The U. S. healthcare system is facing a significant crisis driven by corporate greed that began in the early 20th century. This shift prioritized profit over health care, leading to dramatically increasing costs and inequality in access to medical services. Healthcare spending in the U. S. rose from $200 billion in 1979 to over $4. 9 trillion in 2023. Despite the high expenditure, many people still lack access to affordable and quality care.
The COVID-19 pandemic further accelerated healthcare spending, which increased by 10. 4 percent from 2019 to 2020, and has remained high ever since. The healthcare industry is primarily influenced by special interest groups and a powerful corporate class that favors economic gain over making care affordable and accessible to all.
Historically, the relationship between capitalism and healthcare in America has led to increased costs and negative effects on consumer health. This trend can be traced back to the early 20th century when the medical profession and corporate interests began to shape the healthcare system. The introduction of Medicare and Medicaid in the 1960s was meant to expand access to healthcare, but it also fueled inflation in the private healthcare system. Many people, especially in rural and low-income areas, still struggle to find adequate healthcare providers.
By the year 2000, overall healthcare spending had hit $1. 4 trillion, or roughly $5,000 per person. The ongoing increase in spending has not resulted in significant improvements in care access or affordability. The COVID-19 pandemic has played a notable role in this continuous rise, with substantial increases seen in healthcare costs since then. For example, the growth from 2022 to 2023 was recorded at 7. 5 percent, far surpassing the historical average.
In 2023, hospital spending accounted for a significant portion of total health expenditures, and private health insurance was the main source of health spending. Public insurance programs also represented a considerable share of spending, although out-of-pocket costs for individuals increased as well.
E. Richard Brown's book "Rockefeller Medicine Men: Medicine and Capitalism in America" highlights how special interest groups in the healthcare field have built powerful economic foundations, securing their influence in the market. According to Brown, this sets a system that favors the current state of American healthcare and diminishes the chances for reform.
Mike Adams, in a video from the Health Ranger Report, suggests that decentralizing the healthcare system could be a solution for reform.
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