US Opposition to Universal Healthcare is the epitome of acting against one’s own self-interest.
Based on the most recent data from 2023, compared to other western, high-income countries that have universal healthcare systems, the United States, which does not have a universal healthcare system, has significantly worse health outcomes, while spending significantly more on healthcare.
The U.S. spends nearly 18% of its GDP on healthcare, yet Americans have a lower life expectancy and higher rates of avoidable deaths compared to residents of other high-income countries. For instance, Germany, which has a socialized healthcare system, spends less on healthcare per capita than the U.S., yet its life expectancy at birth is nearly four years higher (Commonwealth Fund, 2023).
Health spending per person in the U.S. was $12,914 in 2021, which was over $5,000 more than any other high-income nation. The average amount spent on health per person in comparable countries is less than half of what the U.S. spends per person (McGough et al., 2023).
Despite high U.S. spending, Americans experience worse health outcomes than their peers around the world. For example, life expectancy at birth in the U.S. was 77 years in 2020, three years lower than the OECD average. The U.S. also has the highest rates of avoidable or treatable conditions, the highest maternal and infant mortality, and among the highest suicide rates (Commonwealth Fund, 2023).
The U.S. has the highest rate of people with multiple chronic conditions and an obesity rate nearly twice the OECD average. Americans see physicians less often than people in most other countries and have among the lowest rate of practicing physicians and hospital beds per 1,000 population (Commonwealth Fund, 2023).
The data is clear: Countries with single-payer, universal healthcare systems are able to achieve better health outcomes while spending less on healthcare compared to the U.S.
As such, it is only reasonable to conclude that US opposition to Universal Healthcare is the epitome of acting against one’s own self-interest.
Sources:
McGough, M., McGough, M., Telesford, I., Rakshit, S., Twitter, E. W., Twitter, K. A., & Twitter, C. C. (2023, February 15). How does health spending in the U.S. compare to other countries? Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker. https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/health-spending-u-s-compare-countries/
U.S. health care from a Global Perspective, 2022: Accelerating spending, worsening outcomes. Commonwealth Fund. (2023, January 31). https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2023/jan/us-health-care-global-perspective-2022
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