The United States healthcare system has been taking advantage of vulnerable Americans for decades. The idea of health insurance budded in the early 1900s under Roosevelt’s Progressive Party, a once brilliant reform that quickly turned cruel and dysfunctional.
Unlike many other developed nations, the United States healthcare system does not provide universal care and instead can be described as a mixed system. In this mixed system of publicly financed government, such as Medicare and Medicaid, health coverage coexists with privately financed insurance plans. For the highly fragmented system to function effectively, private insurers, private hospitals, individual providers and government programs would need to integrate.
Rather than focusing on the health of the American people, the current healthcare system has stuck to their true American roots, using illness for profit.
In 2022, UnitedHealth Group, a nationwide health insurance company, made over 20 billion dollars in profit off of sick Americans. Additionally, insurance companies like Cigna Healthcare, Elevance Health and CVS have made billions of dollars in profit: 6.7 billion, 6 billion and 4.2 billion, respectively.
Health care in the United States has become a commodity rather than a human right.“Healthcare should never be commercialized to begin with. Companies take advantage of the human desire and right to live for a profit, an action that is blatantly unethical. It’s disturbing to see how much money large insurance corporations make off of sick people,” expressed senior Kelly Wu.
Despite the Affordable Care Act expanding coverage, nearly 26 million Americans still lack health insurance coverage. However, those with access to health insurance are not guaranteed affordable and accessible health care. Instead, they can expect high out-of-pocket costs, including premiums, deductibles and copays.
Many Americans often feel weighed down by large healthcare expenses. “I have felt significantly burdened by large out-of-pocket healthcare expenses. These costs often create financial strain, especially when they arise unexpectedly or are tied to necessary treatments. It can feel overwhelming to navigate a system where even with insurance, the financial responsibility placed on individuals can be so high,” shared journalism advisor Maureen Dyer.
Yearly the average American can expect to pay around $13,000 per person on health care alone. In 2022, U.S health care spending grew 4.1% reaching a total of 4.5 trillion dollars spent on healthcare alone or 17.3% of the nation’s gross domestic product. Because of these high costs, 100 million Americans owe 220 billion dollars in medical debt.
Despite the United States spending twice as much on health care than other high income nations, the U.S. scores poorly on key health measures including low life expectancy, preventable hospital admissions and high suicide and obesity rates. Due to the poor health performance in the country, satisfaction with the current healthcare system remains relatively low.
“I am not satisfied with the current state of the American healthcare system. While it offers some of the most advanced medical treatments globally, it often prioritizes profitability over patient care. The fragmented nature of the system, coupled with high costs, creates significant barriers to access for many individuals,” continued Dyer.
Frustration over the flaws in the American healthcare system has intensified after the fatal shooting of United Health Care CEO, Brian Thompson. The outrage has caused insurance companies such as Blue Cross Blue Shield to reverse extreme policies including the decision to limit anesthesia during surgery.
