our stance on
Health Care

Fixing Healthcare: The Pivot Party’s Vision

Healthcare in the United States is broken. Despite spending more than any other wealthy country—around $13,000 per person each year—we’re the only developed nation that doesn’t guarantee healthcare for its citizens. Meanwhile, countries that spend half as much provide better outcomes.

The results are clear: we have the lowest life expectancy among developed nations, the highest rates of infant and maternal deaths, and obesity rates that are double the average. These aren’t just statistics; they’re a reflection of a system that prioritizes profit over people.

Our healthcare system is a confusing tangle of private insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, health shares, and uninsured individuals. It’s so complex and costly that even a routine medical issue can lead to financial ruin. This isn’t just inefficient; it’s inhumane.

The Pivot Party’s Approach to Healthcare

We believe it’s time to pivot to a healthcare system that ensures access for everyone, simplifies the process, and focuses on keeping people healthy—not just treating them when they’re sick. Here’s how we envision a better healthcare future:

1. Universal Coverage:

   • Guarantee healthcare as a basic right for all Americans, covering essential services like preventive care, mental health, holistic practices, and chronic condition management.

2. Focus on Prevention:

   • Prioritize holistic approaches that address the root causes of illness, such as diet, exercise, and mental well-being, to help prevent disease before it starts.

   • Invest in education and community programs that encourage healthy lifestyles, reducing the need for expensive treatments later.

3. Lower Costs:

   • Negotiate fair prices for drugs, procedures, and medical equipment, aligning costs with outcomes rather than profits.

   • Shift the focus from reactive, high-cost interventions to proactive, cost-effective care.

4. Support Small Practices:

   • Empower local doctors, nurses, holistic practitioners, and mental health providers to deliver personalized care without corporate interference.

5. Eliminate Medical Bankruptcy:

   • Create a system where no one faces financial ruin due to medical expenses by eliminating out-of-pocket costs for critical care.

6. Simplify the System:

   • Replace the complex web of insurance plans with a streamlined, single-payer or public option model that’s easy to navigate and accessible to all.

Pivoting to Holistic, Universal Healthcare

The Pivot Party is committed to moving away from a fragmented, profit-driven system to one that guarantees healthcare for everyone and prioritizes keeping people healthy. By integrating holistic approaches, emphasizing prevention, and guaranteeing universal access, we can create a healthcare system that works for people, not profits.

Universal healthcare isn’t just a lofty goal—it’s a proven solution that works in other countries, and it can work here too. By focusing on fairness, efficiency, and outcomes, we can build a system that helps every American live a healthier life.

Where We Went Wrong: Key Pivot Points

To fix healthcare, we must understand the decisions that led us here:

1. The Rise of Employer-Based Insurance (1940s):

   • During World War II, wage controls led employers to offer health insurance as a benefit. This tied access to healthcare to employment, leaving many uninsured or underinsured when unemployed, self-employed, or in low-wage jobs. It also blocked national discussions about universal healthcare by entrenching employer-sponsored insurance as the norm.

2. Medicare and Medicaid Limitations (1965):

   • While these programs expanded access, they were designed to coexist with private insurance rather than replace it. This left many Americans reliant on an expensive, profit-driven private system. Medicaid access also varies by state, creating disparities for low-income populations.

3. The HMO Act (1973):

   • The Health Maintenance Organization Act incentivized the growth of for-profit insurance plans, shifting the focus from patient care to cost-cutting and corporate profits. This decision made insurers gatekeepers to care, introducing practices like narrow networks, coverage denials, and excessive administrative costs.

4. Deregulation of Drug Prices (1980s):

   • Policies like the Bayh-Dole Act allowed pharmaceutical companies to patent publicly funded research, and Medicare was later prohibited from negotiating drug prices. These decisions handed pricing power to corporations, leading to skyrocketing drug costs and reduced access to life-saving medications.

5. Insurance Industry Consolidation (1990s–2000s):

   • Mergers created regional monopolies among private insurers, reducing competition and driving up premiums. In many areas, consumers are left with few options and higher costs.

6. The Affordable Care Act (2010):

   • While the ACA expanded insurance coverage, it relied heavily on private insurance companies. This left a system plagued by inefficiencies like high administrative costs, narrow networks, and unaffordable premiums. It also failed to address root causes like drug pricing and profit-driven care.

By identifying these pivot points, we can chart a new path—one that removes profit as the primary driver of healthcare decisions and focuses on equitable, universal access for all.

It’s time to pivot. Let’s build a healthcare system that works for all of us.