In the United States, profits are prioritized over life. The country spends more on health care compared to the size of its economy than other wealthy nations, according to CNBC. Meanwhile, its medical services remain the same as other nations that charge substantially less.

Countries with the most affordable health care systems, such as Malaysia and Costa Rica, control how much pharmaceuticals and hospitals can charge for life-saving procedures. But the health care system in the U.S. allows for individual patients to pay substantially higher prices for prescription drugs than the global average and leaves those who can’t afford life-saving medical procedures in debt or without necessary hospital visits altogether. In the wealthiest nation in the world, why should cost be a barrier for basic health care?

In the middle of the pandemic, the cost of health care and medical services is a barrier that must be confronted through universal health care, the global standard for health insurance. Individual Americans face costs that residents in other nations do not, and millions of Americans are left without access to basic health care. 

In the U.S., proper health care is a privilege, not a right. This has been exemplified throughout the pandemic. For example, students already attending an in-person semester at SU have access to health services such as COVID-19 testing. Although students paid an increased tuition for the 2020-21 academic year, they didn’t have to pay out of pocket for COVID-19 testing. 

Those who attend school in person during the height of a pandemic face a sharply different scenario than those mere miles away. Residents of the city of Syracuse face limited access to the health services within their city. Additionally, low-income residents in Syracuse are among those disproportionately affected by the pandemic. 

However, the exclusivity of basic health care is not limited to Syracuse. American health care is expensive compared to other nations. When surveyed in 2016, 26% of Americans reported that they were unable to afford their medical bills. Lutchmie Narine, chair and graduate director of public health in SU’s Falk College, described costs related to private insurance as “prohibitive to people with lower incomes.”

This makes medical procedures exclusive to those who can afford them. In the case of unforeseen medical expenses, insurance does not always cover emergency visits. Millions can’t afford medical coverage completely. 

The federal government has addressed the expensive cost of health care in the past. Currently, the Affordable Care Act insures 39 million people. However, the federal control of health insurance costs under the act made health insurance more accessible but not more affordable for treatments. In addressing this, the federal government is limited in its options for controlling costs: most citizens are privately insured. 

This is different from universal health care. For example, universal health care in Denmark allows for direct budget legislation to determine health care costs. Universal health care in the Netherlands allows for the government to directly address private insurers, medical providers and the public need for affordability. This is why a heart bypass surgery costs $15,742 in the Netherlands and $75,345 in the U.S. Clearly, the high cost is not necessary.

As of 2018, health care spending in the U.S. accounted for 17.7% of its total gross domestic product. In Malaysia, a nation with some of the top health care systems in the world, health care spending accounted for 3.76% of their total GDP. This means if health-related expenses were better managed, less out-of-pocket costs would occur for patients, and money could be spent elsewhere in the economy. To provide a more affordable health care system, the U.S. should expand federal programs such as the ACA.

Universal health care works to lower medical costs. Across the globe, universal health care has allowed for residents to become insured and pay less in out-of-pocket medical bills. This means universal health care can address financial inequities faced within a nation. In turn, the investment in universal health care can work to address the health care gap faced in Syracuse and across the nation.

Harrison Vogt is a sophomore environment sustainability policy and communication and rhetorical studies dual major. His column appears biweekly. He can be reached at hevogt@syr.edu. He can be followed on Twitter at @VogtHarrison.

Published on February 7, 2021 at 10:17 pm