Views on the ethical struggle for universal, high quality, affordable health care and its relevance for gerontology

Abstract

The US pays about twice as much per capita for health care than any other developed country, yet its health metrics rank among the lowest among peer nations – for example, the US has 12.2 maternal mortality deaths per 100,000 compared to 4.8 in Canada which, like other developed nations, has a single payer health care program. The leading cause of bankruptcies in the US is attributable to medical expenses. Despite recently introduced legislation (the Affordable Care Act) many millions of Americans remain uninsured or underinsured. We shall consider views on the pathogenesis of such a dysfunctional health care system and make suggestions for how it can be improved. We shall also emphasize the importance of an integrated system of universal health care for population-based epidemiological research and preventive medicine, including its implications for the enhancement of the healthspans and lifespans of future generations via trans-generational inheritance. Finally, we suggest that the anticipated major health care savings of such a system, if partially invested in basic and translational research, should accelerate progress towards further gains in healthspans and lifespans.