Student writes an editorial in favor of Universal Health Care in America

Editorial – Universal Health Care in America

Health care. One of the biggest and longest debated issues in America. Should it be free, or not free (paid for collectively through taxes, or paid for individually through insurance premiums or fees and prices)? Should we cut costs, or not (would cutting costs degrade quality)? The questions go on and on. Unfortunately, there’s more than enough debate, but not enough resolution or progress. Health care is important, and so are the lives impacted based on its availability and affordability. 

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 46 million Americans lack health coverage. In addition, the “lack of health insurance is associated with as many as 44,789 deaths per year in the United States” (Wilper 2009). The Harvard Gazette states that “that figure is about two and a half times higher than an estimate from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in 2002” (Cecere 2019). 

This is beyond unacceptable. People should not continue to die because they don’t have access to or can’t afford healthcare. Men, women, and children nationwide struggle with this issue on a daily basis. Why does America value money and profit over providing healthcare to its citizens? Why does someone have to die because they can’t get afford medication? Why does a family have to go into debt because they simply waited in the ER, or simply called an ambulance to their home because their baby was having a seizure? Is America a safe home and refuge, or a callous business? 

Overpriced services, unnecessary fees, and long wait times (if you even get seen) make healthcare and medications a complete chore (and can even become a death sentence in some cases). Americans should not be robbed and deprived of their natural right as a citizen and human being to get medical attention, nor should they be financial punished by doing so. 

Then comes the real question. Why isn’t healthcare free, or at best, affordable and not nearly as expensive? Why is America the only country in the world that charges its citizens so mercilessly? According to Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS), “Healthcare spending in the United States is $3 trillion a year, straining the budgets of families, businesses and taxpayers alike.” The three main factors driving U.S. healthcare costs, according to BCBS, are prescription drugs, chronic diseases, and lifestyle. It’s a domino effect. If Americans’ lifestyles were bettered so as not to lead to developing chronic diseases (such as arthritis, obesity, diabetes, cancer and heart disease), there would be a lesser need and a lower demand for treating them. Hence, the prescription drug demand would also lower; thus the prices lower and they are now more affordable.

America needs to take better care of its citizens. Unfortunately, prescription drug prices are estimated to increase in the coming years by 136%. For example, “Harvoni, a medication to treat Hepatitis C, cost $10,000 more in the U.S. than Europe...” In the United States, the average cost for childbirth is close to $11,000, though in Germany it’s about $2,500 (Labels, 2019). 

Regulations on tobacco use, alcohol consumption, and providing healthier food choices and options at an affordable cost to help prevent obesity would greatly benefit the American people. BCBS reported the annual spending for tobacco is $170 billion, excessive alcohol consumption is $185 billion, and obesity is $147 billion. 

In continuation on the last points made, if this is done correctly and American lives are put first, chronic diseases will decrease significantly. Blue Cross Blue Shield’s reports on the costs and spending dedicated to the following chronic illnesses alone are traumatic.; arthritis and related conditions cost $128 billion, obesity costs $147 billion, cancer costs $157 billion, and heart diseases and strokes are $315.4 billion. Unhealthy habits and lifestyles lead to chronic illnesses, and the illnesses lead to the need for medication and prescription drugs. These factors unanimously contribute to the disgustingly high healthcare costs in the United States. 

These expensive healthcare costs are not just used to treat illnesses and afford medication, but also to “pay for administrative costs related to the complexity of the country’s health care system” (Labels, 2019). Also, doctors use more technology. To give an idea of this, the United States use 35 MRI machines for every million people while France, for example, only has 8. Because the United States makes more money off of administering tests, doctors are thus encouraged to “more rather than being more conservative in their approach” (Labels, 2019). 

In conclusion, America needs to prioritize this matter immediately. 45,000 deaths annually is beyond disheartening. Too many people are dying. Too many people are hurting. There is too much loss. There is too much suffering. Changes need to be made. New laws and policies need to be created. Costs need to be lowered. Lives need to be saved. America needs to listen to its citizens and put the capitalism to the side in this area of providing health care. There needs to be change now. 

References

“Blue Cross Blue Shield | The High Cost of Treating Chronic Diseases.” Blue Cross Blue Shield, Blue Cross Blue Shield, www.bcbs.com/sites/default/files/file-attachments/page/Chronic_Diseases_0.pdf. 

“Blue Cross Blue Shield | Prescription Drug Prices Expected to Increase by 136 Percent.” Blue Cross Blue Shield, Blue Cross Blue Shield, www.bcbs.com/sites/default/files/file-attachments/page/Prescription_Drug_Price_Increases.pdf. 

“Blue Cross Blue Shield | Unhealthy Behaviors Contribute to High Healthcare Costs.” Blue Cross Blue Shield, Blue Cross Blue Shield, www.bcbs.com/sites/default/files/file-attachments/page/Unhealthy_Behaviors.pdf. 

Cecere, David. “New Study Finds 45,000 Deaths Annually Linked to Lack of Health Coverage.” Harvard Gazette, Harvard Gazette, 7 Jan. 2019, www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2009/09/new-study-finds-45000-deaths-annually-linked-to-lack-of-health-coverage/. 

Labels, N. (2019). “Five Facts: Why U.S. Health Care Is So Expensive.” RealClearPolicy, Apr. 2019, www.realclearpolicy.com/articles/2019/04/04/five_facts_why_us_health_care_is_so_expensive__111148.html. 

“Why Does Healthcare Cost So Much?” (n.d.) Blue Cross Blue Shield, Blue Cross Blue Shield, www.bcbs.com/issues-indepth/why-does-healthcare-cost-so-much. 

Wilper, A. P., Woolhandler, S., Lasser, K. E., McCormick, D., Bor, D. H., & Himmelstein, D. U. (2009). “Health Insurance and Mortality in US Adults.” American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, Dec. 2009, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2775760/.