'Barbarism:' AOC Unleashes Fury On US Healthcare System As People Are 'Choosing Between Medicine And Rent'

May 13, 202407:18 UTC

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) came down hard on the U.S. healthcare system, a preview of a yet-to-be-aired podcast showed on Sunday.

What Happened: Ocasio-Cortez slammed the rising healthcare cost that Americans are left to contend with, in an episode of Sen. Bernie Sanders‘ (I-Vt.) podcast that is scheduled to air on Wednesday. “The fact that people are choosing between medicine and rent is barbarism,” she said.

“The fact that people are worried about whether they will be on the Street every four weeks is barbarism.”

The Congresswoman also highlighted the tough choices the American public is left to make. “The fact that every person has an ache or pain in their body, and they are scarred it could either be, just a sore joint or cancer, but they can’t find out because they can’t afford the doctor. This is barbaric,” she said.

Ocasio-Cortez underlined the need to act on the malaise. “If we do not demand, and not only demand, but win, unions, healthcare, wages, ending endless wars, then we will condemn ourselves to barbarism,” she said.

The representative committed to fighting for the cause. “And I refuse to give up. I refuse to submit myself to that future,” she said.

“That’s not a life. So, to live, we have to fight for each other,” she said.

Why It’s Important: America has one of the highest healthcare costs in the world, with healthcare spending hitting $4.5 trillion in 2022, a report released by the Peter G. Peterson Foundation in January said. Per-capita healthcare spending worked out to $13,493 compared to less than half as much prevailing in other wealthy countries, the report said.

As a percentage of GDP, healthcare costs have risen from 5% in 1962 to 17% in 2022.

The spike, according to the report, could be due to increased utilization as well as higher costs charged for healthcare services. Incidentally, lawmakers have shown displeasure over the higher prescription drug costs pharma companies charge.

Ocasio-Cortez is among the lawmakers, who supported the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which envisages investment in climate and energy to tackle the climate crisis, advancing environmental justice.

The iShares U.S. Healthcare ETF IYH edged up 0.02% to $60.27, according to Benzinga Pro data.

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