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Richard A. Evans is a surgeon from Dover-Foxcroft who is a past president of the Maine Medical Association and serves as a delegate from Maine in the American Medical Association House of Delegates. He was a member of the Maine House of Representatives in the 130th Maine Legislature.
As a physician, I have always believed that health is the first wealth. Yet, in the wealthiest country in the world, our health care system is a complete humanitarian failure. For millions of Americans, navigating this system is akin to death by a thousand cuts — a system where corporate profit often takes precedence over patient care and well-being.
The recent murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on the streets of New York is a tragic and shocking event. Let me be unequivocally clear: Violence in any form is not the answer and can never be condoned or tolerated. No amount of frustration or sense of injustice justifies such acts. However, the outrage is real as this killing has illuminated the seething distrust and anger many Americans feel towards corporate America, particularly those in the health care and pharmaceutical industries. Thousands of our fellow Americans have lost faith in corporations that knowingly prioritize profits over providing the care and medications so desperately needed by so many.
What does health care mean? To individuals and families, health care represents access to life-saving treatments, medications, preventive care, and the ability to live a life of dignity without unnecessary mental and physical impediments. To corporate health systems and pharmaceutical companies, however, health care often means maximizing profits, rising executive salaries and driving shareholder returns.
The disparity between these two perspectives is at the heart of our health care crisis. Patients are burdened with sky-high premiums, denial of care and predatory practices. Meanwhile, executives in health care and pharmaceutical companies reap astronomical salaries and stock options. Over the past decade, these compensation packages have surged by double-digit percentages, while the cost of care has spiraled out of control.
States play a significant role in regulating health care providers, overseeing Medicaid and addressing public health challenges. However, their efforts are constrained by federal policies, corporate lobbying and limited budgets. The federal government’s role should be to ensure equitable access to care, regulate corporate practices and address systemic failures like the residency slot cap that limits the training of new physicians. Yet Congress has been slow to act, hindered by political gridlock and the outsized influence of corporate lobbying.
Universal health care must be considered as a part of the discussion in seeking solutions to our current systemic health care problems. Additionally, a single-payer system or Medicare for All approach could simplify the administrative labyrinth, eliminate waste, and ensure that every American has access to affordable care.
Universal health care systems in other developed nations have demonstrated better health outcomes at lower costs, proving that such a model is achievable and effective.
Nothing great is created overnight. The desire, the willingness, and the determination to pursue any or all of these potential solutions lie solely in the hands of Congress. If members of Congress wish to be useful to the people they represent, they must put aside their personal interests and desires and directly address the enormous health system failures that are directly affecting the people.
Health care should not be a luxury. It should not be a battleground where corporations exploit the vulnerable for profit. The current system is not just broken; I believe it is morally bankrupt.
It is time for our leaders to prioritize patients over profits, equity over greed and humanity over bureaucracy. If we fail to act, the United States will continue to pay the price — in lives lost, communities fractured and trust eroded.
