Catholics believe health care is a basic human right.

Patience isn't a virtue that comes to me easily. I correspond by email with a lot of people, and many of my fellow Catholics are very confused about our Catholic Church traditions and policies.
The following is a direct quote from the Magisterium of the Catholic Church in the U.S.:


Official Catholic Teaching from
U.S. Council of Catholic Bishops "Position on Health Care Reform

In our Catholic tradition, health care is a basic human right. Access to health care should not depend on where a person works, how much a family earns, or where a person lives. Instead, every person, created in the image and likeness of God, has a right to life and to those things necessary to sustain life, including affordable, quality health care. This teaching is rooted in the biblical call to heal the sick and to serve "the least of these," our concern for human life and dignity, and the principle of the common good. Unfortunately, tens of millions of Americans do not have health insurance. According to the Catholic bishops of the United States, the current health care system is in need of fundamental reform. To learn about Catholic teaching on health care in more detail, read the full statement by the United States Catholic Bishops, A Framework for Comprehensive Health Care Reform, at usccb.org/sdwp/national/comphealth.shtml."

Futher information available at the U.S. Catholic Bishops website:
http://www.usccb.org/healthcare/