Paying To Park At A Hospital: A Violation of One's Constitutional Rights? - A Debate Constructive by Enyjé Sandoz
Enyjé Sandoz
SPCH 104-1679
Debate Constructive
Two hundred thirty-five years ago, the leaders of the United States of America gathered to outline their ideal nation. Consequently, they produced a document known as the Constitution. The preamble of the Constitution reads as follows: "We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish Justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare, and secure the Blessings of liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America" (U.S. Constitution). At the inception of this country, the leaders vowed to uphold specific values such as justice, national security, and peace, freedom for all. In particular, they promised to provide general welfare - the health, happiness, and fortunes of a person or group (Oxford Language and Google). Unfortunately, the American healthcare system has neglected one of the core values of the Constitution: promote the general welfare. Hospitals have imposed parking fees on their patients, visitors, and staff. Parking fees center the focus of hospitals on profit, not care. Care is the provision of what is necessary for the health, welfare, maintenance, and protection of someone or something (Oxford Languages and Google). Parking fees inflict financial burdens on patients and staff members. Additionally, hospital fees do not mitigate criminal activity in parking structures, nor do they ensure the safety of its occupants. Therefore, it should be illegal for hospitals to charge for parking.
Hospital parking fees cause financial strain for patients and employees. Due to the cost of healthcare, people elect not to receive healthcare; therefore, charging people to park their cars while seeking medical attention would cause them to incur an additional fee. In 2022, 28% of American adults skipped some form of medical treatment because of cost, as reported by the Federal Reserve (USAFacts). The U.S. population on January 1, 2022, totaled 332,403,650 (United States Census Bureau). The 2022 U.S. adult population approximated 260,836,730 (The Annie E. Casey Foundation), meaning that of 260 million adults, roughly 73,034,284 did not receive healthcare. Seeking medical attention should not be a choice based on finances. It is inhumane and dangerous. Hospitals charging a fee to park in their garages can further prevent people from seeking medical treatment, as the cost to park at a hospital is an up-front cost many people may not be able to afford.
Hospitals charge an hourly and daily rate. While costs such as $1.50 for twenty minutes, $1 per extra hour, and a max of $6.50 per day may seem insignificant (Adventist Health Glendale), they accumulate. According to the Center for Health Information and Analysis (CHIA), a study concluded the average duration of an emergency room stay is 4.2 hours. In a hypothetical study, if someone were to be in the emergency room for 4.2 hours at Adventist Glendale, they would be charged $4.50. The demographic of people who frequent the emergency room are those considered poor and the elderly (CHIA). Potentially, people may not have $4.50 to pay for parking as that money may be for other necessities, or they do not have it. If admitted into the hospital for approximately a week, someone would have to pay $45.50 in addition to their medical bills.
Regrettably, patients are a portion of people who have to pay for parking. At some hospitals, employees must pay for parking from their paychecks. At the University of California Irvine, "the monthly parking fee is divided across both paychecks. All employee deductions occur in arrears. Therefore, each deduction pays for the previous month's parking fees" (University of California Irvine Transportation and Distribution Services). The cost of living across the country is at an all-time high. Specifically, California is known for its exorbitant prices. Hospital staff members can range from doctors, nurses, and technicians to security, sanitation crew, cafeteria, etc. Each position pays at a different rate, and at hospitals such as the University of California Irvine, all employees have to forfeit a portion of their earnings for a parking permit. For a doctor, it is plausible to assume that the permit fees will have an insignificant impact on their livelihood. However, for staff members such as the sanitation crew, the pay is incomparable; it could result in financial constraints outside of work. Essentially, hospital employees are paying to go to work.
