Students for a National Health Program: Legislature should pass bills that prioritize patients over profits
Letter to the editor
Healthcare is not a privilege—it is a human right. Yet in Alachua County, thousands of residents are left without access to essential medical care due to the flaws of our current healthcare system. Take Medicaid, for example – many individuals earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but too little to afford marketplace insurance, forcing them to choose between medical care and necessities like food and rent. This is not just a policy failure—it is a moral failure that affects our entire community.
Without proper health insurance, people delay or forgo medical treatment, leading to worsening health conditions and avoidable emergency room visits, which ultimately drive up healthcare costs for everyone. Meanwhile, private insurance companies rake in billions in profits while restricting access to care through high deductibles, copays, and bureaucratic red tape.
The University of Florida’s Equal Access Clinic, staffed by medical students and volunteers, treats many uninsured patients in Gainesville. But charity care is not a sustainable solution. Relying on free clinics to patch the holes in a broken system doesn’t address the root of the problem. Florida lawmakers must step up and implement real reform to ensure that no resident is left behind.
As a medical student in Gainesville, I often ask myself: how do we help patients who can’t afford care in the first place? Across Florida, medical students are no longer willing to accept the cruel reality of our fragmented healthcare system. Instead of waiting for change, we are fighting for it.
We are members of Students for a National Health Program (SNaHP), a growing movement of medical students pushing for a universal, comprehensive single-payer healthcare system. We’re tired of seeing patients choose between food and medicine, rent and medical bills. We believe healthcare should be a right—not a privilege reserved for those who can afford it. SNaHP chapters have popped up rapidly over the past few years, growing from a small subset of medical students to a state-wide initiative led by more than 100 active members.
On March 13th, SNaHP medical students from across the state of Florida will march to the state Capitol to demand healthcare policies that prioritize patients over profits. We are advocating for bills that will provide tangible relief to Floridians, including:
- The $35 Insulin Cap: House Bill 1463, introduced by Representative Marie Woodson, and Senate Bill 1676, introduced by Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith. Over two million Floridians have diabetes, yet insulin prices have skyrocketed. 14% of insulin users in America face these catastrophic costs. This bill would cap insulin co-pays at $35/month for all private health plans—not just Medicare.
- The Healthy Florida Act: Senate Bill 1752, introduced by Senator Kristen Arrington, and House Bill 1603, introduced by Representative Dotie Joseph. Administrative waste in private insurance costs Americans billions every year, accounting for nearly 30% of healthcare costs. This bill would eliminate unnecessary overhead and expand coverage to include mental health, dental, vision, long-term care, and prescription drugs—without copays or deductibles.
The data is clear: states that have expanded Medicaid and counties that have chosen a single payer system have seen improved health outcomes, reduced mortality rates, and economic benefits. Florida lawmakers have ignored these facts for too long, leaving residents to suffer while protecting the interests of private insurers.
Moreover, we strongly oppose the proposed cuts to Medicaid that would strip away essential coverage for low-income Floridians, exacerbating health disparities and placing even greater strain on our community health resources. At the same time, we reject the election of figures like Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose promotion of medical misinformation and alignment with policies that will weaken public health protections and pose a direct threat to our fight for healthcare justice.
This is not just a fight for medical students—it is a fight for every patient, family, and taxpayer in Florida. The question is simple: Will we continue to accept a system that prioritizes corporate profits over human lives, or will we demand a healthcare system that works for all of us?
Contact your legislators. Attend town halls. Speak out. The system is broken, and we refuse to accept it. Will Alachua County stand with us?
Sincerely,
Madeline Canal, Gainesville
The opinions expressed by letter or opinion writers are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of AlachuaChronicle.com. Assertions of facts in letters are similarly the responsibility of the author. Letters may be submitted to info@alachuachronicle.com and are published at the discretion of the editor.
Countries with universal healthcare would beg to differ.
Instead of a forced, compulsive system run by career politicians and their NGO family members, we need a choice. Govt shouldn’t subsidize private either. Patients and families should choose, not their employers or politicians.
