Suggestion: People who were involuntarily hospitalized, institutionalized, held against their will, locked up in a psych ward, etc. should NOT be responsible for their medical bills.
First off, given the way the healthcare system and how the government as well as laws work, it seems grossly unfair and ripe for abuse for doctors, mental health professionals, or law enforcement to force someone who is suspected to be suicidal, a danger to themselves, or unable to make rational decisions to a psych ward/involuntarily committed, hospitalized, institutionalized, etc. Then on top of all the other social, civil, professional consequences, the person is sent a massive medical bill for something they did NOT consent to.
My suggestion is that if a person is forced against their will for something they did NOT ask for, they should at the least NOT be responsible for a medical bill through forced treatment and/or hospital stay. Furthermore, the person should have to have due process before being held against their will. To be honest, a suspected suicidal person is treated worse than even a criminal, and if that isn't alarming then something is really messed up with how regular people around most of the world turn a blind eye to this. A suspected criminal is at least given some due process and have some more credibility in the legal system than someone who is suspected a danger to him/herself or suicidal.
However, it is very unlikely that it would happen in the US, due to economic, political, and social climate as of present day.
This of course, does not apply to countries that have universal healthcare and/or free healthcare for it's citizens, however, civil rights of the patient are still important considerations too.
Posted Apr 3, 2018, 7:13 AM UTC
Economic right wing policies and right libertarianism is a curse.
Do you mind me asking what neoliberalism or libertarianism has to do with the post? I agree with OP, but I don't see what libertarianism has to do with it. I would think libertarians would be more opposed to invulontarily locking someone up for suicidal behaviors, and more in favor of OP's suggestion. I think the modern day social climate has more to do with the unlikeliness of that happening rather than the economic or political climate.
In short: People "care" about the mental ill, as long as the solution does not involve the tax payers money.
Meaning: single-payer health care, expanded funding for mental health care, etc.
I guess, but I don't see how dumping more tax dollars into the system would benefit anyone. Everyone should have the right to die if they want, and if they make that choice, they should be able to do so with as little government interference as possible. The only thing more tax dollars would do is simply cause things to continue the way the are, except the psyche wards (now with more funding) would have more room to house more suicidal people trapped within them, making it much easier for people like us to be sent there.
Agreed. Libertarianism, to me at least, would mean restricting a persons freedom as little as possible. IE, if they want to do drugs, smoke, read offensive literature, or end their lives, that's fine, as long as they don't threaten anyone else or harm anyone else.