Introduction
Health care in the United States remains inaccessible to many. Half of US adults find it a challenge to afford, and many often delay or skip necessary medical procedures or prescriptions due to cost. The recent government shutdown was triggered by a desire by some lawmakers to continue the operation of the Affordable Care Act, an Obama-era program that opened health care accessibility to millions of Americans. Democrats are demanding that the Republican congressional majority agrees to extend subsidies for the ACA; if not, health care premiums will skyrocket for many.
A4SC Resources
The below resources include relevant videos and lesson plans from our content library that will help contextualize this current event within broader, more enduring, concepts.
Department of Health and Human Services: More Than Just Medicine: The Department of Health and Human Services, among other things, is dedicated to public wellness, disease prevention, and social services. Its existence underlines the importance of federal involvement in public healthcare. Like the Affordable Care Act, its restructuring under the current presidential administration puts many of its operations at risk.
Mental Health: Feeling Fit: When we talk about healthcare, mental health is often tossed to the wayside. But mental health disorders can greatly negatively impact a person’s quality of life, and even lead to physical ailments such as fatigue, high blood pressure, and auto-immune disorders. A lack of access to mental health care can exacerbate these negative effects.
Social Determinants of Health: Social determinants of health are conditions in the environment that affect a person’s health outcomes and overall quality of life. These include healthcare access and quality, education access and quality, social and community context, neighborhood and built environment, and economic stability. Each of these factors influences what people put into their bodies, if and when they seek healthcare, and the amount of stress their body faces, which affects their overall health outcomes.
Three Legged Stool – Shaky or Stable: The US healthcare system rests on three pillars: access, cost, and quality. When any of these weaken, the system’s ability to provide affordable, adequate, and effective care is compromised.
Discussion Questions
- Should health care be considered a human right or a personal responsibility? Why?
- Why do you think some people in the US struggle to afford health care, even thoughit’s the richest country in the world?
- How do factors such as income, race, and location affect a person’s ability to receive quality healthcare?
Activity
Divide the class into small groups. Give each group a fictional person or family with a specific accessibility challenge (ex. Low-income single parent without insurance, immigrant worker without documentation, worker whose insurance company refuses to cover a particular life-saving procedure), and have each group decide what their options are, how much it would cost, and what barriers they might face. Have the groups present their experiences.
Additional Resources
- Healthy Aging and Physical Disability. How to Make Healthcare Accessible to All. University of Washington, 2017. https://agerrtc.washington.edu/info/factsheets/healthaccess
- World Health Organization. Social Determinants of Health. 2025. https://www.who.int/health-topics/social-determinants-of-health#tab=tab_1
- Woolhander, Steffie. Millions Face Soaring Health Insurance Premiums as GOP Refuses to Extend Obamacare Subsidies. Democracy Now, 2025. https://www.democracynow.org/2025/10/28/healthcare
Keep Learning with A4SC
At A4SC, we empower students through interdisciplinary curricula to become informed, compassionate, and action-oriented leaders who are capable of addressing the pressing challenges of today and tomorrow. Keep exploring our library of 400+ videos.