At Breast Cancer Action, we envision a healthcare system in which everyone has access to healthcare that is compassionate, culturally competent, evidence-based, supports patient decision-making, and devotes adequate resources to prevention. We believe the United States healthcare system should guarantee affordable healthcare to everyone in this country, and that everyone should have comprehensive coverage which supports their health and well-being.
In the U.S., our health system is controlled by institutions which are beholden to investors and profit motive above patient health—including drug companies, hospitals and insurance companies. The impacts of our profit-driven healthcare system are dire: millions of people lack basic healthcare coverage; treatment costs are set unmanageably high by for-profit companies; medical bills often lead to bankruptcy, even when people do have health insurance; and tens of thousands of people die of treatable medical issues simply because they cannot afford medical care.
In sharp contrast to the current reality, our vision is a healthcare system that is affordable and accessible to everyone, where no one is discriminated against for having health problems, or for their gender, age, race, genetics, or income, where the rich and the poor alike have access to excellent, affordable medical treatment. Access to affordable healthcare often means life or death for people facing health problems, including women at risk of and living with breast cancer.
The U.S. is the only wealthy, industrialized country in the world that does not guarantee healthcare to everyone. There are ways to make our system more efficient and affordable AND provide healthcare to everyone. To do so, we need to prioritize people’s health over corporate profits and tax breaks for the wealthy.
Healthcare is not a privilege or a luxury, reserved for the wealthy and most powerful; healthcare is a human right. As the independent watchdog for the breast cancer movement, Breast Cancer Action has always been, and continues to be, committed to universal access to affordable, high quality healthcare.