Introduction
Universal healthcare in the United States guarantees that all citizens have access to the medical care they need, regardless of their capacity to pay. Despite President Obama’s many sacrifices to implement the Affordable Care Act, his administration was instrumental in achieving this goal (Kirk et al.). During the Obama administration, the insurance and pharmaceutical sectors were adamant about the concept of universal healthcare, and he was forced to make concessions to secure its implementation. It established the basis for ensuring that all United States residents have access to inexpensive and accessible healthcare regardless of their financial circumstances, which has yet to be fully realized.
How the Pharmaceutical Industry Affected Biden’s 2021 Build Back Better Bill’s Failure
People with Medicare and private insurance will pay less for their prescription medication due to the provisions included in the Build Back Better Act. This initiative was not well received by the pharmaceutical drug business, which is why the bill was opposed (Nawaz and Cuevas). It resulted in an overall reduction in the influence that the federal government and other significant payers would have on the amount of money spent on pharmaceuticals. Consequently, the bill was ineffective in ensuring that the measures for reducing the cost of medications were fully implemented, which led to its failure.
Conclusion
Congress is responsible for enacting bills into laws that benefit American citizens. As a result, they should be objective in adopting regulations that benefit residents and should not be influenced in any way. It is not always the case, as certain congress members are sponsored by various economic stakeholders, such as pharmaceutical corporations, which have a particular interest in policymakers. As a result, they impact Congress’s policies by ensuring that only favorable laws are passed. Due to this, successive administrations, including Obama’s and Biden’s, have struggled to implement fair laws promoting universal healthcare due to lobbying from interested parties such as pharmaceutical corporations.
Works Cited
Kirk, Michael, et al. Obama’s Deal.PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 2015, Web.
Nawaz, Amna and Karina Cuevas, directors. The Build Back Better Bill Wants to Lower Prescription Drug Costs. Does It Go Far Enough? PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, Web.