Despite paying to park in the parking lot at a hospital as opposed to the side of a street or a free parking lot, patients, visitors, and employees are still at risk of being victims of crimes. For example, on March 3, 2023, a man stole keys from the valet booth of a hospital in the Streeterville neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois (Fox 32 Chicago). Valet Parking is a service offered by hospitals where a patient or visitor allows a supposed-entrusted hospital employee to park their car so they do not have to find parking themselves. Hospital patrons leave their car keys with the valet employee who stores them at the valet booth. The booth is supposed to be monitored by the employee at all times. It is absurd that the valet attendant failed to be present at the booth, despite patrons paying for the service. Alas, as a result, car keys were stolen, which is negligible. It is seemingly theft on two accounts: the first is the man who stole the keys, and the second is the unattended valet booth in which people paid their hard-earned money. Another instance of theft in a hospital parking lot happened on November 16, 2023, in Atlanta, Georgia. Four suspects broke into healthcare workers at a Gwinett County Hospital (WSB-TV 2 Atlanta). Hospital patients and visitors are a fraction of the victims of hospital parking lot crimes. As they save lives and keep hospitals afloat, employees face the looming reality that their cars may encounter burglarization. As mentioned above, healthcare workers at the University of California Irvine have a portion of their paychecks garnished to pay for parking permits. Though this crime was in Atlanta, Georgia, it is still a space of concern. People work hard and pay to work – they should have insurance and assurance from hospitals that they are protected and their possessions. Robberies are not the only crimes occurring in parking lots. Woefully, a Detriot nurse was kidnapped from the DMC Detroit Receiving Hospital parking garage on May 13, 2023, and later killed (Click On Detriot). In another dreadful occurrence, a nurse practitioner was beaten to death by a former valet employee in 2019 while walking to her car in the Froedtert Hospital parking structure (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel). Hospital parking garages are unsafe. To enforce parking fees without proper precautions is cruel, as patients, visitors, and employees are at risk of being brutalized when their sole intention is to return safely to their cars.
Many hospitals have argued that they implement parking fees to support other aspects of the hospitals, such as offsetting the costs of new diagnostic tools, parking lot maintenance, and increased vehicle turnover. However, advanced tools and hospital upkeep expenses are not the responsibility of patients, visitors, and staff. According to the California Health Care Foundation, "California's hospitals had approximately $9 billion in net income (or profit) in 2023" (Melnick). It is plausible to expect that hospitals (particularly in California) would allocate funding to alleviate the requirement of parking fees as they can afford it.
Hospital parking fees cause financial strain for patients and employees. Due to the cost of healthcare, people elect not to receive healthcare; therefore, charging people to park their cars while seeking medical attention would cause them to incur an additional fee. In 2022, 28% of American adults skipped some form of medical treatment because of cost, as reported by the Federal Reserve (USAFacts). The U.S. population on January 1, 2022, totaled 332,403,650 (United States Census Bureau). The 2022 U.S. adult population approximated 260,836,730 (The Annie E. Casey Foundation), meaning that of 260 million adults, roughly 73,034,284 did not receive healthcare. Seeking medical attention should not be a choice based on finances. It is inhumane and dangerous. Hospitals charging a fee to park in their garages can further prevent people from seeking medical treatment, as the cost to park at a hospital is an up-front cost many people may not be able to afford.
Hospitals charge an hourly and daily rate. While costs such as $1.50 for twenty minutes, $1 per extra hour, and a max of $6.50 per day may seem insignificant (Adventist Health Glendale), they accumulate. According to the Center for Health Information and Analysis (CHIA), a study concluded the average duration of an emergency room stay is 4.2 hours. In a hypothetical study, if someone were to be in the emergency room for 4.2 hours at Adventist Glendale, they would be charged $4.50. The demographic of people who frequent the emergency room are those considered poor and the elderly (CHIA). Potentially, people may not have $4.50 to pay for parking as that money may be for other necessities, or they do not have it. If admitted into the hospital for approximately a week, someone would have to pay $45.50 in addition to their medical bills.
