The health care system in our country is fundamentally flawed. 

Millions of people remain uninsured or underinsured and struggle to get the care they want and need. Our health system — fragmented across employer coverage, private markets, and public programs — leaves too many people behind. This is especially true for Black, Latinx, immigrant, and low-income communities. Families with low incomes and communities of color — including Black women facing material health risks and Tribal communities navigating chronic underinvestment — are hit hardest, facing higher costs, worse outcomes, and limited access to care. It’s no wonder nearly three-quarters of voters across party lines believe the health care system needs major change.

But not all change is good change. Especially when it reinforces the structural inequities that have long excluded communities of color and low-income families from quality care.

In May, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced plans for the largest deregulatory effort in its history. Under the guise of “efficiency” and “innovation,” this effort would gut the very rules that keep people safe — from clean clinics to tested medications to fair insurance practices.

Not all regulations are red tape. They’re the reason:

  • You can’t be denied insurance for a pre-existing condition.
  • You don’t receive a surprise $5,000 bill after an emergency room visit.
  • Your grandma’s nursing home meets basic care standards.
  • Cancer drugs are tested before they reach your pharmacy.
  • Your child’s vaccine is safe and effective.

Without these protections, our system becomes a Wild West — one where corporate profit trumps patient safety.

This isn’t just bad policy — it’s bad business. And it ignores the real cost of racial and economic disparities that drag down our economy and harm public trust.

Many regulations create the stability that markets rely on. They build public confidence, allow for fair competition and provide clear expectations for businesses—from hospitals to pharmaceutical companies to tech startups. Unchecked deregulation introduces chaos and invites costly backlash when things go wrong.

It’s also far more expensive to respond to a health crisis than to prevent one. Strong health protections help avoid costly lawsuits, recalls, and public health emergencies. They also strengthen the workforce — because healthy people power a healthy economy. Employers large and small are already navigating the fallout of a fragmented system: rising insurance premiums, burnout, and absenteeism tied to untreated or unaffordable care.

Majority of voters across party lines want the government to lower costs and address medical debt.
Source: 2025 HIT Strategies Poll

Polling shows that most people don’t want less government involvement in health care — they want more. Nearly 80% of voters, including large majorities across party lines, support government action to lower costs, expand access, and address medical debt. 

The path forward isn’t cutting cancer research or eliminating programs that ensure our medicines are safe. It’s reigning in unchecked greed and investing in a system that puts people — and long-term stability — ahead of short-term profits.

Equity and health aren’t burdens on the system—they are the stabilizers that prevent collapse, the investments that create stronger, healthier communities, and the foundation for a resilient economy and a thriving nation.