Imagine if citizens in the U.S., regardless of income or status, could access healthcare without fear of financial ruin — this could be our reality with the U.S. government’s adoption of universal healthcare. The current unsustainable healthcare model, which includes private and public insurance, leads to uneven coverage that worsens the socioeconomic health divide and blocks people from accessing the care they need. Existing government programs currently reserve care only for elderly and lower-income people, but expansions should happen for all Americans to reduce the financial burden on the country as a whole and improve the overall health of the American population. The lack of universal coverage by the government and the rising costs of insurance create economic barriers that prevent citizens from receiving the resources they need and raise expenses for the U.S. government. By implementing a universal system, healthcare will be uniform nationwide, increasing its affordability and availability for all citizens. Increases in coverage lead to greater access to healthcare services, which in turn fosters healthier living, putting less strain on the overall system. The present U.S. healthcare system is in need of reform to expand its support; Universal healthcare will be more affordable and provide positive health outcomes for American citizens. An emphasis on preventative care within a universal system will further mitigate stress on healthcare providers by reducing the incidence of chronic and preventable illnesses.
The current organization of the healthcare system is cost-prohibitive and ineffective at equitably supporting all US citizens. According to the Harvard Business Review, “The percentage of U.S. GDP spent on healthcare continues to rise, reaching 17.9% in 2017. At the same time, health insurance premiums have increased as much as 60% in the individual market in some states. The federal and state insurance exchanges have failed to rein in costs” (Toussaint). High health insurance premiums limit affordability for working-class Americans, and most who do not qualify for Medicaid will avoid seeking treatment. Consequently, the lack of preventative care and screening results in chronic conditions. The inequitable access to insurance strains the current healthcare system because “low socio–economic status segments of the population [are] subject to decreased access to quality healthcare and increased risk of non-communicable chronic conditions such as obesity and type II diabetes, among other determinants of poor health” (Zieff et al. 580).
Expanding existing programs like Medicare under a single-payer system — where one public agency organizes healthcare financing and covers all residents — stabilizes the national cost of healthcare, thereby making it accessible for all. Researchers at the Center for Infectious Disease Modeling and Analysis use their Single-Payer Healthcare Interactive Financing Tool, a data model with various economic parameters, to show that reducing healthcare costs and replacing employer and employee insurance premiums with a payroll tax will lead to significant savings, with estimates of over one million dollars per year for the U.S. With a national healthcare payroll tax, “[Medicare for All] would yield net savings for the healthcare system across a wide range of assumptions regarding insurance expansion, service improvements, administrative efficiency, and pharmaceutical pricing” (Galvani et al. 524). Rather than premiums or job benefits, a payroll tax will spread the cost more equitably across the population, irrespective of income level or employment status, and provide greater predictability and transparency. Further reducing costs with a single uniform payment for medical services, instead of varying payments depending on the insurance carrier, also makes healthcare more accessible. In the current system, commercial plans pay more to cover the shortfall from Medicare and Medicaid’s underpayment for medical services, but with universal healthcare, “healthcare costs [will] be better managed because the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services [will] accelerate value-based payments to providers and cost-shifting between commercial populations and Medicare [will] be eliminated” (Toussaint). Compensating providers on the basis of better outcomes results in effective treatments and lower costs while removing cost-shifting calculations stabilizes healthcare costs, and makes the healthcare system sustainable and accessible.
Universal healthcare often improves the country’s overall population health, putting less strain on the healthcare system by reducing the overall demand for intensive medical services, such as more expensive and invasive medical procedures, hospitalizations, and medications because individuals will develop better habits and are more likely to seek preventative care, treat health problems at earlier stages, schedule regular health maintenance, and take precautions to prevent disease. Despite spending more money than any other country on healthcare, the United States ranks at the bottom across various indicators: “access to care, administrative efficiency, equity, and healthcare outcomes” (Schneider et al. 2). The failures of the current healthcare system result in a “U.S. population [that] is sicker on average than the populations of other high-income countries, with a high prevalence of chronic conditions like obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and respiratory ailments. This disease burden, coupled with insufficient access to care, partially explains the shorter and declining life expectancy in the U.S. compared to other countries” (Schneider et al. 14).
A healthcare system that encourages individuals to make positive personal choices for their health, with more access to medical advice and professional guidance, will reduce the occurrence of preventable illnesses that lead to expensive costs. Implementing financial incentives, such as reward programs, will motivate people further to engage in measures such as regular screenings, annual checkups, and vaccinations that will improve the nation’s overall health and reduce healthcare costs by targeting the root causes of health issues and addressing them before they require extensive, expensive medical interventions. Patient data from the Sanford Health System suggests that “one or more primary care visits per year is associated with increased likelihood of specific evidence-based preventative care interventions that improve longitudinal health outcomes and decrease healthcare costs” (Hostetter et al. 3). Detecting and addressing health issues early on can prevent the progression of diseases, reduce complications, and improve the success rates of treatments. By adopting universal healthcare, the U.S. government will confront the access and equity issues of the current U.S. healthcare system and eliminate financial burdens because people no longer need to pay large medical bills or insurance premiums. With fewer out-of-pocket expenses, healthcare services become more affordable, regardless of income level, alleviating the financial stress on citizens and allowing them to allocate those resources to other aspects of their lives: savings, housing, and education. Healthcare is a fundamental right, and people should advocate for implementing universal healthcare because its accessibility and affordability create a more inclusive, resilient, and thriving society where citizens can lead healthier, more fulfilling lives.
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