Healthcare in America — The Next Conversation – Before We Go Any Further – Video

Before We Go Any Further

Before we get too far into how healthcare for all could actually work, let’s look at two examples from opposite ends of the spectrum.

One is a system that, by most measures, worked remarkably well. The other is a system that started with good intentions and a legitimate goal, but failed because we didn’t follow through.

We’ll do the home run first.

It’s almost a fairy tale come true. Or, more likely, Asgard with the Thunder Gods in charge.

In 1969, Norway discovered oil in the North Sea. The Norwegians made a decision that would eventually define much of their future: the wealth generated by that resource belonged to the country, not to a handful of people who happened to own the wells.

They didn’t spend it all at once. They built a system around it, eventually creating one of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds and using the proceeds as part of a broader social contract with the Norwegian people. Norway still follows that basic philosophy today.

Their healthcare system isn’t quite as simple as saying, “It costs you $300 a year and the government picks up the rest.” But the basic idea is surprisingly close.

Norwegian residents generally pay modest user fees for many healthcare services. Once those approved payments reach the annual ceiling, the government-issued exemption card means they no longer pay those user fees for covered services for the remainder of the year. In 2026, that ceiling is NOK 3,278. Hospital admissions in public hospitals carry no user fee.

Why does it work?

Well, Norway has a few advantages we don’t.

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And then we discover that the problem didn’t disappear.

It simply moved somewhere else.

The Dry Statistics

The numbers are difficult to ignore.

HUD reported that 771,480 people experienced homelessness on a single night in January 2024, an 18 percent increase from 2023 and the highest number recorded in that annual count.

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There will be hiccups. There will be mistakes. There will be unintended consequences. There will be politicians screaming that the whole thing is a disaster.

That’s politics.

The question is whether we have enough commitment to keep working on the problem anyway.

Because if we aren’t willing to make that commitment up front—if we’re only willing to support healthcare for all as long as it is easy, inexpensive and politically convenient—then there isn’t much reason to continue the discussion.

Healthcare for all isn’t just a question of designing a system.

It’s a question of whether we are willing to finish what we start.