Universal Healthcare: An Unreachable Dream?

    As a class, we learned about many different healthcare systems across the world. Every country seems to have their own approach to tackling the issue, shaped by culture, history, and a myriad of other factors. What surprised me the most was the variety of countries which operate a universal healthcare system, as I had previously associated this with more developed, first world countries. Upon watching everyone's presentations, it is clear that no such correlations exist; nations all across the world have succeeded in building these types of programs regardless of economic status. 

    The argument echoed over and over again is that universal healthcare is a totally impractical and unfeasible proposal within the United States. At this point in time, I find this argument to be somewhat invalidated. It would no doubt be a massive logistical challenge to implement, and there may be more barriers to overcome than there would be in smaller countries with a more centralized government. However, just as the many changes that come before, it is far from impossible to achieve. As it stands today, there is already an infrastructure in place for government-provided healthcare, both in the forms of Medicare and Medicaid. There have been many expansions to both of these programs since their inception, both on a statewide and federal level. Although transitions can be rocky, such as the early days of the Affordable Care Act, practically every expansion has earned public favor over time.

    We are living during a period when this is treated as a political issue rather than a practical or ethical one. Perhaps this is the main barrier which prevents us from moving forward as a country and joining the rest of the world in recognizing healthcare as a human rights issue. Although the politicians and party leadership hold fast to their positions, there have been shifts in public opinion over the last few years. As prescription drug prices skyrocket, hospital bills balloon, and the cost of living continues to climb, there is a rising sense of frustration among the lower and middle classes. Accordingly, a universal system is viewed more favorably by an increasingly large sector of the American public. Despite the growing polarization between parties, I think that most Americans still share many common values, which is why this should be a bipartisan effort in my opinion. It should not be an ideological question whether someone is treated with basic dignity. The issue lies with our priorities as a nation; how much money, how much effort, how much time are we willing to sacrifice to make this ideal a reality? As attitudes shift and the political landscape changes to reflect the evolving public stance, we may find out the answers to these questions sooner rather than later.