“I entered the health care debate in response to a statement in the United States press in summer 2009 which claimed the National Health Service in Great Britain would have killed me off, were I a British citizen. I felt compelled to make a statement to explain the error.”
- January 8, 1942 – March 14, 2018
- British
- Theoretical physicist, science writer
- Announced the black hole singularity theorem and Hawking radiation, and contributed to the popularization of science with his book “Talking about the Universe”
Quote
“I entered the health care debate in response to a statement in the United States press in summer 2009 which claimed the National Health Service in Great Britain would have killed me off, were I a British citizen. I felt compelled to make a statement to explain the error.”
Explanation
In this quote, Stephen Hawking is referring to his personal involvement in the health care debate that emerged in the United States in 2009, particularly during the discussions surrounding health care reform and the proposal for universal health care. The controversy began when certain American political figures claimed that the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK would provide subpar care and might even deny life-saving treatment to individuals like Hawking, who was living with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), a progressive and often terminal disease. These claims were particularly pointed because of Hawking’s own physical condition, and the idea was suggested that under the NHS, a person with a terminal disease would not be provided with adequate care.
Hawking, who is British and has been a long-time advocate for the NHS, felt compelled to correct this misinformation. He publicly stated that, in fact, he had received excellent care under the NHS throughout his battle with ALS and that the British health care system had been instrumental in allowing him to live far longer than he might have in another system. This was a personal rebuttal to the notion that a system like the NHS, which is built around providing universal care for all citizens, would discriminate against individuals with serious medical conditions.
Hawking’s intervention in the debate was significant because it highlighted the contrast between the American system, where health care is often tied to insurance coverage and privilege, and the British system, where care is provided based on need rather than the ability to pay. His statement was a strong defense of the NHS, which is based on the principle of universal health care, and it underscored his belief that access to quality health care should be a fundamental right for all individuals, regardless of their condition or economic status. This issue remains central in many countries, as debates around the right to health care continue to shape policy decisions worldwide.
