalities through broad-based financial support and prospective budgeting aimed at reducing rapid inflation in the costs for services.