COVID19 Should Trigger Universal Healthcare in the US



Disclaimer: I am a Canadian citizen by birth and a US citizen by naturalization. So, I've experienced both systems first-hand. 

If the COVID19 pandemic doesn't give Americans the push they needed to pass universal healthcare, I don't know what will.

Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Bernie Sanders, and many others have been advocating for the right policy for decades now. And I struggle to understand what is preventing the US from legislating universal healthcare into law other than apathy and sheer ignorance.

As reported in this article, Canada has fared significantly better than the US in terms of almost every per capita statistic, including cases, deaths, testing, unemployment, and more.

What this pandemic has proven is that when those without healthcare or with inadequate healthcare hesitate to seek medical care it impacts all of society. Those without adequate access to healthcare are more likely to spread the virus as they delay seeking medical attention. And that has a negative impact on the totality of society, not just certain demographics. Those who are spreading the virus because they can't afford a hospital visit or can't afford to miss a paycheck are working at our airports, hospitals, offices, grocery stores, and entertainment centers. 

Yes, those without adequate healthcare and unable to social distance are more likely to be infected and get ill or die. However, if a section of our society isn't getting the healthcare they need, the disease they spread impacts us all. Equally, the biggest economic slow down in US history did not just impact the less fortunate among us, it impacted us all.

Those of us who do have access to healthcare are made vulnerable by those who do not have access to healthcare.
It is clear that if everyone had access to healthcare, the pandemic would have been easier to control and the negative impact on the economy would have been less severe.

It's time for Americans to learn from this pandemic and fight for universal healthcare and finally push it over the hump into reality. It's time for the US to reclaim its status as a first-world country.

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