UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE
The Justice Movement supports universal health care, which will result in far less expense and substantially better medical outcomes.
The Record of Republicans and Democrats
The United States is the only nation in the industrialized world that does not ensure essential health care for everyone,[2] yet health care costs in the U.S. are approximately double per capita the costs throughout the rest of the industrialized world,[3] the costs are often financially ruinous for patients and their families,[4] and the medical outcomes in many areas, such as maternal and infant mortality, are worse than in almost every other industrialized nation.[5]
Both parties have had plenty of opportunities to provide, or at least push for, universal health care, but, instead, they repeatedly failed the people of our nation.
For instance, when John Kerry sought the presidency, the Democratic platform promised only to “help businesses cope with the skyrocketing cost of health care by reforming our health care system and cutting taxes to help small businesses pay for health insurance.”[6]
The Democratic platform when Barack Obama first sought the presidency avoided any intimation of a government-run structure, stating: “Health care should be a shared responsibility between employers, workers, insurers, providers and government.”[7]
President Obama offered his explanation as to why he would not consider replacing the current U.S. system that relies primarily on health coverage sold by for-profit insurance companies with a plan in which government pays the medical bills: “If I were starting a system from scratch, then I think that the idea of moving towards a single-payer system could very well make sense. That’s the kind of system that you have in most industrialized countries around the world. The only problem is that we’re not starting from scratch.” Representative Dennis Kucinich responded: “We’re starting in a ditch. And the ditch is that Americans are being driven into poverty by a health care system that is for-profit.”
Both parties have had plenty of opportunities to provide, or at least push for, universal health care, but, instead, they repeatedly failed the people of our nation.
For instance, when John Kerry sought the presidency, the Democratic platform promised only to “help businesses cope with the skyrocketing cost of health care by reforming our health care system and cutting taxes to help small businesses pay for health insurance.”[6]
The Democratic platform when Barack Obama first sought the presidency avoided any intimation of a government-run structure, stating: “Health care should be a shared responsibility between employers, workers, insurers, providers and government.”[7]
President Obama offered his explanation as to why he would not consider replacing the current U.S. system that relies primarily on health coverage sold by for-profit insurance companies with a plan in which government pays the medical bills: “If I were starting a system from scratch, then I think that the idea of moving towards a single-payer system could very well make sense. That’s the kind of system that you have in most industrialized countries around the world. The only problem is that we’re not starting from scratch.” Representative Dennis Kucinich responded: “We’re starting in a ditch. And the ditch is that Americans are being driven into poverty by a health care system that is for-profit.”
Majority Support for Universal Health Care
According to a 2020 survey, 64% of U.S. adults (88% of Democrats/Leaning Democrats; 34% of Republicans/Leaning Republicans) say the government has the responsibility to provide health care coverage for all. Only 37% say this is not the responsibility of the federal government. Only 11% of Republicans say the government should not be involved at all in providing health insurance. Fifty-four percent of Republicans say the government “should continue to provide programs like Medicare and Medicaid for seniors and the very poor.”[8]
A 2021 poll reflects that 55% of voters support “Medicare for All,” while 32% oppose the single-payer plan.[9]
Sixty-eight percent of voters (80% of Democrats; 56% of Republicans) support, and only 18% (7% of Democrats; 32% of Republicans) oppose, a public option where people can choose from a government-run health program or private insurance.[10]
In another poll, 67% of voters (79% Biden voters; 54% Trump voters) ranked reducing health care costs as their top priority for the President and Congress.[11] In that same poll, 70% of voters (87% of Biden supporters; 51% of Trump voters) supported a public health insurance option with limits on the prices charged by providers.[12]
A 2021 poll reflects that 55% of voters support “Medicare for All,” while 32% oppose the single-payer plan.[9]
Sixty-eight percent of voters (80% of Democrats; 56% of Republicans) support, and only 18% (7% of Democrats; 32% of Republicans) oppose, a public option where people can choose from a government-run health program or private insurance.[10]
In another poll, 67% of voters (79% Biden voters; 54% Trump voters) ranked reducing health care costs as their top priority for the President and Congress.[11] In that same poll, 70% of voters (87% of Biden supporters; 51% of Trump voters) supported a public health insurance option with limits on the prices charged by providers.[12]
[2] “We used to say that the United States shared with South Africa the distinction of being the only industrialized nation without universal health insurance. Now we don’t even have South Africa to point to.” Bruce Vladeck, “Universal health Insurance in the United States: Reflections on the Past, the Present, and the Future,” Am J Public Health (January 2003), available at https://www.ncbi.nlm. nih.gov /pmc/articles/PMC1447684/. See also “America is a health-care outlier in the developed world: The only large rich country without universal health care,” The Economist (April 26, 2018), available at https://www.economist.com/special-report/2018/04/26/america-is-a-health-care-outlier-in-the-developed-world.
