Care when you need it.
Healthcare is a right. Guarantee access through a public system at cost, with care based on need.
Realistic now
Expand public coverage and invest in public clinics, staff and rural care. Reduce the bills patients face at the point of care.
The ideal
A universal public system with no patient charges for essential care, financed openly and governed democratically.
Benefits
Broad coverage spreads risk and makes access less dependent on employment or income.
Costs / risks
A guarantee needs staffing, capacity, a funding plan and independent appeals.
Round 2 rules
The only hospital in a region is public; a private hospital may open later. Essential and shortage drugs are produced by public and nonprofit makers at cost, while new patented drugs stay private under patent-buyout and compulsory-licensing rules, with one patent per drug type. Medical debt is void by law.
Real life
The costs ledger shows OECD per-person spending and separately reports employer family premiums from AHRQ and KFF.
OECD · Health at a Glance 2025 · AHRQ · MEPS-IC 2024 · KFF · Employer Health Benefits Survey 2024