Regrettably, patients are a portion of people who have to pay for parking. At some hospitals, employees must pay for parking from their paychecks. At the University of California Irvine, "the monthly parking fee is divided across both paychecks. All employee deductions occur in arrears. Therefore, each deduction pays for the previous month's parking fees" (University of California Irvine Transportation and Distribution Services). The cost of living across the country is at an all-time high. Specifically, California is known for its exorbitant prices. Hospital staff members can range from doctors, nurses, and technicians to security, sanitation crew, cafeteria, etc. Each position pays at a different rate, and at hospitals such as the University of California Irvine, all employees have to forfeit a portion of their earnings for a parking permit. For a doctor, it is plausible to assume that the permit fees will have an insignificant impact on their livelihood. However, for staff members such as the sanitation crew, the pay is incomparable; it could result in financial constraints outside of work. Essentially, hospital employees are paying to go to work.
Despite paying to park in the parking lot at a hospital as opposed to the side of a street or a free parking lot, patients, visitors, and employees are still at risk of being victims of crimes. For example, on March 3, 2023, a man stole keys from the valet booth of a hospital in the Streeterville neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois (Fox 32 Chicago). Valet Parking is a service offered by hospitals where a patient or visitor allows a supposed-entrusted hospital employee to park their car so they do not have to find parking themselves. Hospital patrons leave their car keys with the valet employee who stores them at the valet booth. The booth is supposed to be monitored by the employee at all times. It is absurd that the valet attendant failed to be present at the booth, despite patrons paying for the service. Alas, as a result, car keys were stolen, which is negligible. It is seemingly theft on two accounts: the first is the man who stole the keys, and the second is the unattended valet booth in which people paid their hard-earned money. Another instance of theft in a hospital parking lot happened on November 16, 2023, in Atlanta, Georgia. Four suspects broke into healthcare workers at a Gwinett County Hospital (WSB-TV 2 Atlanta). Hospital patients and visitors are a fraction of the victims of hospital parking lot crimes. As they save lives and keep hospitals afloat, employees face the looming reality that their cars may encounter burglarization. As mentioned above, healthcare workers at the University of California Irvine have a portion of their paychecks garnished to pay for parking permits. Though this crime was in Atlanta, Georgia, it is still a space of concern. People work hard and pay to work – they should have insurance and assurance from hospitals that they are protected and their possessions. Robberies are not the only crimes occurring in parking lots. Woefully, a Detriot nurse was kidnapped from the DMC Detroit Receiving Hospital parking garage on May 13, 2023, and later killed (Click On Detriot). In another dreadful occurrence, a nurse practitioner was beaten to death by a former valet employee in 2019 while walking to her car in the Froedtert Hospital parking structure (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel). Hospital parking garages are unsafe. To enforce parking fees without proper precautions is cruel, as patients, visitors, and employees are at risk of being brutalized when their sole intention is to return safely to their cars.
Many hospitals have argued that they implement parking fees to support other aspects of the hospitals, such as offsetting the costs of new diagnostic tools, parking lot maintenance, and increased vehicle turnover. However, advanced tools and hospital upkeep expenses are not the responsibility of patients, visitors, and staff. According to the California Health Care Foundation, "California's hospitals had approximately $9 billion in net income (or profit) in 2023" (Melnick). It is plausible to expect that hospitals (particularly in California) would allocate funding to alleviate the requirement of parking fees as they can afford it.
Healthcare is a right, not a privilege. As written in the preamble of the Declaration of Independence, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" (Jefferson, Thomas, et al.). The rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are undeniable to citizens. Therefore, people are entitled to park free at hospitals because their needs and deserve of a quality life depend upon their ability to seek healthcare. To require constituents to pay for parking violates people's constitutional rights and undermines the assertions in the Declaration of Independence. It is immoral and unethical. Hospital parking fees encumber patrons and workers with a financial obligation. Moreover, parking fees do not guarantee a safe environment as people are susceptible to being victims of crimes, much like if they were to park in an unattended parking lot, or on the side of a street. Thus, it should be illegal for hospitals to charge for parking.
