Unfortunately I don’t think we are in a place where we can separate questions of personhood as “healthcare” as diametrically opposed to “government.” The two systems are inextricably linked in American and most of western society, and while I do understand the libertarian perspective on that, there are many clear reasons why the government can and should play a role in these questions.

I think the most obvious one is with regards to murder. Ending a life (which could happen for a variety of reasons, both intentional and unintentional, out of self-defense and out of bloodthirst and everything in between) could be an extremely serious crime against humanity. There is enough subjectivity on the question of personhood/aliveness and the way it relates to the termination of what could be perceived as such that I would argue it necessitates some level of regulation.

As we know from the fringes of people who will do all kinds of crazy things to themselves or to others if they can get away with it (and many do), the line between someone thinking they can “abort” a baby that is literally being born (highly unlikely but possible. Imagine an extremely mentally ill person possibly on drugs) and the consequences for murder or child abuse do not occur in the healthcare system— or rather, they do, but with appropriate government oversight. The question of murder must never be completely disentangled from government, even if there are specific nuanced issues (like deciding to take a loved one off life support) that would easily warrant far less interference (but still not zero, because even then, the government’s role exists to prevent people from murdering or committing manslaughter against their relatives).

It’s complicated.