I’m not a politician or a policy expert; however, I’m someone who believes that no one in this country should have to suffer or die because they can’t afford to see a doctor. It’s simple: healthcare should be a universal right in the United States.

I’ve watched people I care about delay treatment because they didn’t have insurance. I’ve seen people on the news refuse medication, avoid emergency rooms, and live with chronic pain, all because the cost of care was too high. These are not rare experiences; they are everyday realities for millions of Americans. A 2022 survey found that 22% of Americans have delayed seeking healthcare due to the associated costs.

Other countries, who have fewer resources, have figured this out. Universal healthcare systems across Europe, Canada and beyond don’t bankrupt their citizens for getting sick. They don’t link health coverage to employment. They treat healthcare as a public good, a human right, not a profit machine. Their people are healthier while the citizens of The United States deteriorate. They worry less about whether they can afford to get the help they need.

Opponents often say it would cost too much, but we already spend more than any other developed country on healthcare—by far—and get worse outcomes. The real cost is in the state of affairs: people avoiding doctors, diseases going untreated, lives cut short. We pay for this every day with our money and with our humanity.

I understand change isn’t easy, but it’s frustrating to hear that universal healthcare is unrealistic. What’s unrealistic is continuing down this path, where health is treated like a luxury and insurance companies dictate care.

Health is a human right, and whether one gets treatment shouldn’t be determined by how much money they have. More importantly, care should be determined by doctors who are invested in the health of their patients, not insurance companies whose sole purpose is to make money.