Work Cited
FOX 32 Digital Staff. “Car Stolen from Hospital Parking Lot after Man Takes Keys from Valet Booth.” FOX 32 Chicago, FOX 32 Chicago, 3 Mar. 2023, www.fox32chicago.com/news/car-stolen-from-hospital-parking-lot-after-man-takes-keys-from-valet-booth.
Jefferson, Thomas, et al. “The Declaration of Independence.” National Archives and Records Administration, National Archives and Records Administration, 25 Apr. 1994, www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration.
Johncox, Cassidy, and Jacqueline Francis. “Family Sues DMC for Negligence after Detroit Nurse Kidnapped from Hospital Parking Lot, Killed.” WDIV, WDIV ClickOnDetroit, 2 Aug. 2023, www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2023/08/02/family-sues-dmc-for-negligence-after-detroit-nurse-kidnapped-from-parking-lot-killed/.
Johnson, Matt. “Healthcare Workers Targeted by String of Car Break-Ins at Gwinnett County Hospital, Police Say.” WSB, WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta, 17 Nov. 2023, www.wsbtv.com/news/local/gwinnett-county/healthcare-workers-targeted-by-string-car-break-ins-gwinnett-county-hospital-police-say/SG5KN2FRTVGSFFGPNLGHNKWRC4/.
Madison, James, et al. “The Constitution of the United States.” National Archives and Records Administration, National Archives and Records Administration, 21 Sept. 2022, www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution.
Melnick, Glenn. “Three Charts That Help Explain the Financial Health of California’s Hospitals.” California Health Care Foundation, 25 Apr. 2024, www.chcf.org/publication/tracking-financial-health-ca-hospitals/.
Moore, Derick. “U.S. Population Estimated at 332,403,650 on Jan. 1, 2022.” Census.Gov, United States Census Bureau, 13 Apr. 2022, www.census.gov/library/stories/2021/12/happy-new-year-2022.html.
Pilarski, Raquel Rutledge and Karen. “Former Parking Valet Was Waiting in Froedtert Garage to Attack Nurse Practitioner, According to Homicide Charges.” Journal Sentinel, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 7 Jan. 2020, www.jsonline.com/story/news/crime/2019/01/29/suspect-charged-homicide-nurse-practitioner/2713794002/.
Schoenberg, Shira. “Frequent Flyers Account for 9.4% of ER Visits - Report Says Average Length of Stay Was 4.2 Hours.” In The News, Center For Health Information and Analysis, 17 Sept. 2017, www.chiamass.gov/frequent-flyers-account-for-9-4-of-er-visits/.
U.S. Census Bureau. “Adult Population by Age Group: Kids Count Data Center.” Adult Population by Age Group | KIDS COUNT Data Center, The Annie E. Casey Foundation, July 2023, datacenter.aecf.org/data/tables/6538-adult-population-by-age-group#detailed/1/any/false/1095,2048,574,1729,37,871,870,573,869,36/2803/13515,13516.
“Adventist Health Glendale - Maps and Directions.” Adventist Health Glendale - Maps and Directions, Adventist Health Glendale, adventisthealth.org/glendale/patient-resources/maps-and-directions/#:~:text=Turn%20into%20the%20main%20medical,a%20maximum%20of%20%246.50%2Fday.
“Faculty/Staff Parking Permits.” UCI Transportation and Distribution Services, University of California, Irvine, parking.uci.edu/permits/staffpermits.cfm.
“How Many People in America Skip Medical Treatment Due to Healthcare Costs?” USAFacts, USAFacts, 19 Dec. 2023, usafacts.org/articles/how-many-people-skip-medical-treatment-due-to-healthcare-costs/#:~:text=In%202022%2C%2028%25%20of%20American,third%2Dhighest%20year%20on%20record.
“Oxford Languages and Google - English.” Oxford Languages, languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en/.
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