HEALTH

Dave & Dujanovic: What can we do to reform healthcare?

Dec 18, 2024, 11:19 AM | Updated: 11:51 am

UnitedHealthcare Group Medicare Advantage PPO card rests on top of a Medicare card is seen in Portl...

FILE - A UnitedHealthcare Group Medicare Advantage PPO card rests on top of a Medicare card is seen in Portland, Ore., June 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS

(AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)

SALT LAKE CITY — In the aftermath of the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, reactions have been mostly mournful. However, a vocal minority has praised the accused shooter Luigi Mangione as a hero, and the murder as justified.

Jay Evensen, Opinion Editor of the Deseret News, recently wrote “Reform health care, but not under threat of a gun.” He told Dave & Dujanovic’s Debbie Dujanovic he finds many of the reactions he’s seen online to be upsetting.

 

“[There are] so many people who are treating Luigi Mangione as some type of a hero. There are people who are tattooing his face on their bodies … [and] there are people who are going way overboard on this,” Evensen said. “We’re not going to solve the problem if we have hatred, if we have mistrust. We have to face this head-on. And it’s not new. Americans like to look for … the Robin Hood figure, right?”

The history of healthcare in America

In a recent opinion piece, the New York Times wrote, “No one would design a healthcare system like the one we have and no one did.” The NYT calls America’s healthcare system “a patchwork built over decades.” Evensen said he agrees with this sentiment.

He uses the origin of health insurance as an example. According to Evensen, in World War II, President Roosevelt froze wages. During this, companies couldn’t offer more money as a benefit to new employees. Thus, health insurance was born.

“What a lot of companies did was they said, ‘Okay, we’ll offer you health insurance and that will be part of your employment,'” he said.

He says now Americans, more or less, have to have a fulltime job to have good health insurance.

What it’s like now

Evensen said the U.S. healthcare system has inefficiencies and a lack of transparency.

“We do have a system now where it’s really hard to tell, why some people are being rejected and some people are not,” he said. “Is artificial intelligence a part of that? We need to have discussions about this. It’s interesting to me that nobody was really talking about this before Brian Thompson was murdered.”

A big question for Evensen is should Americans have a national socialized healthcare, like the Affordable Care Act, or is private healthcare better?

“I don’t know if that’s if it’s always so black and white like that,” he said. “The last Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment. I saw said about 62% of Americans now support the Affordable Care Act … we really haven’t come very far since [it was passed].”

Listen to Dave & Dujanovic on weekdays from 9 a.m. to noon., and even Fridays from 9 to 11 a.m.

Devin Oldroyd is a digital content producer for KSL NewsRadio. Follow them on X.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Send it to the KSL NewsRadio team here.

Health

Respiratory illnesses such as the flu, COVID-19, and RSV are on the rise across the U.S....

Michelle Lee

Simple ways to keep respiratory illnesses away

Let’s Get Moving Host Maria Shilaos spoke with Nicole Henry with CVS to learn what we can do to protect ourselves from respiratory illnesses.

3 days ago

Kaysville City officials confirmed that the Weber Basin Water Conservancy District had added water ...

Simone Seikaly

Kaysville City tells residents why water smells like chlorine

Weber officials recently added water from groundwater wells, which, because of extra processing, created the chlorine smell.

5 days ago

wegovy, one of many weight loss drugs...

Allessandra Harris Gurr

Popular weight loss drugs may play a factor in vision loss, review shows

Ingredients in popular weight loss drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound and Mounjaro may play a role in vision complications, such as eye stroke.

5 days ago

The Weber County Animal Shelter reported it had to euthanize at least 18 dogs after a canine parvov...

Simone Seikaly

Parvovirus outbreak leads to euthanizations at Weber County Animal Services

The Weber County Animal Shelter said it had to euthanize at least 18 dogs that had been vaccinated but contracted parvovirus anyway.

7 days ago

This image shows a chicken coop and garden at the home of Sarah Penny in Knoxville, Tenn., in May 2...

Associated Press

Soaring egg prices are piquing interest in backyard chickens

Thinking about backyard chickens as egg prices soar? Think hard, especially in light of the bird flu outbreak.

7 days ago

A doctor uses a hand-held Doppler probe on a pregnant woman to measure the heartbeat of the fetus o...

Don Brinkerhoff

AI model could help predict dangers in unborn babies

Researchers have developed a new AI model that may help doctors assess the risk a fetus has for serious complications like stillbirth.

8 days ago

Sponsored Articles

Full speed through the snow. A man on skis is pulled by his through the snow at full gallop Skijori...

Bear Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau

Get ready for an unforgettable skijoring adventure in Bear Lake!

“Skijoring the Bear” takes place this year on February 21-22 in Garden City, Utah.

the bedroom in a geodesic dome shows the night sky...

Clear Sky Resorts Bryce Canyon

Your front row to an extraordinary cosmos show

As America's first glass dome stargazing resort, Clear Sky Resorts Bryce Canyon is one of the world’s most unique and spectacular places to stay.

2 people huddled up in a blanket and warm clothes sipping hot chocolate...

Bear Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau

The best ways to spend your Christmas vacation in Bear Lake

If you're dreaming of a white Christmas this year, Bear Lake should definitely be on your radar. Read this guide for more!

big crowd of people under holiday lights in an outdoor market...

Western Nut

Our favorite family Christmas activities in Utah

We gathered up a list of our favorite activities, movies, and treats to try this holiday season that the whole family can enjoy.

an IT tech looks at a laptop in front of a server network...

Comcast Business

Tips to protect yourself from phishing attacks

Check out this resource from Comcast Business to learn more about phishing attacks and how to protect yourself from becoming a victim of one.

A surprise gift, wrapped and ready to bring holiday cheer! Whether for Christmas, a birthday, or an...

Western Nut

10 Holiday Gift Ideas to cover everyone on your list

This guide is for you if you need holiday gift ideas that will make a lasting impression. 

Dave & Dujanovic: What can we do to reform healthcare?