There are strong grounds for a right to health and health care based on the protection of fair equality of opportunity. The right entails fairly general preventive interventions, both at a population and individual level, as well as curative, and rehabilitative services. Exactly what the health care entitlements are, given technological and resource constraints, is best spelled out through a fair, deliberative process. 

Norman Daniels, Ph.D, is Mary B Saltonstall Profesor and Professor of Ethics and Population Health at Harvard School of Public Health. His recent books include Just Health (Cambridge 2008) and a second edition of Setting Limits Fairly (with James Sabin) (Oxford, 2008). His work is on aspects of justice and health policy – e.g., disparities, priority setting, access to care, global health, foundations for a right to health or health care.