Still hopeful
Accessible, affordable health care is a priority for people of faith who believe that love for one’s neighbor is a fundamental moral imperative. For decades thoughtful Americans of all political persuasions have known that there is a health-care crisis in the United States. We spend far more money on health care than any other nation does, and we see no commensurate results in better health. Costs rise, insurance premiums soar, and millions are left without coverage. Many lower-income and poor Americans have no insurance and rely on hospital emergency rooms for basic health care.
A friend of mine is the CEO of a metropolitan medical center and a thoracic surgeon. He’s traveled to emerging nations to teach and to consult with other health-care professionals. When I asked him how we measure up next to nations with universal health-care systems, he said that if you are critically ill and have money, the United States is the best place in the world to be. But if you are a little sick and have no money, you are better off in Cuba.
Many U.S. presidents have promised to address the situation, but although some have come close, it was President Barack Obama who finally got the job done. The Affordable Care Act may not be perfect, but it is the closest this nation has come to making health care available to all its citizens. How distressing, then, to watch a small faction within the Republican Party try to stop the ACA by holding the nation hostage and paralyzing the government.
