Access to Healthcare in the United States

Perhaps the most shocking statistics that reveal the depth of the problem we face in the United States are those that reflect the American access to healthcare.  More than 40 million adults in 2005 stated that they did not receive needed health services because they could not afford it.  However, from 2007-2008 in England, the number of people who did not receive treatment for medical needs was 0—everyone, 100%, received medical treatment [HealthPAC].

The obvious question, then, is why, in two nations that are so similar in our modern cultures, can have such a disparity in access to healthcare?  The answer, however, is quite obvious.  Our systems have evolved with two different priorities in mind.  Any nation that has adopted a universal healthcare program has advanced the notion of equal access to healthcare for all of its citizens.  It has become increasingly apparent that the United States has spent most of its time with different priorities.

We have come to view healthcare as an industry in the same way we view anything else—the car industry, the textile industry, or anything else.  The cost of healthcare is viewed as capital, and the amount of money a company can secure, the higher their profit margins, the better.  As companies have gotten better at turning profits, patients have suffered.

The need for change has become abundantly clear.  Thankfully, others have noticed the problems in our system, and have begun to work towards change.