Capitalism in Healthcare: The Privatized Medical Sector?

While California did propose a bill on reducing the insulin costs in hopes to bring the market price of insulin down, it begs the question, "Are we focused on driving prices up or down?"

The basic concept of a competitive market relies on the idea that as consumers want more of a product, the price goes up with it. But at what point can we place a glass ceiling and at what point do we decide that as a government we can step in and provide healthcare to the people?

Even if the government were to step in and provide healthcare to all, this would not mitigate any issues. In countries where healthcare is free to everyone, people buy second healthcare plans because universal healthcare causes everyone to be put on a waiting list in which organ transplants become a long wait because everyone is on the list. Furthermore, having the government act in place as a factor deciding in the market would undermine the ability of corporations running the medical field. But then again, should corporations be running the medical field?

In the United States, calling an ambulance means incurring costs well above $1000. In the United Kingdoms, doesn't cost a penny. People in the United States fear going to their local pharmacy or their hospital to get treated because sometimes their healthcare provider doesn't pay for their treatments. The underserved don't even have basic infrastructure where they can go to physicians to even figure out they have problem in the first place.

But even then, it is the medical legislation that is being put forth that has removes the basic understanding of the medical field and what true medical help looks like. Where information is a key part of educating the people, the basic price of how much a basic drug cost is unknown. People lack the understanding of what medicine is truly worth and thus the prices being charged keep getting higher and higher. The lack of transparency, which is active in 25 states in the United States, prevents the basic free market to even run properly.

Though we are undermining the ability of a free market, it does not come at the cost of the people's health. The government needs to step in, provide a price ceiling and allow basic treatments to go without cost. Even though this is a small step, it opens access to the underprivileged to take their first steps at realizing that they can take care of their health and that there is a future for them where they can survive without having to stifled by the healthcare system.

So who is really to blame here? The people? The government? The corporations? We all play a part here and for us to really understand how to reduce the prices of healthcare and have accessible treatments, becoming informed without an iron curtain blocking us from medical information alongside being human is where we stand in the medical field. It is not just capitalism being evil; it is about allowing capitalism to thrive in a limited environment while giving the underserved what they need.