One of the biggest, if not the biggest issue in American politics has been the healthcare reforms initiated by President Obama. Both Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman wanted to introduce some kind of universal coverage, but were blocked by a combination of a powerful medical establishment and an unsupportive and uncooperative Congress. This meant that the United States almost uniquely amongst major industrialised and developed countries for the last half century has not offered some form of universal healthcare. While the measure that Obama eventually got through Congress does not in any way solve all the problems in the American health system, and does not match either the ambitions of some of the more vociferous advocates of reform, or provide the kind of coverage which is pretty standard in the rest of the developed world, it has still led to a huge debate.
While it is certainly true that any issue as important as healthcare reform should generate discussion and argument on points such as the role of the state in its provision and how it is to be financed, the question has unfortunately degenerated into wild talk and baseless accusations, (such as the claim that healthcare reform is merely the next step along a path of ‘creeping socialism’). Unfortunately, the Republican Party instead of acting rationally has instead to its eternal discredit used the passion generated by this issue to rally support and thereby put petty partisanship above reason and measured discussion. By doing this the GOP has excluded itself from the much needed attempts to reform the problems of U.S. healthcare and therefore is unable to shape how it will be done. This is a real shame because healthcare reform should be an issue that any conservative should be advocating.
One reason why the Republicans should be advocating for major reform to healthcare is that the United States spends a huge amount of government wealth and personal income on a system which is not just inefficient but excludes or provides minimal cover to a large minority of the population. The current system of healthcare provision in the United States is not just ineffective therefore but also extremely costly, and if nothing is done will as the years go by and people live longer become increasingly unsustainable. Therefore just on fiscal grounds, major reform and different thinking is needed because it is patently obvious that in its current state the provision of healthcare in the United States is in the long term unviable.
However, surely the most pressing argument for healthcare reform if you claim to be caring and compassionate is the aforementioned excluded millions. Not only do they show how ineffective and inefficient the current system is because without providing universal cover it is still highly expensive, but also are not the people who cannot afford healthcare a stain on the conscience of America. For a country and more specifically a party such as the Republicans that wraps itself in the teachings of the Bible surely watching their fellow man suffer shows the hypocrisy of their views.
Some form of universal healthcare also would provide other benefits as it would mean fewer people being forced to leave the workforce because they or a relative are too ill to work but not rich enough to afford healthcare. Also by not extortionately charging people for healthcare fewer individuals and families would be forced into poverty as they would not have to sacrifice their possessions, savings and homes to meet medical bills. This would also help get lawyers and litigation out of the system which contributes significantly to the sky-high costs of American healthcare. Finally, healthcare in the United States could become more about prevention as doctors and hospitals could be incentivised to improve health and well-being rather than make more money the sicker people become.
The Republican Party should therefore be advocating major and drastic health reform in America for a number reasons instead of excluding themselves from rational debate by wild diatribes. Opposing healthcare reform and excluding millions from basic healthcare should not be a source of pride but instead of shame to the GOP and they should therefore be leading the charge for changing health provision in the United States.