I’ve spoken with many people abroad who are shocked at the inhumanity of our healthcare system which leaves many uninsured and most underinsured. None of the citizens of the other countries would ever come here for healthcare, you need to read more because you are clearly out of your depth.
To educate you, we pay twice as much as every other comparable wealthy country and our US mortality outcomes remain ~17th until patients qualify for Medicare. Per The Commonwealth Fund, we rank towards the bottom in many other healthcare efficiency outcomes compared to these countries.
In terms of choice, Medicare for All would give patients the choice to choose their doctor and not be restricted to narrow networks. Physicians would have the freedom to work with their patients to choose the next best step of treatment instead of being bogged down by administrative inefficiencies like prior authorizations and referrals. Medicare for All means freedom in healthcare, our current private health insurance system means subservience to private equity profits.
You should do more research before you comment on something that you know nothing about.
Sources:
https://www.kff.org/health-policy-101-health-care-costs-and-affordability/?entry=table-of-contents-how-much-is-health-care-spending-expected-to-grow
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK115854/
https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/fund-reports/2024/sep/mirror-mirror-2024
One question Shands Doc: Are you for mandating Vaccine Passports in order to engage in commerce? It’s a yes or no answer.
If you don’t answer, than know you are only interested in getting your salary from socialized medicine.
The article is about socialized medicine dummy! Stay on topic!
In terms of “getting salary from socialized medicine” physicians and hospitals would get paid more in the long run to NOT vaccinate because preventable services are cheaper than long term services. For example, doctors would get paid less for vaccinating you from your stupid instead of commenting endlessly trying to answer your dumb questions.
Dummy? Ad hominem attack?
I don’t want you being my doctor.
Hypocritic oath!
Do no harm.
Answer it!
You are for vax mandates.
Chicken shit use your real name.
You got TDS.
Put your face mask on and go to your safe place. Snowflake.
Load up on those mRNA shots.
I’m not a guinea pig.
Then doctors will be paid accordingly and not live in mansions
shands doc, you highlight the problems with our system, but left out the statistic that shows we kinda know we are not getting what we pay for:
We rank 21st in patient satisfaction while the UK ranks 4th and Canada 10th.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1109036/satisfaction-health-system-worldwide-by-country/
Every other wealthy country has better health outcomes and pays far less per person. M4A would give patients freedom to choose their doctor and doctors the choice to treat their patients. Private insurance is hindering freedom. Stop lying!
The US government funds about 65% of health care.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4880216/
We have a universal health care system NOW because the government sets the prices and everyone else modifies their behavior accordingly. Part of the reason why private insurance costs so much is the fact that the government undercuts the cost of providing services, shifting costs to the private market.
It defies logic to advocate nationalizing the other 35% of the system to give more money and authority to the bureaucracies running the system into the ground now.
The US government funds about 65% of health care.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4880216/
We have a universal health care system NOW because the government sets the prices and everyone else modifies their behavior accordingly. Part of the reason why private insurance costs so much is the fact that the government undercuts the cost of providing services, shifting costs to the private market.
It defies logic to advocate nationalizing the other 35% of the system to give more money and authority to the bureaucracies running the system into the ground now.
Talk about fantasy and telling only a tiny part of the story… Single payer (the government) means that politicians will set a budget for healthcare. You can bet they won’t be on that system. Like now, they will have their own, private system. It means the government will select what meds and procedures they approve and if the money runs out, too bad. Wait until the next fiscal year. Of course, every country with this “free, socialized” medicine has a tax rate of 40-60%. No deductions, no exemptions; everyone, rich or poor pays this income tax. There is much more, but you get the idea.
BTW, you can thank the politicians for the high cost of medical care now, because of all of their shenanigans.
Here’s another genius who doesn’t know anything about healthcare but felt free to comment! The Dunning-Kruger effect amongst these people is strong. Here’s to setting the record straight and try to educate this “expert”:
– No US citizen would not be on the private insurance as prescribed in the Medicare for All bill, including politicians. You are the one clearly living in fantasy and are not educated enough to speculate on it. Here’s a link to the bill text, please identify where politicians are exempt from the single payer system:
https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/3421/text
Healthcare budgets under M4A would be set by an independent government agency like the HHS, not specifically politicians. This guy prefers that healthcare CEOs from United Healthcare determine what is appropriate budgeted care instead of experts! Hilarious – it’s going so well for US citizens right now!
