Is U.S. health care — or lack of it — violating human rights? Some officials in other countries believe our nation is violating human rights with our inadequate and negligent health-care system. When I asked my laptop “What do officials in foreign nations say about U.S. health care?” that was one of the responses I received. Here is the exact wording provided by an Artificial Intelligence overview: “International bodies have raised concerns about the U.S. system in the context of international law and the right to health, stating the lack of universal access reflects a failure to comply with legal and political obligations to ensure the right to health for its citizens.” Isn’t that a condemning comment on our lack of caring for all our citizens? Another response cited the “perception of a ‘morally wrong’ system.” That response noted, “Some officials, such as former U.N. chief Ban Ki Moon, have stated the system is ‘morally wrong’ due to the lack of universal access.” Foreign officials also list some reasons for those comments, including “high cost and inefficiency.” Those criticisms are based on the analyses of two non-profit, non-partisan agencies that report “the U.S. spends significantly more per capita on health care than other wealthy nations, yet achieves worse outcomes.” The two agencies are Commonwealth Fund and KFF, the former Kaiser Family Foundation. Both support health-care research and issue facts on health policies and policymakers. Foreign officials cite inequities and lack of access, adding: “Unlike other high-income countries that provide universal coverage, the U.S. system leaves many without adequate access to care, and health outcomes are less equitable.” But what I consider most condemning of all is the statement on our poor health results. It says: “Despite high spending, the U.S. ranks last among comparable nations for key outcomes, including life expectancy, infant mortality and chronic disease management, a gap that has widened since the COVID-19 pandemic.” All of these criticisms are caused by our failure to enact a universal health-care system — or as some have labeled it — a single-payer system or Medicare for all.  If any of this sounds familiar, perhaps you have been paying attention to Bernie Sanders, our independent senator from Vermont — and not only recently, but for the past 32 years. One of his more recent stabs at a universal system is his “Medicare for All” legislation introduced in the Senate on Sept. 13, 2017. But Sanders has been advocating for single-payer health-care systems for decades, including a bill with a similar goal introduced in 1993 when he was a member of the House of Representatives.  Some of you may have noticed that I also have advocated for universal health care in a number of commentaries during the past six or seven years. On a few occasions I noted the United States is the only one of the 38 developed nations in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development that does not have some form of universal health care. Shame on us! Healthcare bankruptcies The results and damages caused by our inadequate health-care actions are not limited to poorer treatment for medical conditions. The National Institute of Health estimates more than a half-million Americans file for bankruptcy each year as a result of medical bills.  In addition, the institute’s study reported medical issues were a contributing factor in two-thirds of personal bankruptcies. Another study estimated medical-caused bankruptcies affect about 2 million Americans each year, including their many children and elderly dependents. Also, a joint 2022 investigation by KFF Health News and NPR found that more than 100 million people — 41% of our adults — were burdened with unpaid medical bills. And that burden was not limited to those who had little or no insurance. Many who file for bankruptcy or struggle with debt do have insurance, the joint analysis added. Even worse is the conclusion that we can expect medical-caused bankruptcy numbers to climb higher with the Trump administration cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and The Affordable Care Act. The numbers already reported are quite disgusting. And it should be apparent to everyone that the Trump regime has scheduled our health-care system to go from bad to worse. But obviously, our woefully inadequate system must be attributed to a lack of caring in Congress. Trunp is just making it more dreadful.  And just as obviously, I’m sure we can expect continued criticisms from abroad.  Darrell Berkheimer is a retired journalist whose career spans 60 years. He was city editor and news editor at The Daily Herald in Provo during the 1970s and ’80s. He also filled newspaper editor positions in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Texas and New Mexico, and is the author of several essays books. Contact him at [email protected].  The post Health care is a black eye for the U.S appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less