With how expensive and complicated that the American public healthcare system has become, getting sick is among one of the top concerns for people in the United States. And, sometimes, the most harmful conditions are the ones you don’t see coming. Even if patients expect their effects and the damage of them, not everyone expects the financial burden that the patient and their family experiences.

Many are the cases in which individuals go for a regular checkup with their doctors, only to find something slightly off. Not wanting to take any chances, the doctor issues some standard tests (covered by insurance) to discard any possible diseases. However, when the results are in, the doctor’s fears are confirmed: the patient has cancer. For many individuals, the first days after receiving their cancer diagnosis are the most critical. After the patient gets past the initial shock and comes to terms with his condition, he must sit down with his doctor to receive guidance and, possibly a course of action to treat the disease. However, while modern medicine has advanced to the point where many people can survive the disease, not all types of cancer treatments are covered by health insurance. In this sense, on top of the struggle with their condition, these patients are also footed with a bill that they may not be able to afford.

Diseases like cancer cause significant stress to the individual, which contributes to complicate their condition further. The fact that patients must find ways to cover their treatment adds additional stress and anxiety to the mix and further exacerbates their disease. In other words, while a good mood is pivotal for the successful treatment of many diseases, it is especially important when it comes to cancer. However, most patients are hard-pressed to remain jovial and happy when fighting their condition, if they’re also looking for ways to pay the bills.

A Necessary Health Reform

Late last year, a “Medicare for All” bill was introduced to Congress by Senators Bernie Sanders and Kamala Harris as author and co-sponsor, respectively. The bill proposes a single-payer system in which all healthcare services are paid to a single entity, instead of having to deal with the numerous HMOs and insurance companies, as well as their own rules, rates, deductibles, and other confusing—and sometimes dodgy—terms. President Donald Trump seemed to be onboard with the idea, according to what he wrote in his book “The America We Deserve”:

“We must have universal health care. Just imagine the improved quality of life for our society as a whole. The Canadian-style, single-payer system in which all payments for medical care are made to a single agency (as opposed to the large number of HMOs and insurance companies with their diverse rules, claim forms and deductibles) helps Canadians live longer and healthier than Americans.”

However, despite the apparent approval of the measure should the bill eventually pass, this is not the first time a single-payer system has been proposed. In January of last year, a similar bill was also introduced and received widespread approval from 117 legislators. This new proposal by Senator Sanders would effectively serve to reiterate what the bill proposed at the time.

The most significant benefit that Americans would enjoy from this proposal is easier access to medical services, without having to worry about whether or not they could foot the bill as the government will take care of it. Furthermore, while the Federal Government would effectively subsidize healthcare for all its citizens, the hospitals will remain in charge of providing the actual treatments. This means that patients will have access to top-notch doctors, nurses, and facilities, without having to worry about the bill.

Still, the biggest fear surrounding a proposal of this magnitude is whether the government would be able to oversee it effectively. In addition, with all the money that would be invested into this system, the risk of corruption and embezzlement is genuine. In other words, while many people run the government, each of these members has their agenda. The biggest fear is that one of these people would have wishes that go against what the bill stands for which would put the whole system in jeopardy. Also, with the government paying all the bills, there is a fear that research and development in the healthcare industry would come to a halt, as these will no longer be lucrative fields for conducting business.

The single-payer system will no doubt provide many benefits to American society. However, its inception is marred with fears and rumors that must be put to rest before actually approving any changes to the existing system, lest the proposal be crushed under its own weight.