In terms of tax rates, Medicare for All would be cheaper for a large majority of Americans when combining what they pay in taxes and their current healthcare expenditures. Panicking that your tax rate is going to be much higher without mentioning how your much cheaper your healthcare is going to be is completely disingenuous. Talk about only telling a tiny part of the story from “Rogers Corner”. Source:
https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2022-02/57637-Single-Payer-Systems.pdf
To help educate this commenter further, see pinned comment below:
—
I’ve spoken with many people abroad who are shocked at the inhumanity of our healthcare system which leaves many uninsured and most underinsured. None of the citizens of the other countries would ever come here for healthcare, you need to read more because you are clearly out of your depth.
To educate you, we pay twice as much as every other comparable wealthy country and our US mortality outcomes remain ~17th until patients qualify for Medicare. Per The Commonwealth Fund, we rank towards the bottom in many other healthcare efficiency outcomes compared to these countries.
In terms of choice, Medicare for All would give patients the choice to choose their doctor and not be restricted to narrow networks. Physicians would have the freedom to work with their patients to choose the next best step of treatment instead of being bogged down by administrative inefficiencies like prior authorizations and referrals. Medicare for All means freedom in healthcare, our current private health insurance system means subservience to private equity profits.
You should do more research before you comment on something that you know nothing about.
Sources:
https://www.kff.org/health-policy-101-health-care-costs-and-affordability/?entry=table-of-contents-how-much-is-health-care-spending-expected-to-grow
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK115854/
https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/fund-reports/2024/sep/mirror-mirror-2024
Your whole assumption is that he government (politicians and bureaucrats) will pay healthcare workers (from doctors down) enough money to attract the good ones. My relatives in Canada hate their system and they and their friends frequently come to the US to get timely and/or quality care.
California is the closest to your dream utopia but they can’t even afford the 20% of costs not paid by the Feds now. Socialism is great until you run out of other peoples money. Please name a single successful Socialist country, from any part of the world, at any time in history. Just one.
You need to read more before you comment or else you will keep embarrassing yourself with your room temperature IQ.
Every other wealthy country has a single payer system (or at least a public option) and guess what? They pay less and have better health outcomes because they don’t have a profit incentive and have less administrative overhead! I cited that point in my previous comment but I guess your second grade reading level must have missed it! By the way – I have more friends in Europe who treat the American healthcare system as a punch line. But we don’t have to rely on these anecdotes (you do because you are utterly incapable of assessing data), we can look at any of the countries I cited!
To your second paragraph, what are you talking about California and socialism? The argument was about SINGLE PAYER HEALTHCARE but you are clearly losing the argument and have no data so you move the goalposts to talking about socialism as a whole. Let me know if you want to get back to the point about single payer, but I doubt you will because you are sad and an unserious commenter.
The entire premise is that the government will provide HEALTH INSURANCE to every US citizen, not a nationalized healthcare system. Do some research in health systems before you come here with your room temperature IQ.
I have even more relatives in Canada who laugh at how horrible our healthcare system is. Maybe instead of relying on anecdotes (which you have to do because you are incapable of assessing data), we should look at the studies! If your 2nd grade reading level looked at any of the sources I cited, you would see that the US healthcare is inefficient and is outperformed by other wealthy countries! This is because of the profit incentive and overhead incurred by private insurance (let me know if you want more lessons).
Why are you talking about California and socialism? The argument was about SINGLE PAYER HEALTHCARE. Try staying on topic and actually assess any of the other countries with better healthcare systems than the US instead of scrambling to bring in examples outside of the scope of the argument. You must be getting flustered because you have to move the goalposts beyond the discussion of healthcare.
Please name me any OECD nation with a worse healthcare system than the US. Just one. (You probably don’t know what OECD means, try using ChatGPT)
How about you & I stay healthy…I pay my bill, you pay your bill.
