title: The political divide in health care: a liberal perspective.
abstract: U.S. health policy has been consumed by an ideological divide between conservative and liberal viewpoints. The liberal philosophy, based on both moral principles and utilitarian arguments, attempts to balance the needs of the individual with the concerns of the entire population. Elements of the liberal health care perspective include a belief that health care is an equal right of all people, the implementation of that right through a social insurance system that provides universal health coverage, equitable financing of health care, and a commitment to equality in health care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, USA. TBodenheimer@fcm.ucsf.edu
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bodenheimer
mesh_terms: D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D011057:Politics; D014481:United States; D019472:Universal Health Insurance