Are you one of the millions of Americans who dread January because it means hitting your health insurance deductible all over again? Do you stay in a job you hate, just for the healthcare benefits? If that sounds familiar, then buckle up, because the future of American politics, and your wallet, is directly tied to the broken healthcare system. Move over, Soccer Moms, Joe the Plumbers, and Bernie Bros; the 2026 elections will be decided by America's sick.
Congress is constantly battling over the Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, which help lower costs for many. But here's the kicker: the problem isn't that the American healthcare system is broken. It's functioning exactly as it was designed to function. And this is the part most people miss...
Let's rewind a bit. Back in 1973, President Richard Nixon signed the HMO Act, effectively privatizing American health insurance. From that moment on, the system was structured to maximize profits for those at the top, often at the expense of patients. Think about it: what's the first question you're asked at a doctor's office? "What insurance do you have?" It's not "What's wrong?" or "How can I help?"
America stands alone among developed nations in linking health insurance to employment. In most other countries, healthcare is considered a fundamental right. Here, a single medical diagnosis can completely devastate a family's finances. But a powerful movement is gaining momentum: a force determined to flip the script and prioritize patients above profits.
Consider the grim reality: shockingly, two-thirds of all bankruptcies in the US are tied to medical bills. A simple visit to your primary care physician can feel like being rushed through an assembly line. Doctors are experiencing burnout, pharmacies are short-staffed, and nurses are leaving the profession in droves. It seems everyone is getting the short end of the stick, except for the shareholders of these massive healthcare corporations. When it comes to American's health, the bottom line reigns supreme.
But here's where it gets controversial... Even when a company tries to do better, they get punished. Take UnitedHealthcare, for example. After their CEO was tragically murdered a year ago, stockholders sued the company, arguing that they failed to disclose their decision to move away from aggressively denying insurance claims in favor of prioritizing patients. The shareholders wanted to stick to profits, even if it meant denying legitimate medical needs. What does that tell you about the priorities of the system?
Thanks to recent legislative actions, Affordable Care Act (ACA) health plan premiums are projected to skyrocket by an average of 114% in 2026. This could lead to a situation where one in four Americans enrolled in ObamaCare might have to forego insurance altogether if the subsidies that have kept prices in check aren't extended. We are rapidly approaching a "Hunger Games" scenario, where the young, the healthy, and the desperate are forced to gamble on not getting sick, while the losers resort to crowdfunding campaigns and bankruptcy filings.
Many "high-use" patients have received Explanation of Benefits statements totaling the price of a used car, or even a house! Patients arrive for scheduled surgeries only to be presented with a hefty four-figure bill and asked, "How would you like to pay today?" Some are forced to ration their medication to make a costly prescription last longer.
Cynthia Cox, director of the Affordable Care Act program at KFF, pointed out that ObamaCare enrollees in swing districts could significantly influence the upcoming elections. But I believe it's more than that. It's all American patients, the sick and vulnerable, who will be casting their votes for lawmakers who will champion their interests. Perhaps the rest will be deemed "not medically necessary," mirroring the way insurance companies often deny crucial care prescribed by doctors.
Having founded Stupid Cancer for young adults with cancer two decades ago, I've witnessed firsthand the incredible power of activated patients and survivors. But awareness campaigns alone aren't enough. What we desperately need is a well-funded, powerful lobby—a unified voting bloc comprised of America's 19 million cancer patients—that actively engages in state legislatures and Congress to ensure that legislation safeguards our rights and, ultimately, our health.
The achievements of the past, such as the National Cancer Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, have paved the way for the defining struggle of our time: protecting ourselves from the harm inflicted by our own healthcare system.
With the Affordable Care Act teetering on the brink, for-profit healthcare's practices of delays and denials increasingly infiltrating Medicare, and healthcare becoming prohibitively expensive for many, it's time for a new generation to take up the cause and fight for our healthcare rights. Imagine the impact when individuals burdened by astronomical premiums unite with patients denied coverage for critical treatments like brain tumor care, blood cancer therapies, chemotherapy, radiation, and surgeries, and collectively decide who should be representing us on Capitol Hill, fighting for us instead of against us.
It's time to target the cancer that affects every American: a healthcare system that prioritizes profits over patients. In 2026, we will begin the work to rig our health care system forever in our favor by issuing our own denials for costly "pre-existing conditions"—the lawmakers who continue to put health care out of reach for the people who need it most. See you at the ballot box in 2026.
What do you think? Is the current healthcare system beyond repair, or can it be reformed to truly serve patients? Will the "sick" become a powerful voting bloc in 2026, and what changes do you want to see implemented? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