Do you have health insurance??? If so you are already subsidizing someone else, do you not know how insurance works??? How are you this dense???
I have insurance. I Don’t get sick.
Never use .
Was paying $1200 a month, now paying $100/month.. hardeee har har…I spend $100 a day eating out and putting money back in the local economy
Great! Please send a receipt when you cancel your health insurance because if you are healthy, you shouldn’t need it and have a problem with subsidizing less healthy people. See how that goes genius.
Thanks Jazzman
Thanks for the flattery, but I’m not a shands doc.
Talk about Dunning Kruger effect from this commenter. Our private healthcare system is supremely inefficient and prioritizes healthcare and hospital CEO bonuses over actual patient care. I’d much rather have experts choose what is covered instead of some soulless corporate ghoul.
Politicians and bureaucrats are not experts. Just look at the Dr Fauci fiasco. And he was the highest paid bureaucrat in the whole government. It is the single payer (US Government) who has messed things up in the first place.
How do you think bureaucrats get hired? Maybe their expertise? And what are you talking about Dr. Fauci??? What fiasco? I’m guessing you were just mad you couldn’t go out to dinner and had to wear a mask during COVID?
To your point about US Government messing things up – I sincerely hope you don’t cash your social security checks and receive Medicare if they mess things up so bad!
Do you think Americans like their healthcare system? Everyone knows they are being scammed by private insurers. In fact, most Americans support the government guaranteeing healthcare (source below but I know how you struggle with reading).
https://news.gallup.com/poll/468401/majority-say-gov-ensure-healthcare.aspx
It’s clear you are just commenting with no real data nor background in healthcare. Please do some research before coming back to this comment section for your own sake.
C19 was the big lie & face masks don’t work. I’m not a guinea pig for the experimental clot shot.
Explain the VAERS data. Say no to vaccine passports. My body, my choice. The WHO and WEF Schwab can go to hell.
C19 was the big lie & face masks don’t work. I’m not a guinea pig for the experimental clot shot.
Explain the VAERS data. Say no to vaccine passports. My body, my choice. The WHO and WEF Schwab can go to hell.
This article is about single payer you doughnut. Try having more than a 3 second attention span!
Thanks Jazzman
VAERS is an untended self reported site, meaning “data” from it is like data written on a bathroom wall.
Great article! Proud of these activists.
This is pure hogwash. Under Obamacare, the subsidies are enormous for people with low incomes. I have a friend in Miami who only pays $25 a month for his health insurance under Obamacare. I had to use Obamacare for a year after I retired and after my COBRA coverage ran out from my former employer. Because I made over $100,000 per year, I had to pay almost $900 per month, with an annual deductible of $7,000! And that INCLUDED a subsidy of about $150 per month! Obamacare provides subsidies for those making up to $150,000 per year! So these claims are false.
Just reviewed the article because it’s not about Obamacare? The only reference was expansion of Medicaid, which Florida hasn’t done. You need to spend less time gabbing and more time reading!
In a state that hasn’t expanded Medicaid, a single individual doesn’t qualify for Medicaid and a family of 3 can make a maximum of $6,000 per year. Not sure where you think “Obamacare” comes into play for them in a state that hasn’t expanded Medicaid for low income individuals. So much for your “thesis” on enormous subsidies for people with low incomes!
Come back to this comment section when you have something more substantial – these low effort comments make me bored!
The Fabulous Fauci Fan Club is on a roll with this one.
You have a room temperature IQ
You’re no doctor.
I’m diagnosing you also with a double digit IQ!
Jazzman is now a medical expert but knows nothing about the 2 billion dollar wood burner fiasco
First take a look at Medicare if anyone thinks the government is the answer.
Look at the VA which has been a mess for years but is working on getting better.
Let’s cut funding for military and have other countries subsidize our military since whenever something goes wrong in the world
“Who they going to call” it is the USA who has to step up.
As far as med-students, how about if you promise to make no more than $50,000 per year once you graduate.
In reality we all want our doctors to be the best and should be paid accordingly.
