About half of adults in the U.S. say it’s difficult to afford healthcare, leading to many putting off care, according to KFF. That’s why a new grassroots campaign aims to bring awareness to the unaffordability of healthcare.
Last week, a group of healthcare advocates launched the One Nation, Overcharged campaign, which is fighting to lower healthcare costs and demanding that the healthcare system put people over profits. It is supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in partnership with 12 national partners: American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum, Black Voters Matter, Black Women’s Health Imperative, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Community Catalyst, Families USA, NAACP, National Immigration Law Center, National Urban League, New Disabled South and UnidosUS.
Another 130 advocacy groups focused on healthcare, civil rights and faith are also participating in the campaign, as are numerous celebrities and activists like Noah Wyle, Yvette Nicole Brown and Sheryl Lee Ralph.
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The campaign is a threefold initiative, according to Tony Price, senior fellow within the Center for Health Equity at the NAACP.
- The Sign Up phase: Mobilizing and encouraging people to join the campaign
- The Speak Up phase: Calling on people to add their voice to the campaign. The initiative has been doing a video series of people sharing how healthcare costs have impacted them
- The Show Up phase: Encouraging people to plan an event in their local communities to raise awareness of the high cost of healthcare
“Healthcare is a right, and people should not have to sacrifice their finances to get healthcare. I think most people, whether they realize it or not, are one accident away from financial ruin,” Price said in an interview. “If anybody, for example, has an unplanned medical event, that should not take them out of a certain socioeconomic status. We want to bring awareness that healthcare is too expensive, healthcare is a right [and] people should have access to this.”
Avenel Joseph, vice president for policy at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, noted that there isn’t one specific piece of legislation that the initiative is trying to elevate. Rather, the organizers are in “listening mode,” she said.
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“We really want to hear what people want,” she stated. “I think we’re trying to learn from mistakes in the past where there are policy solutions that are cooked up in a lab, and it turns out that it’s not exactly what people want, it’s not solving a problem that people have identified. Right now, this is really about listening to as many people as we can across the country.”
Latino advocacy organization UnidosUS noted, however, that some recent policy changes have had a major negative impact on healthcare costs and access, including the expiration of enhanced ACA tax credits and Medicaid cuts.
“We know that health care costs and access are top concerns for Latino families,” said Stan Dorn, director of health policy at UnidosUS. “Through this campaign, we hope to help people better understand how federal and state policy decisions affect their everyday lives and economic security. Just as importantly, we want to ensure that Latino voices and experiences are part of the public conversation. By sharing their stories and engaging in the civic process, community members can help shape policies that better reflect their needs and priorities.”
Photo: Creative-Touch, Getty Images