I believe that healthcare is a human right. No one should be denied medical treatment because they cannot afford it. Healthcare in the United States costs nearly twice as much as it does in most developed countries. That increased cost is a function of the insurance industry managing the system and generating profits for themselves and their investors. So instead of having a “true actuarial pool” that covers everyone, the insurance companies cherry pick and design polices to make money instead of treating patients. The insurance companies also tell doctors what to do to save even more money, instead of trusting the medical experts’ best advice regarding treatment for you—the patient.

The Affordable Care Act went a long way to improving our healthcare system. But we need to include everyone in a system, much like Medicare does. Creating a universal system that includes all of us will ultimately cost less because hospitals end up covering many indigent patients anyway—and then pass those increased costs along to us through higher insurance rates. National polls about healthcare have consistently showed a significant majority of Americans, across party lines, support “Medicare for All.” In addition, we need to lower the prices of prescription drugs and free up doctors to use their best medical judgment when prescribing treatment options, instead of allowing insurance formularies to dictate the choices and the costs.

Lastly, I feel it is important to discuss abortion within the context of healthcare. An abortion is a medical procedure. Women need to be able to discuss options safely and privately only with their families and doctors. Having a child, or deciding to abort it, is a very personal decision. The government should not be telling women what to do when they get pregnant. Thus, abortion is also a privacy rights issue within the context of healthcare treatment. Moreover, blind bans on abortion do not address situations of rape or incest, and abortion bans based on a pregnancy’s term ignore the unique realities of each woman’s journey through this medical situation, one which may ultimately require the termination of the fetus to save the woman’s life. Therefore, I support a woman’s right to choose.