Investing in health for shared prosperity

Investing in health for shared prosperity

Good health is not a luxury; it’s one of the essential materials that builds personal and community wellbeing. We honor people’s dignity when we ensure that everyone has access to quality care, no matter where they live or how much they earn.

Americans pay more for health care than people in other wealthy countries because of policy choices that allow unaffordable prescription drugs, fragmented care and opaque pricing. These structural problems mean that families have to choose between paying for medicine and paying for housing or food. Blaming individuals obscures the real issue: our health‑care system has been designed to prioritize profits over patients.

We can redesign health‑care rules to put people first: empower Medicare and Medicaid to negotiate drug prices, cap out‑of‑pocket costs, fund community clinics and invest in preventive care. Policies like paid sick leave and family leave support workers’ health and economic security. By making healthcare affordable and accessible, we strengthen families, reduce stress and free up money for education, entrepreneurship and savings—building shared prosperity across our region.