And last point, I want all Americans to have good health care. But starts with personal responsibility. Stop smoking and Vaping.
Quit miss using alcohol. Stop with all the fast food. Learn how to cook. In other words, take better care of yourself. Exercise doesn’t require a gym membership. Just a walking alone will help.
Medicare is more efficient than any other insurance and improves mortality from 17th amongst US citizens to the top amongst similarly wealthy countries. Guess you don’t know how to read!
The VA has far better outcomes than any private insurance plan. If you love private insurance, why don’t you endorse the VA getting cut and all veterans going on United Healthcare plans??? See how popular that is!
In terms of salary (you know nothing about), primary care physicians (pediatricians, internal medicine, family medicine) make less than $500,000 per year already. If you go into those specialties, you are already “promising” that. Try harder!
To your last point, we all want Americans to have better healthcare and we should make it easier to make better choices, including providing better access to primary care. If you really want good healthcare – you support single payer like every other wealthy country has and has better health outcomes. Glad to have you on our side!
Dear author,
No.
Dear CornPop,
You are stinky and should take a shower.
The contempt “shandsdoc” expresses for so many of us is truly remarkable.
Exactly the bedside manner you would expect from a doctor who is paid by somebody other than the patient. Once government is the sole payer, we will get even more of this.
I’m not on the clock and you “experts” decided to demean the author of the article so you should expect a clapback when you lie!
Countering someone’s arguments is not demeaning – it’s actually a sign of respect.
You, on the other hand, quickly devolved into insulting multiple people here.
I hope I never see you at my bedside because you seem very thin-skinned and reactive.
Try reading the comments if you think its “countering someone’s argument” it’s clearly meant to be demeaning. I replied in kind matching their energy. Hypocritical to call me thin-skinned and insulting when dishing it back to you – can’t stand the heat get out of the comments section!
Shands doc: simple question with your self proclaimed high IQ. You say I only have a double digit IQ. I don’t. I’m Extremely successful, rich , and good looking.
I’m better, faster, stronger, and smarter than you!
Vaccine passports, yes or No?
No insults or other BS. It’s a simple medical question. My body, my choice.
You seem very unhinged and triggered with this question and resort to name calling and ad hominem attack.
Are you for vax passports in order to engage in commerce?
If you don’t answer, than it’s checkmate. 🤣
I don’t support vax passports! Get owned! You are downgraded to single digit IQ.
I am far hotter, stronger, and smarter than you. you should listen to me moving forward – maybe you would become more like me! sad!
You lie. Liar. You are no Shands doctor.
Dr. Lapado is great, RFK is great!
Make America healthy gain!
God bless the USA and pay your own bills…
Socialism only works until you run out of OPM.
I agree! I cancelled my health insurance because i’m tired of paying for other people!!!
You say you’re off the clock, but you’re using your employer’s name to bolster your credibility (assuming you actually work for Shands – for all we know, you’re another student activist).
In fact, you’re happy to use your employer’s name but not brave enough to use your name. Why is that?
My name is Dr. Joe Ladapo! Look me up dummy!
For all we know you are some big pharma shill who wants to let large corporations walk all over us! You have a peasant mindset!
Try being who you are
The fox news brained commenters here are actually so dumb.
LOL all of these people getting ratio’d in the comments
The arrogance of the medical community is astounding.
“We are members of Students for a National Health Program (SNaHP)”
These young medical students think they can sway public opinion by posting an opinion piece and then coordinating an attack on the comment section. This is beginner level political action. Nobody is buying it. The public will continue to lose faith in your profession.
Look a there… all the ret@rded school children came back overnight and did another massive downvote campaign.
Y’all have a lot to learn. Your ego will destroy you and your profession.
Where are you gonna go if you get sick if not the doctor dumb@ss, also these snowflakes are so mad at downvotes, stay salty!
Dude, on here that means the same people who have faith in Trump.
Really?
There are no natural rights that do not have an equal and opposite natural responsibility. If you can’t easily articulate the responsibility, chances are high that the right doesn’t exist.
If there were no doctors, or no hospitals, or no government, how would you claim your alleged “human right”?