Over the years, I’ve heard constantly about how healthcare has evolved from a germ-ridden, plague-infested field to a sterile, safe environment where the care of residents is top priority. Hospitals are brighter, medicine is safer and equipment is more advanced than ever; or so it seems. As I’ve taken a closer look at the care provided, I’m beginning to question if the healthcare that is provided is truly the best that it could be.

 When I was younger, a family member passed from cancer. It brought me into healthcare and showed me how important it truly is; but I never stopped thinking about what would have happened if there was a cure. These days, improvements and upgrades can be seen in almost every aspect of healthcare. New charting methods have been implemented and the standard of care has been upgraded. However, despite all these breakthroughs, we don’t see as many attempts to cure significant health problems, such as neuron diseases, heart issues and lung obstructions. So, is healthcare more committed to delaying problems, rather than curing them? And if so, why?

Constantly hindering the treatment of diseases provides an illusion of progress. When truly looking at the process that deals with diseases and health issues, healthcare still relies on symptom management rather than finding a cure. It seems like our most important industry is focused on improving everything surrounding the illness, but won’t set out to cure the disease itself. 

The processes implemented when dealing with chronic illnesses are clear examples of how treatment can get drawn out excessively. There is a common thread when it comes to big diseases like these: frequent visits, refilling medication and full-time monitoring. Although these steps all lessen the severity of diseases, it also creates a lifelong dependency. When you consider the profit that’s tied to these dependencies, it becomes easier to understand why healthcare would want to prolong treatment, rather than focus on a cure.

An article published by Authorea suggests that chronic disease became a recurring revenue stream, shaping a medical economy that optimizes not for long-term health, but for disease maintenance. This proves that chronic diseases are now tied into profit, where finding a cure seems like it would decrease it.

There is no effort in finding a cure when the absence of a solution means huge profit. Insurance is another good example. The Affordable Care Act of 2010 brought insurance coverage and accessible healthcare to many. Although this was an improvement at the time, there have been no changes to the American healthcare system since then. However, what has changed is the now ludicrous cost of healthcare. Prices are at an all time high, with the U.S. spending $4.9 trillion on healthcare alone in 2022, but disparities within insurance coverage still continue. While we argue about policy and remain reliant on an act from 15 years ago, the cost of our health is skyrocketing.

Although we as students may not be as affected by the cost of insurance, rising healthcare prices harm our families and the reality that we will have to step into once we become adults. The healthcare issues that continue to be delayed, rather than addressed, will carry over into our future, until these illnesses have an accessible cure. 

Healthcare has improved and that it will always continue to. However, it lacks improvement in developing cures while managing costs, which is the most important part of treatment. While I understand that the human race is still learning, modern day improvements make it apparent that the world is more than capable of finding a solution to human diseases. For example, technologies like CRISPR, an editor of genes have already cured certain genetic diseases by directly repairing DNA, to prove that modern science is capable of finding cures. Yet, chronic diseases that affect the overall population, and cost the most, continue to be “un-curable.” Healthcare should not hide a cure for profit nor make it cost a fortune.

For me, it’s not just about affordability or treatment; it’s personal. And I believe that healthcare is good, healthcare is necessary, but it can be better.