What the Pandemic Reveals about the U.S. Health Care System

What the Pandemic Reveals about the U.S. Health Care System

By Cliff DuRand

 

The United States has the dubious distinction of having the highest number of COVID-19 deaths in the world. While the Trump Administration’s handling of the pandemic is widely understood to have been a major factor in this, there is more to the story than meets the eye. The private health care system itself is ill designed for the challenge. This is the conclusion of Dr. Vicente Navarro, professor in the School of Public Health of The Johns Hopkins University.

 

For four decades he has been a prolific critic of health under capitalism. Navarro has authored 24 books, among them “Dangerous to Your Health,” “Neoliberalism, Globalization and Inequalities: Consequences for Health and Quality of Life,” and most recently “Why the United States Does Not Have a National Health Program.” The long-standing failings of the system he has been pointing to have now been brought into full view by the pandemic.

 

When millions of people are losing their jobs, employer-based health insurance leaves them stranded just when they need it most. And then too many untreated Covid-19 cases just spreads the virus more widely.

 

While the United States boasts of its highly advanced medicine, much of its population, especially minorities, are not very healthy. This makes them more vulnerable to the coronavirus.

 

Navarro has long been a leading advocate of universal single-payer health care as a human right.

 

This webinar is part of a weekly series on a variety of social issues featuring thought-provoking thinkers. The Center for Global Justice is devoted to research and learning for a better world. We offer these webinars every Monday at 1pm Tune in at www.globaljusticecenter.org. You can also view past programs there.