Imagine if someone said you can pick only two of these: the best, right now, and cheap. Sounds tough, right? This is what happens in our healthcare system. People want great care quickly without it costing a lot. But that's not how it works. Our system has two faces - for some, it's a public good, like clean water, but for others, it's something you buy and sell. This split can make it hard to fix problems.

Take Medicare and Medicaid, for example. They treat healthcare as a public good. But for most others, it's a commodity. This mix-up makes it hard to agree on changes. Healthcare's getting more expensive, and it's causing real trouble. Some patients get so mad they hurt healthcare workers. This isn't just about costs, though. It's about feeling powerless and scared of going broke.

Lots of people complained about this in the past. A magazine in 1970 said our everyday care isn't great, it's wasteful, and not fair. But we can fix it. Investing in basic care can help. It can make things better, fairer, and cheaper.

So, what do we want healthcare to be? Should it be something everyone gets, like water? Or should it be something you buy, accepting that some won't get it? We can't choose both. Until we do, we'll keep dealing with a system that's not great for anyone.

Healthcare: What Should It Be?

Actions