In a recent evaluation of 11 rich countries by the Commonwealth Fund, the U.S. came in last in overall health outcomes and led all countries in inequality of access to care.

Of the 34 countries in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, the U.S. relies most on private insurance and out-of-pocket spending to pay for care; in every other country, government spending plays a larger role. Of these countries, the U.S. ranks 25th on health status, is in the bottom third for access to coverage, and has among the fewest doctors and hospital beds per capita. And we earn these dismal results despite spending twice as much as the average developed country.

The main reason U.S. health care is so expensive and inaccessible is the archaic system of going through insurance companies. These corporations spend a large amount of customers’ premiums on advertising, lobbying, and making large donations to political campaigns. They are self-serving, inefficient, bureaucratically dense, and their No. 1 goal is to make profit — and their methods include creating legalese criteria the average person finds incomprehensible and withholding care from the recipients in time of need.

Right now, the rich (and those who represent them) can afford whatever they need when they fall ill, while the poor may have to choose among medication, utilities, car payments, and rent. High out-of-pocket costs increase the financial strain on families, and up to one-quarter of all bankruptcies are driven by medical expenses.

Health care, like the military, should not be for-profit and should not be traded on the stock exchange. And considering our military uses most of our taxes and is larger than that of the next seven countries combined, we would be more secure if a portion of this “national security” was used for people’s health.

— Brandon Ross

has an English M.A. from the

University of Iowa