Healthcare

In the United States, getting sick can still feel like a financial death sentence. Too many people avoid going to the doctor not because they don’t value their health, but because they worry about the bill that might follow. Some families simply cannot afford the care they need, while others fear that a serious diagnosis could mean financial ruin. At the same time, we cannot ignore that medical breakthroughs require enormous investment to develop the drugs, treatments, and technologies that help us live longer and healthier lives. Both realities are true, which means the system between drug development and the moment a prescription reaches a patient’s medicine cabinet clearly isn’t working as it should. We need to reform the healthcare supply chain, increase transparency in pricing, and ensure that lifesaving medications and essential care remain affordable without stifling the innovation that drives medical progress.

Here's what I would change:

First, bring real transparency to healthcare pricing. Patients should know the cost of a procedure, a visit, or a prescription before they receive it. No more surprise bills weeks later.

Second, fix the middle of the system. There are too many layers, insurers, pharmacy benefit managers, administrators, each taking a cut. We need to require that discounts and savings actually reach patients, not get absorbed by middlemen along the way.

Third, cap out-of-pocket costs for essential care and lifesaving medications. No one should be bankrupted because they get sick. There should be a clear limit on what families are expected to pay.

Fourth, keep innovation strong, but tie it to access.  If public funding helps develop a drug, the public should benefit from fair pricing. And when companies bring truly new, lifesaving treatments to market, we should support innovation while not allowing price gouging on essential medications.

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