Healthcare
There are too many people who go untreated for their health problems because they cannot pay for it. Gen Z wants to change that. Prices for health care are skyrocketing and it is getting harder to access. Everyone deserves a happy healthy life for both their physical and mental health.
Universal Health Care
Health care is a human right. Plain and simple. It is not a good or service that’s price or scarcity should be left up to the free market. The median family of four in the United States is making about $60,000 a year but can pay upwards of $10,000 a year on healthcare costs alone. These astronomical costs leave upwards of 37 million Americans uninsured and an additional 41 million are underinsured. In the richest country in the world, this is astronomically unacceptable and 83% of college students agree we need to achieve universal health care coverage in the United States.
Reproductive Healthcare
Everyone with a uterus deserves autonomy over their bodies without interference from legislation, policies, and measures that aim to strip people of their rights. Everyone, specifically people of color, deserve increased access to abortions, birth control, and reproductive healthcare overall. 79% of college students believe it is imperative we establish new legislation that accomplishes these goals while simultaneously barring attempts to strip the rights of people from doing what’s best for their own bodies. The strictest abortion law in the United States now bans abortions after the 6th week of pregnancy, before a majority of people know that they’re pregnant. Not only is it important we address the problems of reproductive healthcare now, establishing comprehensive sexual education programs for the future is also necessary for decreases in accidental pregnancies as well as sexually transmitted diseases.
Mental Health Care
Any true universal health care system must include mental health care. Mental health is a crucial part of our overall well-being and it is time that the US healthcare system begins to treat it as the health care issue it is. Gen Z has the highest rate of mental health conditions of any other generation in history, and mental health care is essential in any and every healthcare policy. Additionally, we need to continue to destigmatize mental health care treatment so people feel comfortable and empowered to seek out the best treatment options for themselves.
Lowering the Cost of Prescription Drugs
Cost should not be a barrier to anyone seeking the medicine they need to live and be healthy. In the case of lifesaving drugs like insulin, it is horrifying to think that Americans are paying roughly 15x’s as much for a single vial of insulin as our neighbors to the north in Canada do. This must change. Medicine is a necessity, not a luxury and it is crucial that we take the steps necessary to ensure cost is not a barrier to receiving it.
Abolish the “Pink Tax”
Women deserve to not have to pay more for products specifically designed for them. The Pink Tax targets women and causes them to pay more for necessary daily-use items solely based on packaging aesthetics. This is unequivocally un-American and any and all efforts to abolish the Pink Tax should be taken. This also extends to The Tampon Tax, and sales taxes placed on feminine hygiene products. While sales tax is placed on most items, states have the right to exempt certain types of products from being taxed and cost should not be a barrier to access feminine hygiene products.
If you’re interested in reading more, you can download the full Voters of Tomorrow Policy Platform.