Healthcare Access

Cost for Healthcare: Should Healthcare Be Free for Everyone?

By Nysy Fabian, YouthCare Connect

Around 44% of the adult population of the United States is unable or struggles to pay for medical care, approximately 112 million Americans in 2023 (US Senate). Every single person deserves medical care without exception, and many people would agree with this argument. So, should not universal healthcare be considered a basic human right?

Universal healthcare should be available to everyone because it improves public health, reduces financial inequality, and ensures that medical care is treated as a human right rather than a privilege.

Having access to free –or at least free– healthcare would be incredibly beneficial for society. In a commentary by Zieff, an academic researcher from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, it is shared, “Perhaps the most striking advantage of a universal healthcare system in the U.S. is the potential to address the epidemic level of non-communicable chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, type II diabetes, and obesity.” (Zieff et al.). Universal healthcare would impact overall health in populations, with an inevitable increase in life expectancy rates. Additionally, preventive care would benefit the economy of the country, with chronic diseases that, if left untreated, could result in costs amounting to billions of dollars.

There are several reasons why free healthcare could be beneficial, but we should also acknowledge the drawbacks. Among the arguments against universal access to healthcare, we can find points such as tax increases, extended wait times, and concerns over governmental control in areas including medical innovation.

• Cost estimations of the proposal for universal healthcare range from USD 32 to 44 trillion across 10 years, while deficit estimations range from USD 1.1 to 2.1 trillion per year (Zieff et al.).
• In 2017, Canadians were on waiting lists for an estimated 1,040,791 procedures, and the median wait time for arthroplastic surgery was 20–52 weeks (Zieff et al.)

The Gap in Universal Healthcare

When addressing the topic of free access to healthcare, we have to take into account that this would not be an easy change that can be applied instantaneously. The systems could become slower if they are not correctly digitalized or financed. Increased access to healthcare without proportional expansion of medical resources can reduce service efficiency. People often forget about triage and prioritization; serious cases are treated first, which means “less urgent” cases can wait weeks or months to be treated adequately.

While waiting times are often cited as a disadvantage of universal healthcare, they are heavily influenced by funding levels, workforce distribution, and healthcare management’s efficiency rather than universality itself. Some countries with universal healthcare have better waiting times than the U.S. For example, in the Netherlands, 87% of the individuals are seen by a medical provider in 1 day or less (“Long Wait Times at Hospitals in Jamaica: A Potential Risk to Patient Safety”).

Beyond statistics, healthcare is an extremely personal issue. For many individuals, the cost of treatment can lead to delayed care, worsening conditions, and significant emotional stress. Families may face financial strain when medical bills accumulate, forcing difficult decisions between health and economic stability. At its core, the debate over universal healthcare is also a debate about dignity and whether access to treatment should depend on income.

Universal healthcare is still a deeply debated issue, but its main purpose is to ensure that access to medical care is not determined by monetary status. Nowadays, medical costs continue to rise, and millions of people face financial barriers to treatment. The debate over universal healthcare has become increasingly relevant. Government and policymakers must prioritize healthcare systems that balance efficiency with accessibility, ensuring that quality care is not limited to those who can afford it.

A healthcare system reflects the values of a society, and the question remains whether those values prioritize profit or people.