In an op-ed published in the Louisville Courier Journal, Barbara Casper, MD, FACP, a friend of The Asclepius Initiative, delivers a clear warning: the chaos of the current government shutdown is more than political theater; it’s a reflection of a health care system on the brink.
Under the “One Big Beautiful Bill”, deep cuts to Medicaid will begin in 2027. More pressingly, the enhanced premium tax credits that help make Marketplace coverage more affordable are set to expire at the end of this year, just two months away. As a result, some families are seeing their premiums skyrocket, forcing them to choose between health care, housing, and food.
Dr. Casper writes from decades of clinical experience as an internist, recalling the dramatic improvements in her patients’ health once they gained coverage through the Affordable Care Act, and the preventable suffering she saw when they didn’t. Her message is straightforward: health care should never depend on income, employment status, location, or anything else. A universal financing system, where everyone is simply covered from birth until death, could replace today’s complicated and fragmented health care system with one that is fair, efficient, and humane.
The shutdown may have highlighted the cracks in our system, but as Dr. Casper suggests, moments of crisis can spark real change.
Click here to read her full op-ed.