There’s much discussion about universal healthcare: how would we pay for it and how would it be implemented? All good questions and will require thinking outside the box.
I think we all agree that our system is broken. It costs too much, claims are denied, finding a doctor is difficult, services are reduced. I’d like to compare it to owning a car.
A car requires constant attention. If you get a shopping cart scratch on the door, no big deal. If your breaks squeak, you have a mechanic repair them. If your check engine light comes on, you take it to have it diagnosed. If it’s a major issue like an engine or transmission, you need to decide: Should I continue the nickel/dime repairs on an unreliable vehicle or start to look for a new one? When the old one isn’t worth repairing, it goes to the scrap yard.
Congress has put minor patches on our healthcare system for years with varying success. The closest we have come to affordable healthcare was Obama Care. It was a start, but didn’t address the high cost of healthcare and still millions were left uncovered. Since it was enacted there has been a steady move to eliminate what little success was gained and we’re almost back to where we started.
I propose that our healthcare system is beyond repair and needs to be scrapped. It’s time to rebuild it from the ground up.
How would we pay for it? The U.S. spends roughly $14,880 per person each year, which is roughly 2.5 times what other developed countries spend. We spent $954 billion on our military in 2025 which is three times higher than the next nation (China). We provide Israel $3.3 billion each year and their citizens enjoy universal healthcare. I’d say we could easily take a couple of billion from those programs and use it here at home.
Claims denied? My wife and I traveled to Croatia this year. While there, my wife’s tooth broke. We found a dentist’s office and explained we were traveling and asked what they could do. The dentist instructed her to sit in the chair, and she temporarily repaired her tooth with instructions to see our dentist when we returned home. We asked how much for the repair, and she looked at us with surprise and said “no charge.” Not from their country, no questions and we didn’t have to pay!
How would it be implemented? Good question, but we don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Other countries have figured it out and those could be used as models. Look at others and implement the best and/or portions of each.
When people are provided with regular checkups, problems can be addressed before they have an emergency. Addressing problems early can reduce seriousness and reduce the cost of treatment. Financial ruin isn’t a concern.
We can start with a clean slate and build something that works for everyone. Whatever we come up with, everyone will be enrolled, including our elected officials. That way we’ll be sure it works.
Thomas Kolling lives in Concord.