Hijacking Healthcare: The American healthcare system is becoming too politicized at the expense of vulnerable populations

Congress delyaed the reauthorization of The President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief this month that has saved over 25 million lives, since its creation in 2003. 

This was due to the concerns of far-right Republican members. The bill gives resources to organizations that also provide abortions along with HIV and AIDS care, despite the money not directly going to abortions.

The President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief — an act created to provide support and resources for those struggling with HIV and AIDS in developing countries such as Ethiopia or Haiti — expired due to the time limit set on it on Sept. 30 and Congress still has yet to reauthorize the life-saving program.

This highlights a concerning trend of politicizing healthcare in the U.S. at the expense of its citizens.

The delay of PEPFAR came right after the House of Representatives didn’t pass the National Defense Authorization Act with broad support of both parties for the first time in 60 years. The act only narrowly passed this year as many far-right members threatened to vote against unless changes were made, according to NPR.

The NDAA eventually passed but with stipulations — including prohibiting the Defense Department from reimbursing or paying travel expenses related to abortion care and barring transgender health services for military members.

Healthcare shouldn’t be a political game to push a group’s ideals, it should be something everyone can equally access without having to rely on people to vote for you to access it. 

The United States is in the top 50% of healthcare in the world but our country has repeatedly proven that it cares more about pushing political agendas than the wellbeing of its citizens.

If Congress continues to delay the reauthorization of PEPFAR, organizations that deliver lifesaving drug treatments, like antiretroviral therapy, and other resources to HIV patients may have to restrict their work. This would cause people to go without treatments they potentially need to live.

If this trend continues, more healthcare services will become a divisive topic in politics leaving it unknown what our healthcare system will look like in later years.

Congress is on the path to prevent people from getting lifesaving treatment, potentially killing people who without access to HIV and AIDS treatment to “save the life” of an unborn child. They are risking lives because they refuse to risk their status — even if the act doesn’t directly support abortions. Their clause for this belief is the lifting of the “Mexico City Policy,’’ a policy that required foreign non-profits to not use any fundings from the U.S. to promote or perform abortion as a form of family planning.

A 2020 study by Gallop found that 57% of Americans believe that healthcare is the government’s responsibility to cover. Yet, the government can’t even guarantee coverage for a lifesaving treatment for those with HIV. 

People’s lives being decided by what happens on the Congress floor is not what our nation stands for and shouldn’t be acceptable. Our nation is supposed to represent freedom and unity but denying people basic medical necessities doesn’t seem to show either of those values.

Along the same lines, far-right house members are making it more difficult for women in the military to access safe abortions or transgender service members to access their necessary treatments or surgeries.

The people in support of the new NDAA stipulations want to support our troops yet still vote to remove the military’s health plan from covering gender-affirming surgery or support them in their choices regarding their body. 

Someone’s medical needs shouldn’t be put on a ballot. A woman’s choices for her body shouldn’t be a debate. Gender-affirming care shouldn’t be a divisive segment in a bill. No one should be sitting on their phone waiting for results if they’ll be able to afford healthcare.

These acts also directly go against the 14th Amendment that guarantees health equity in the United States. These new acts are not equal at all. 

The government that we have voted to work in our best interests and protect us is working more in favor of their status and principles than the health of their citizens. 

Someone’s access to both medically necessary or optional healthcare shouldn’t be completely in the hands of a select group of people. Having people in government who respect all healthcare, even if they may not agree with it, is a mandatory change our country needs to make.