Third Way: Healthcare As A Public Good
No one wants to be thinking of medical bills when their loved one is laying in a hospital bed or being treated in the emergency room or being taken to the hospital by an ambulance. In these moments, money should not be a deciding factor in the care a patient receives. Yet, for many living in the United States, it is.
With the atrociously high cost of healthcare in the U.S. today, Americans are left scrambling to find ways to pay for what may very well have been one of the worst days of their lives. The Peterson KFF Health System Tracker found that the average amount of money spent per capita in the United States as of 2024 came out to $15,474 USD compared to $12,637 in 2020. This is a 22.45% increase in spending in only a four year window.
Healthcare spending in the U.S. is a partisan issue that the majority of voters, regardless of political affiliation or ideology believe to be a primary issue for the country. Pew Research conducted a survey of U.S. adults in April of 2026, wherein they found that 73% said that “the affordability of health care is a very big problem for the country”. In February of 2025, 67% said the same thing
Spending on healthcare is an issue that the majority of Americans can agree needs to be re-evaluated and changed to more accurately reflect the needs and financial abilities of individuals seeking care. This is particularly true in the case of the concern for a decline in birth rates and apparent disproportion in population replacement.
A study done by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), showed that the number of births in 2024 actually increased by 1% from 2023, with a recorded 3,628,934 births. However, the same study found that while the number of births may have increased, the general fertility rate actually decreased by 1% from 2023 to 2024. The general fertility rate is “the number of live births per 1,000 females of childbearing age (typically 15 to 44 years old) in a given population per year” and was a recorded 53.8 births in 2024 for the above group.
What many individuals may not know is that for some countries, it isn't a lack of desire to have a family, it is a lack of funding. The cost to have a baby in the U.S. is insane, especially when we exist in a reality where women have always, and still, are heavily encouraged to have children. The discussion of a woman's fulfilment in life being satisfied by starting a family is still all too prevalent. If the government wants women to reproduce, then they need to make it more affordable to do so.
According to the Peterson KFF Health System Tracker, the average cost of pre-natal, perinatal, and post-natal care resulted in a whopping $20,416 for individuals who were currently insured. In addition to this, an estimated $2,743 would be spent out of pocket for additional services. This number is also dependent on the type of delivery a woman has. Traditional vaginal deliveries cost less on average than cesarean section deliveries which have added surgical costs.
In 2026, individuals wishing to start a family should not have to break the bank in order to do so. Especially as far right government officials take an evangelical pro-life stance and claim that when a woman is pregnant it is “God’s will” and therefore must be respected. Yet, after that baby is born, the same government officials offer little to no federal aid or support, and even more so, refuse to acknowledge the primary issues in this country which places these children's lives at stake every day, with the leading cause of death amongst adolescents aged 1 to 19 being firearm related injuries. But yeah, they're totally pro-life all the way.
I would be remiss not to acknowledge the difficulties that would accompany a free healthcare system in the United States. Is it possible? Yes. Would it likely be a difficult and lengthy process to create? Also yes. My proposal is not to immediately have free healthcare, but to increase healthcare related funding. This includes hospital visits, ambulance rides, pregnancy and reproductive care, affordable childcare, and K-12 education in America.
Healthcare is woven into the fabric of our country. Humanity’s mortality is the great equalizer. If this issue is one that affects all people, then for it to be so blatantly disregarded and dismissed is, frankly, stupid. Legislative actions such as President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” (OBBB) which included major cuts to the federal aid insurance program Medicaid are an excellent example of a blatant disregard for the health and well being of one's constituents.
According to the American College of Physicians (ACP), these cuts made by Trump and his OBBB are estimated to result in around 16,000 preventable deaths annually. Other studies present cases for upwards of a possible 51,000 preventable deaths annually. Because of the major funding cuts made to Medicaid, an estimated 7.6 million Americans lost their insurance coverage and were left without a means of receiving medical care without fear of exorbitant out of pocket costs.
In the United States of America, or really anywhere for that matter, an individual should not have to choose between life saving health measures and potential debt. This simply leads to more preventable deaths and an overall culture of disregard for personal health and safety out of financial concern.