How U.S. Economic Policy has Influenced Health Inequities and Health Outcomes

Economic Policy is Health Policy: How U.S. Economic Policy has Influenced Health Inequities and Health Outcomes and Possible Interventions
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Economic Policy is Health Policy: How U.S. Economic Policy has Influenced Health Inequities and Health Outcomes and Possible Interventions
1 How U.S. Economic Policy has Influenced Health Inequities and Health Outcomes and Possible Mitigations
The United States has long been considered a global leader in terms of economic policy. However, many Americans have fallen behind in health and well-being in recent years. The healthcare budget in the U.S. exceeds every other country. However, it has some of the poorest health outcomes in the developed world. This is partly because its economy is not structured in a way that promotes good health for all Americans. The structure of the U.S. economy is based on the idea that individuals should be able to pursue their self-interests and take advantage of market opportunities. This system rewards individuals able to make money quickly, without regard for their health or the health of others. The result is an expensive, ineffective, and unfair healthcare system. Economic policy in the U.S. directly impacts health inequities and health outcomes.
Many factors have contributed to this trend, including the rising cost of healthcare, the prevalence of chronic diseases, and the decline in access to affordable healthcare. Economic policy has played a significant role in exacerbating these health disparities. For example, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is widely credited with expanding coverage and improving access to healthcare for millions of Americans (Venkataramani et al., 2020). However, the law also created new financial barriers to healthcare access, disproportionately affecting low-income families. In addition, tax policies that favor the wealthy have contributed to the growing inequality gap in health outcomes. For example, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017 significantly reduced the taxes paid by high-income individuals and corporations while raising taxes on low-income families (Negussie et al., 2019). Consequently, many people who previously could afford healthcare now face significant financial barriers to accessing quality care.
Tax policies have a significant impact on health. Taxes can directly impact how much money people have available to spend and can also influence the types of affordable products. In addition, taxes can indirectly influence people’s health behaviors by impacting the quality of food they can afford. The obesity epidemic (and its associated illnesses, such as heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and stroke) has become a significant burden to the U.S. healthcare system. At the heart of this crisis lies the U.S. fast food industry and the adoption of large quantities of calorie-dense foods into people’s diets (Negussie et al., 2019). More importantly, U.S. economic policies heavily subsidize the production and sale of these types of foods. In contrast, healthier alternatives remain quite expensive across the U.S., increasing the difficulty for low-income families and individuals to afford them (Negussie et al., 2019). The unfortunate result is health inequities and poor health outcomes among low-income people as overweight and obesity become rampant among these communities.
There is no one answer to this question of what kinds of economic policies might reduce health inequities and improve the overall health of most Americans. It depends on the specifics of the economic policies in question. However, in general, economic policies that aim to reduce health inequities while improving the overall health of U.S. citizens would likely focus on increasing access to affordable healthcare, improving working conditions and wages, and increasing access to healthy food and safe housing (Naik et al., 2017; Assari, 2018). Policies that support healthy physical activity and obesity prevention could also be beneficial. Overall, it is important to remember that economic policy cannot alone solve the country’s health problems; however, it can play an important role in addressing them.
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