As the 2020 election draws near, so does the deadline for candidates to solidify their stance on the topics that are dividing the nation. One of these topics is health care. 

This is not some new liberal idea either—it was put into place in 1948. 

“Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control,” according to Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Member states of the United Nations agree that everyone has a right to health care, yet people are still dying of preventable causes.

The uninsured rate of all Michigan residents is 7.8%, according to the Michigan Household Survey on Health Insurance. While that number seems low, consider that the highest percentage (26%) of the uninsured falls between the ages of 20 and 29; 21% are between the ages of 30 and 39. That’s right around the corner for high school graduates.

“The U.S. continues to spend the most on healthcare per person, even though health outcomes and quality of care is not often ranked highest,” according to Investopedia, a resource for investors, consumers, financial professionals, and students who seek guidance or information on various topics.

It does not add up: More spending should equal better quality, yet people are still dying of preventable causes. And the price is just the most visible when it comes to problems within the health care system.

“We just had to set up payments,” senior football player Brandon Nelson said. “I’m still paying off my first surgery that was four years ago because of how expensive it was.” 

The longer something is put off the worse it gets, until it is even harder to fix than it started off.

“The result of delaying or avoiding treatment is obvious; eventually, the care required will be even more expensive,” according to Investopedia.

Even in this case, the cost is not the biggest issue. Putting off treatment can cause serious illness; people should not suffer because of the price of treatment. 

Health care is a hotly debated topic as the Republicans want to get rid of Obamacare while the Democrats are working to universal health care.

Whatever party you align with, you should care about the side that wants the least amount of people to suffer.