Introduction & Background
Introduction
Mission of the project
Millions of people in America today lack proper access to healthcare whether due to coverage gaps, socioeconomic status, insurance coverage, or lack of service in impoverished communities. Healthcare is seen as a burden and has proven to be difficult for individuals who are already struggling to provide basic necessities for their families, let alone worry about covering a medical bill. This lack of access only traps communities further into poverty, creating a cycle of never-ending injustice for those of lower socioeconomic statuses. Healthcare is a right, not a privilege; and Americans across the country today should not be denied access to basic health services solely because of the cost. This directly violates the Catholic Social Teachings of rights and responsibility, option for the poor and vulnerable, and dignity of work and the rights of workers.
"At its core [the AHCA] is nothing more than a shallow attempt to pass a tax cut for the very wealthy at the expense of the most
vulnerable and voiceless in our society.” -Vice President Kamala Harris
Background
Why is healthcare so expensive?
Administrative Costs
8% of the US healthcare dollar is spent on administrative costs. Investopedia states that it's not the number of tests run that makes healthcare expensive, but the high price of CT scans, MRIs, and tests. Billing is also one of the largest administrative costs, due to the great complexity of America's healthcare system.
Market Force
Top pharmaceutical companies such as CVS, UnitedHealth, McKesson, etc. dominate where families receive prescriptions and can charge high prices to recoup their research and development costs. And drug prices are most expensive in America compared to every other country. This is due to the Market Forces because economic factors heavily affect supply and demand.
Income
Because of the lack of access to quality health services and resources, low-income groups have 3.9 times the mortality rate of the best-off, meaning: the higher the income, the lower the mortality. Similarly, medical advancements are also made available only to the wealthy, leaving out many patients who would be directly affected by those advancements and need more financial help.
Fortune 500 & Employers
Healthcare benefits are not always guaranteed with every employer, and surprisingly, only a small percentage of Fortune 500’s top companies pay for employees’ healthcare. With an employer-sponsored health plan, families and individuals are often covered. However, those who work in small businesses or do not have an employer-sponsored plan continue to suffer from covering medical expenses.
Race
Communities consisting of Latinos and African Americans with diabetes are 10 times more likely to undergo amputation, and the death rate from breast cancer for African-American women is 50 percent higher than for white women. Although impoverished communities already receive less funding and struggle financially, mortality rates and the performance of healthcare workers in those communities and people of color are still significantly lower.
Poverty
In an area where poverty rates are higher, families are denied access to health services because of racial injustices, are uninsured or lack stable insurance, and have more problems with covering medical bills. Therefore, mortality rates and the spread of diseases are greater in communities of poverty because those areas are given less medical funding, as reflected from their ability to cover medical costs.
“In the wealthiest nation on Earth, no one should go broke just because they get sick.” -Former President Barack Obama