[3] Nisha Kurani and Cynthia Cox, “What drives health spending in the U.S. compared to other countries,” Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker (September 25, 2020), available at https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/brief/what-drives-health-spending -in-the-u-s-compared-to-other-countries/. In 2019, per capita health expenditures in the U.S. were $10,948; in Germany, $6,518; in Sweden, $5,551; and in Australia, $4,919. “Per capita health expenditure in selected countries in 2019,” Statista (September 2021), available at https://www.statista.com/statistics/ 236541/per-capita-health-expenditure-by-country/.
[4] Catey Hill, “This is the thing most likely to cause you financial ruin––but few prepare for it,” MarketWatch (April 3, 2019), available at https://www. marketwatch.com/story/this-is-the-thing-most-likely-to-cause-you-financial-ruin-but-few-prepare-for-it-2019-02-11.
[5] “[T]he U.S. has nearly the highest maternal mortality rate among high-income countries. . . . Compared to countries with a similar GDP, the U.S. infant mortality rate is much higher [in the U.S.].” Joshua Cohen, “U.S. Maternal and Infant Mortality: More Signs Of Public Health Neglect” Forbes (August 1, 2021).
[6] Richard Sorian, “Democrats’ Feud Over Health Care Has Deep Roots,” HealthAffairs (August 19, 2019), available at https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/ 10.1377/forefront.20190815.209963/full/.
[7] Id.
[8] Bradley Jones, “Increasing share of Americans favor a single government program to provide health care coverage,” Pew Research Center (September 29, 2020), available at https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/09/29/increasing-share-of-americans-favor-a-single-government-program-to-provide-health-care-coverage/.
[9] Gaby Galvin, “About 7 in 10 Voters Favor a Public Health Insurance Option. Medicare for All Remains Polarizing,” Morning Consult, Politico (March 24, 2021), available at https://morningconsult.com/2021/03/24/medicare-for-all-public-option-polling/.
[10] Id.
[11] Erica Socker, “New Poll: Majority of Voters Want Congress To Take Action To Lower Health Care Prices,” (June 30, 2021), available at https://www.arnold ventures.org/stories/new-poll-majority-of-voters-want-congress-to-take-action-to-lower-health-care-prices.
[12] Id.
[3] Nisha Kurani and Cynthia Cox, “What drives health spending in the U.S. compared to other countries,” Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker (September 25, 2020), available at https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/brief/what-drives-health-spending -in-the-u-s-compared-to-other-countries/. In 2019, per capita health expenditures in the U.S. were $10,948; in Germany, $6,518; in Sweden, $5,551; and in Australia, $4,919. “Per capita health expenditure in selected countries in 2019,” Statista (September 2021), available at https://www.statista.com/statistics/ 236541/per-capita-health-expenditure-by-country/.
[4] Catey Hill, “This is the thing most likely to cause you financial ruin––but few prepare for it,” MarketWatch (April 3, 2019), available at https://www. marketwatch.com/story/this-is-the-thing-most-likely-to-cause-you-financial-ruin-but-few-prepare-for-it-2019-02-11.
[5] “[T]he U.S. has nearly the highest maternal mortality rate among high-income countries. . . . Compared to countries with a similar GDP, the U.S. infant mortality rate is much higher [in the U.S.].” Joshua Cohen, “U.S. Maternal and Infant Mortality: More Signs Of Public Health Neglect” Forbes (August 1, 2021).
[6] Richard Sorian, “Democrats’ Feud Over Health Care Has Deep Roots,” HealthAffairs (August 19, 2019), available at https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/ 10.1377/forefront.20190815.209963/full/.
[7] Id.
[8] Bradley Jones, “Increasing share of Americans favor a single government program to provide health care coverage,” Pew Research Center (September 29, 2020), available at https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/09/29/increasing-share-of-americans-favor-a-single-government-program-to-provide-health-care-coverage/.
[9] Gaby Galvin, “About 7 in 10 Voters Favor a Public Health Insurance Option. Medicare for All Remains Polarizing,” Morning Consult, Politico (March 24, 2021), available at https://morningconsult.com/2021/03/24/medicare-for-all-public-option-polling/.
[10] Id.
[11] Erica Socker, “New Poll: Majority of Voters Want Congress To Take Action To Lower Health Care Prices,” (June 30, 2021), available at https://www.arnold ventures.org/stories/new-poll-majority-of-voters-want-congress-to-take-action-to-lower-health-care-prices.
[12] Id.
