Changes needed

There has been much discussion since the lead up to the 2016 presidential election about the need for a universal health care system, or Medicare for all, in the United States. The current situation with COVID-19 has caused numerous issues with the affordability of health care for the less fortunate in society.

The most important change that would take place is the increase in the number of individuals that would have medical coverage that do not currently have it. There are many that like to use the argument that the price of changing to a single payer health system would be greater but that is not accurate. The change allows for the federal government to control the costs of medical care and pharmaceuticals since it would be the only entity paying for the services. The irony is that this is the way that both the current Medicare and Medicaid and Veterans Healthcare systems work. They are both single payer systems.

If America is going to change it would be helpful to note that many other countries are very successful with their approaches to universal health care. In particular Sweden has its citizens covered from the time they are born and there are federal guarantees against waiting for care. And closer to home Canada has a very successful system that covers every citizen and no one waits for care unless it happens to be elective care. To keep the U.S. health in the future we as a people need to strongly consider a new way of thinking.

Brandon Poepping, Graduate Student, Masters of Public Health

Eastern Washington University