Doctor Is In by Dr. Adil Manzoor OP/ED
We have less than a month to arguably the most important day in the United States this year. Yes, I’m obviously talking about the presidential election, scheduled for November 3.
It’s been a crazy year, which seemed to climax a few days ago. The coronavirus has pretty much shut down the country. The economy is failing, people are losing their lives, and now, the number one citizen in the United States is infected with the coronavirus. When it comes to the issue of healthcare, America just can’t seem to catch a break.
It’s another election, so it’s only right to compare where we are now to where we were four years ago. So, I’ll start. Is healthcare insurance getting cheaper? No. Are prices of drug reducing? No.
Is the insurance companies’ monopoly of the healthcare sector reducing? No. Is the issue of shortage and burnout of doctors getting better? No. It’s all bad news, and it seemingly is about to get worse.
I’ll narrow it down to this year alone – a year dominated by the outbreak of the worst pandemic in over a century. The United States of America accounts for close to 22% of the world’s total coronavirus cases, and about 21% of the world’s coronavirus deaths. That’s mind-blowing when you consider that America makes up only 4% of the world’s population.
Many like to say; the virus crippled our healthcare system. That couldn’t be further away from the truth. The virus did not cripple our healthcare sector; it only exposed how crippled it is. Our healthcare sector has been crippled for years now, and it doesn’t look like there will be a change now. There has been wave after wave of this virus. Many less-developed countries have already started seeing constant and significant drops in coronavirus cases, but here we are, the world’s largest economy, with over 214,000 people dead and our president infected with the virus less than a month to the general elections.
Someone asked me to describe our healthcare in America, and I could only think of two words – utterly disappointing. We pay the most for medical services amongst all countries in the world. Our spending on healthcare is more than double the average of other Western countries. And does this translate to improved quality? No, far from it. We pay more for less.
Oh, how I’ve missed the election fever. With candidates coming to woo us over to their side with their self-proclaimed genius health policies. Of course, that’s to be expected, as healthcare is one of the top deciding factors on who people eventually vote for. But at this point, I can’t even fall for that again. Empty promises upon empty promises. Our healthcare system is regressing.
I chuckle when I see people argue about who has the best policy for our healthcare system. Some want Medicare for all; others want a single-payer system. But when exactly are we going to tackle the problem from the root? When exactly are we going to fight what insurance companies are doing to our healthcare sector? All I see is people clamoring for more people to have healthcare insurance coverage, but what good will that do when the people on it cannot even afford to pay the mighty premiums?
And we are not talking about the coronavirus as much as we should. Close to 215,000 people have died from the coronavirus, and still counting. In March, the president said that a death toll of between 100,000 and 200,000 from the coronavirus would mean he has ‘done a very good job.’ Well?
Let’s even look beyond what is happening now. Let’s look at how bright the future is. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the country’s total population is going to increase by over ten percent in 2032, with people over the age of 65 increasing by 48%. While the country is estimated to increase in population, the number of doctors is estimated to reduce. That’s a horrifying scenario to imagine. Just think about it. There are stupidly long queues in the doctor’s office with the current population and doctors, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to secure appointments. Now imagine what will happen when the population, especially people above 65, increases and available doctors, decrease.
Then there’s the issue of drug prices increasing too. The president did sign a law that banned gag clauses in 2018. Gag clauses prevent pharmacists from telling customers and patients about cheaper drug options. However, the prices of drugs aren’t reducing. Many drug makers revealed price hikes for close to 450 drugs earlier this year. And with the way the economy is going, it’s very likely drugs will continue to increase. In fact, not very likely, prices of drugs will definitely continue to increase.
Who’s going to give America a better healthcare sector? I can’t say for sure. But what I can say is that whoever is elected has a lot of work to do. Health insurance companies need to be checked. Pharmaceutical companies need to be checked. The issue of doctors’ burnout needs to be checked.
Unless some very drastic measures are taken, we’ll all probably be here whining about our healthcare in another four years. Stay safe. And vote.
This article was written by Dr. Adil Manzoor DO, a Board Certified Internist & Board Eligible Pediatrician, who works as a Hospitalist, and Emergency Room Physician. He is also the current President of Garden State Street Medicine, a non-profit organization whose sole purpose is to provide free preventive and acute urgent care services for the homeless. He is also the co-founder of his own unique medical practice Mobile Medicine NJ.
References
· https://www. healthcaredive.com/news/presidential-election-2020-trump-biden-differenthealthcare-policies-ACA-coronavirus/585184/
· https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/01/29/800652075/u-s-elections-2020understanding-whats-at-stake-for-health-care
· https://www.medicalnews today.com/amp/articles/us-elections-2020-how-important-ishealthcare-for-voters
· https://jamanetwork.com/channels/health-forum/fullarticle/2762503
