title: On duties to provide basic health and dental care to children.
abstract: Children around the world suffer from poor health outcomes due to a lack of basic health and dental care, even in affluent countries. Yet duties exist to provide children these services when a society can afford to do so based on the importance of promoting (a) social utility, (b) autonomy and equality of opportunity, (c) children's well-being or best interest due to their vulnerability, and (d) compassion, sympathy, empathy and solidarity. In addition, (e) these considerations show that, in general, if competent adults should have access to federal- or state-funded health care goods, services, or benefits, then so should children. This argument has limitations; nonetheless, it can help identify systematic biases against children in federal- or state-supported health care programs and gain children access to better basic health and dental care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Humanities, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA. kopelmanlo@brody.ecu.edu
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Kopelman
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002651:Child Advocacy; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019140:Dental Care for Children / Q000592:standards*; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D006801:Humans; D012941:Social Responsibility; D014481:United States