Feedback Discussion Board 6: Universal Healthcare and Prescription Drug Costs

Feedback Discussion Board 6

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Universal Healthcare and Healthcare Affordability in the United States

Feedback Discussion Board 6

Hello Stacey! Thank you for your write-up. I agree with you on many points like healthcare is too expensive in the United States. However, according to the OECD, the United States also tops the list of countries that spend most on healthcare requirements per person (Worldpoopulationreview.com, 2021). At the same time, it also true that most of the healthcare costs are paid by out-of-pocket expenses or insurance plans (Worldpoopulationreview.com, 2021). In regard to the policy issue on the Universal healthcare in the United States, both American Diabetes Association (ADA), and American Hospital Association (AHA) are against the implementation of the same. For instance, American Hospital Association (AHA) has already spent millions on lobbying against universal healthcare (Gaffney and Fauke, 2020). This is a dismal situation for those economically weaker sections of society who cannot afford insurances or out-of-pocket expenses for the diseases like diabetes. So, such campaigns against Universal healthcare in the US should be discouraged. 

Prescription Drug Costs and the Lower Drug Costs Now Act

The second policy issue that you have taken is AHA’s stance on “Lower Drug Costs Now Act.” This is a welcoming gesture by the AHA that they have appealed to the Congress to make relevant move to further lower the cost of prescription drugs like diabetes (AHA, 2019). ADA has also raised their voice against the rising cost of prescription drugs stating that the ever-rising cost of the prescription-drugs is increasing the burden of diseases in the United States (ADA, 2021). The implication is such that people who are diabetic and are insulin-dependent, have to rely on costly insulin drugs and it is thus, a matter of life and death, if people cannot afford prescription drugs like insulin (ADA, 2021). 

Conclusion: The Need for Affordable Healthcare and Prescription Drugs

I strongly urge that the costs of the drugs should be lowered and that the Universal Healthcare should be adopted by the United States for the welfare of its country people and in the best interest of patients who cannot afford costly healthcare facilities. 

References

ADA (2021) Why Does the US Pay the Highest Prices in the World for Prescription Drugs? 

American Diabetes Association. Available at 

https://www.diabetes.org/sites/default/files/2021-03/ADA%20Senate%20HELP%20Hearing%203.23.21%20-%20Statement%20for%20the%20Record.pdf

AHA (2019) AHA Statement on Lower Drug Costs Now Act. American Hospital Association. 

Available at https://www.aha.org/press-releases/2019-09-19-aha-statement-lower-drug-costs-now-act

Gaffney, A and Fauke, C. (2020) Doctors’ group demands the American Hospital Association 

leave anti-single payer dark-money organization. PNHP. Available at

https://pnhp.org/news/doctors-group-demands-the-american-hospital-association-leave-anti-single-payer-dark-money-organization/

World Population Review (2021) Health Care Costs By Country 2021. 

Worldpopulationreview.com. Available at https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/health-care-costs-by-country