From: officialflagrant
Senator Bernie Sanders and the hosts discuss the concept of healthcare as a human right, particularly in the context of the American healthcare system issues. They highlight the disparities in access and quality within the United States compared to other developed nations [00:11:16].
Current State of Healthcare in America
While the United States is considered one of the wealthiest countries in the world, its healthcare system is primarily accessible and of high quality only to those who can afford it [00:11:23]. The U.S. is identified as the only major country that does not guarantee healthcare to all its citizens as a human right [00:11:33].
Cost and Access
Americans spend twice as much per person on healthcare compared to most European countries, which often guarantee free healthcare [00:11:43]. The existence of high deductibles, such as $10,000, means that many individuals cannot afford necessary medical care [00:12:01]. This financial barrier often leads people to avoid early medical attention, resulting in their conditions worsening and requiring more expensive care later [00:12:17]. A Yale study indicated that approximately 68,000 people die annually due to delayed or avoided medical care [00:12:26].
Comparisons to Other Nations
In countries like Sweden, college education and healthcare are tuition-free, despite these nations having less overall wealth than the U.S. [01:07:15]. This difference is attributed to a value system that prioritizes collective well-being and ensures universal access to essential services [01:07:35]. While some critics argue that the U.S. population is too large and diverse to support such systems [01:07:56], Sanders contends that America’s greater wealth makes it capable of providing universal healthcare [01:08:08].
Challenges and Solutions
Pharmaceutical Industry Influence
The pharmaceutical industry, which reported approximately $100 billion in profit last year, significantly influences healthcare policy through extensive lobbying and campaign contributions [01:13:55]. There are 1,500 paid lobbyists from drug companies in Washington, compared to 535 members of Congress [01:14:30]. This influence results in Americans paying significantly higher prices for prescription drugs—sometimes five to eight times more than in Canada or Europe [01:14:16]. These high prices also contribute to preventable deaths in developing countries where the cost of manufacturing drugs is minimal, but the companies charge exorbitant rates [01:15:42].
Legislative Efforts and Political Will
Senator Sanders supports “Medicare for All,” which aims to expand Medicare to cover every American [01:09:24]. He emphasizes that while such a system might entail higher taxes, it would eliminate out-of-pocket expenses, deductibles, and premiums, ultimately saving money for most individuals [01:09:41].
Recently, legislation was passed enabling Medicare to negotiate drug prices for the first time, starting with ten drugs [01:15:05]. While this is a small step, it sets a precedent for regulating drug costs [01:15:15].
Sanders asserts that the U.S. has sufficient financial resources to implement universal healthcare by reallocating funds, for example, by reducing tax breaks for the wealthy and re-evaluating military spending, which currently exceeds that of the next nine largest national military budgets combined [01:06:47].