As a retired Navy veteran and Registered Nurse (RN) with healthcare experience dating back to 1976, I have seen firsthand the ongoing struggles to provide healthcare to marginalized populations across the United States. The fight to ensure fair access to healthcare has lasted for decades, often hindered by political opposition. Recently, this opposition has taken the form of partisan gridlock, especially from Republicans and the MAGA movement. These groups have regularly blocked both the expansion and upkeep of existing healthcare access, leaving vulnerable and disenfranchised Americans without the care they desperately need.
One recent example of how political maneuvering puts lives at risk is the failure to secure Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies. The dismantling of current ACA provisions means that millions of Americans will lose their healthcare coverage, with little hope for restoration. I am skeptical that the MAGA party will negotiate in good faith, or that Donald Trump will sign any bill designed to protect or expand healthcare access. The MAGA movement, like its predecessors, has a history of opposing equitable healthcare distribution, dating back to the party's resistance to Medicare and Medicaid in the 1960s. Given this legacy, there is little reason to trust that their stance has changed or that they will honor any commitments to support healthcare for ordinary Americans.
The United States spends more than twice as much per person on healthcare as other developed nations, yet we do not have the best health outcomes worldwide. This gap highlights major issues, including waste, fraud, abuse, and immoral profiteering, within the healthcare system. A clear example is the high cost of prescription drugs, which are often much more expensive in the United States than in other countries. Several factors in the healthcare financing system contribute to these rising costs, and the core issue is not so much where the money will come from but where it is going.
As Americans, we pride ourselves on being the wealthiest society on earth. If this is truly the case, we should be able to provide healthcare as a fundamental right, not a privilege reserved for the few. Protecting this right requires ongoing commitment and action—not just today, but also in the weeks, months, and years to come. The challenge is to ensure that every citizen has access to the healthcare they need, regardless of political opposition or systemic obstacles.