Many Americans are not satisfied with the current health care system. Before on this site it has been argued how the U.S. is in need of a single-payer health care system, see the post The Cost of Health Care in the U.S. compared to Other Countries. Many democratic presidential candidates in 2020 have come out in favor of universal healthcare. Also looking through tweets on Twitter one can see that many in the U.S. are also in favor of universal healthcare.
However, a single-payer health care system does not go far enough and should also include dental care. As has been discussed in the post ADA Breaking Down Barriers to Oral Health for All Americans: Repairing the Tattered Safety Net Americans are increasingly finding it difficult to pay for dental care. Dental care is also intimately tied to health care. As has been shown on the wisdom teeth complications page many of the wisdom teeth complications that can result would require health insurance to treat. For example, the maxillary sinus can be perforated and potentially require surgery by an Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor to drain the fluid that builds up. Further as discussed in the post Risks of Keeping Wisdom Teeth: Infected Wisdom Tooth Removal Leads to Sepsis having an infected wisdom tooth can lead to sepsis requiring a prolonged hospital stay to treat. Therefore, since dental care is intimately tied to health care why should should they be covered by different systems?
What Democratic Presidential Candidates Are Saying About Universal Healthcare in the U.S.
Currently, the U.S. is in the middle of determining who will be the democratic presidential candidate for the 2020 election. Some of the front running candidates having come out in support of universal healthcare. The Washington Post in an article titled “Where 2020 Democrats stand on Medicare-for-all” provides details on where the democratic 2020 candidates stand on universal healthcare. Both Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are in favor of universal healthcare and getting rid of private insurance.
Bernie Sanders has a Medicare for All Plan that covers dental care and his website says
“Bernie believes that healthcare is a human right and should be guaranteed to every American without the added stress of out-of-pocket costs to see the doctors they want when they are sick or injured…Health care costs continue to be the top cause of bankruptcy… Many countries have proven that a single-payer system can work—it’s time for the U.S. to join that list. ”
Elizabeth Warren also has a Medicare for All Plan and her website says
“Elizabeth studied why working families were going broke. Her research showed that most people who filed for bankruptcy…were solidly middle class, and about half had filed for bankruptcy in the aftermath of a serious medical problem…Elizabeth supports Medicare for All, which would provide all Americans with a public health care program….Everyone can see the doctor they need. Nobody goes broke.”
Other candidates like Andrew Yang support Medicare for All but don’t believe private insurance companies should be eliminated right away. Andrew Yang’s website says
“Through a Medicare for All system, we can ensure that all Americans receive the healthcare they deserve. Not only will this raise the quality of life for all Americans, but, by increasing access to preventive care, it will also bring overall healthcare costs down.”
Tweets on Universal Healthcare
Conclusion
Of course not all 2020 democratic presidential candidates are for universal healthcare just as not all people in the U.S. are for universal healthcare. Even so many problems remain with a for profit private insurance system that separates dental care and health care in the US. If you lose a job you have to pay costly premiums or lose your insurance. If you get injured by those in the healthcare system and can not work in your chosen profession, a real possibility from wisdom teeth removal, see the post Wisdom Teeth Removal Leads to Trigeminal Neuralgia and Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome dysfunction, you are basically screwed and have to rely on strangers in online fund raising campaigns for assistance. If you require the use of health care services as a result of dental care complications, a real possibility from wisdom teeth removal, see the tweet from Jodi Clemens in the post Wisdom Teeth Tweets from Twitter, you may have to cover the expense out of pocket. While there may be some downsides to universal healthcare, the benefits seem to outweigh them.
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