Is Racism the Real Reason The U.S. Doesn’t Have Universal Healthcare?

Well, of course, it is.

I recently began following a content creator who goes by Auntie Bev on Instagram (@beverlymahone). Although she is known for her educational videos to expand your vocabulary, she has devoted much of her content in February to sharing little-known facts about Black history. I’m enjoying it.

One of her recent reels discussed universal healthcare. Did you know that this possibility was first discussed over 100 years ago? The plan was rejected because those in power didn’t want Blacks included. 

I bit and decided to do my own research, taking a deep dive down this rabbit hole. 

Fredrick Ludwig Hoffman, a German statistician who failed multiple times at earning a college degree, was a huge influence in this decision per Auntie Bev. He brought his racist ideologies with him when he immigrated to America, including eugenics. He concluded that if Blacks didn’t have access to healthcare, they would die off in a few generations, equating to a slow genocide. His book The Race Traits and Tendencies of the American Negro, published in 1896, was the basis for many of the discriminatory practices of the insurance industry, including charging more to Blacks for life insurance and paying a percentage of coverage first under Medicare. 

So, we can thank a non-American, white, male statistician for the foundation of systemic racism in the healthcare and insurance industries. Mr. Hoffman sounds like a really great guy (note my sarcasm). Consider my mind blown. Because, of course, it was a white male immigrant who shaped these policies. 

Now, let’s contemplate the what-ifs. 

If we had established a national healthcare system over a century ago, the insurance industry wouldn’t be the behemoth powerhouse it is today. As it is, insurance companies help dictate how we practice medicine in the U.S. I live this as a healthcare provider myself. But with their lobbyists funded as well as they are, insurance companies can contribute money to the campaigns of modern politicians and buy their support. 

How is it possible for companies to buy off politicians? Well, we can thank the Supreme Court’s decision regarding Citizens United, deeming political contributions by corporations an avenue of free speech. This has led to the creation of Super PACs that can be used to funnel dark money into campaigns, increasing the power of the wealthy and corporations exponentially. 

What if we did have a national healthcare system in the U.S.? 

Would it open up possibilities for entrepreneurship if healthcare coverage wasn’t so closely associated with employment with corporations? 

Would we do a better job with preventive care if it didn’t cost so much money to see a doctor? 

Would our maternal mortality rates be lower if everyone had access to quality pre-natal and post-natal care? (The U.S. is the leader of the Western world in maternal mortality.)

What would our financial status look like if we didn’t spend as much as our rent each month on health insurance?

What if getting cancer didn’t mean likely bankruptcy? 

What if we weren’t being told by hospitals to open GoFundMe campaigns to pay our medical bills? (Yes, this is actually a tactic patient advocates are teaching patients now. And that’s just sad.)

My inquiring mind wants to know. 

Obviously, the issues impeding a shift to a national healthcare system involve multiple variables, as our system is vastly more complex than it was 100 years ago, with numerous players invested in profiting off of our care. But to understand that the original reason to prevent a national system was based on racist ideologies is absolutely disgusting. But also, expectedly American. Sigh.

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Thank you to Auntie Bev for the enlightenment. She also reveals multiple inventions generated by Black Americans for which white people took credit. Please give her a follow on Instagram!

What are your thoughts about this? I’d love to hear about them!

As always, I hope you all are safe and healthy.