Healthcare as Economic Policy
The following is an opinion piece and does not necessarily reflect the editorial position of We All Matter News.
The debate over universal healthcare is too often framed purely as a moral question. While the moral case is compelling — no one should go bankrupt because they get sick — the economic case is equally powerful and deserves more attention.
The United States spends nearly twice as much per capita on healthcare as other developed nations, yet achieves worse outcomes on virtually every measure: life expectancy, infant mortality, preventable deaths, and chronic disease management.
The Economic Case
Consider what universal healthcare would mean for the American economy:
- Small businesses freed from the crushing burden of providing health insurance could invest in growth and hiring
- Workers could pursue entrepreneurship without fear of losing coverage — "job lock" costs the economy an estimated $100 billion annually in lost innovation
- Medical bankruptcies, which affect 530,000 families per year, would be eliminated
- Administrative costs, which consume 34% of U.S. healthcare spending versus 17% in single-payer systems, would plummet
"A healthy workforce is a productive workforce. Every dollar spent keeping people out of emergency rooms is a dollar that can be invested in education, infrastructure, and innovation."
The question is not whether we can afford universal healthcare. The question is whether we can afford not to have it.
