Universal healthcare. Depending on who you are, those two words either invoke a sense of positivity or a feeling of concern. Many people hold a solid belief that access to healthcare is simply not a human right. That notion is incredibly dangerous, especially for those who fall on the lower end of the socioeconomic spectrum. The truth is, accessing healthcare is indeed a human right that must be protected to ensure every person can receive the treatment and care they need for a healthy life. Yet, over 27 million Americans remain uninsured.
Now, in theory … that shouldn’t mean anything. What does insurance have to do with healthcare?
Well, in the United States, the healthcare industry has seen a massive transition to for-profit medical services. The primary way people pay for their healthcare is through their insurance. In theory, insurance coverage is meant to provide patients with a sense of financial security; safeguarding individuals from excessive medical costs. The hope is that insurance companies lift the financial burden of healthcare.
However, practice doesn’t always reflect theory and in this case, insurance companies are the furthest thing from a safety net. These days, it feels as though insurance companies serve as barriers more than anything. Their primary goal – like most for-profit entities – is to maximize revenue and minimize costs. Unfortunately, this often comes at the expense of patients’ health and well-being, often blocking patients from getting the care they need.
Medical expenses that are financially covered by insurance companies are determined by the companies themselves. Aforementioned, these companies have one thing on their mind… and it is not patient care. Patients may not receive the treatments, medications, and even procedures they require simply because their insurance will not cover the costs.
“Insurance agencies are at the center of the healthcare industry, but do they really help like they claim? People are still left without healthcare because insurance is too expensive, or they cannot get the medicine or procedures they need because their insurance does not cover it. In addition to all of the headaches for profit insurance has caused patients, they don’t ever see the layers of bureaucracy and costs to hospitals and physicians. Payers are denying claims submitted by doctors after wasting months of their time,” says DoorSpace CEO Sarah M. Worthy.
The restriction of access to healthcare by insurance companies poses a significant danger for millions of Americans. With each denial, insurance companies are perpetuating health disparities and cultivating a system that prioritizes profit over people. Additionally, the financial burden associated with healthcare disproportionately affects communities of color and low-income households.
With much of the focus on their profit margins, these companies are dismissing the well-being of the people they serve. We need a system that puts patients first, ensuring that everyone — regardless of income or insurance status — has access to the care they need when they need it.
Worthy proceeds to say: “Insurance companies need to stop being so money hungry, and prioritize the health of patients and the doctors who take care of them. I feel like people are led astray by their insurance because they promote that they will cover you, when in reality there are more out-of-pocket costs that add up. Greed has no place in the healthcare industry. Patients’ lives are at risk, and insurance companies need to be reworked to focus on the level of care they provide, not the money in their wallets.”
Insurance companies currently serve as the gatekeepers to healthcare. Nothing happens without their approval. But, healthcare is simply too important and essential to survival for it to be left in the hands of for-profit mongers. We must revert to a system that prioritizes access for all. Insurance company policies can no longer be allowed to deny patients of the treatment they need and deserve. The lives of millions of Americans depend on it.