Healthcare as a Human Right: A Conversation with Sen. Bernie Sanders

In a recent exclusive interview, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) sat down with Better Benefits USA to discuss the state of American health care, the rising cost crisis, and why he believes health care is a human right – not a commodity.

With the 2026 midterm elections approaching and health care costs continuing to outpace inflation, Sanders’ message remains as urgent as ever.

“We are the wealthiest country in the history of the world,” Sanders said. “And yet we have 85 million people who are uninsured or underinsured. That is a moral outrage.”

Below is the full transcript of our conversation, edited for length and clarity.

The State of American Health Care in 2026

Better Benefits USA: Senator, thank you for joining us. It has been more than 15 years since the Affordable Care Act was passed. Where do we stand today?

Sen. Sanders: Let me give you the good news and the bad news. The good news is that the ACA expanded coverage to millions of Americans. The bad news is that we still have a broken, profit-driven system that leaves too many people behind.

We spend twice as much per person on health care as any other wealthy nation. Yet we have lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, and worse access to primary care.

That is not a failure of resources. It is a failure of priorities.

Better Benefits USA: What do you see as the biggest problem with the current system?

Sen. Sanders: The biggest problem is that we have turned health care into a commodity to be bought and sold, rather than a human right to be guaranteed.

Insurance companies deny care to maximize profits. Pharmaceutical companies charge whatever they want. Hospital systems consolidate and raise prices.

And at the center of it all are working families who cannot afford their deductibles, who delay care until they end up in the emergency room, who go bankrupt from medical debt.

That is not how a civilized nation treats its people.

The Case for Medicare for All

Better Benefits USA: You have been the leading advocate for Medicare for All for decades. Why do you believe that is the right solution?

Sen. Sanders: Because every other major country on Earth has figured this out.

Canada. Germany. France. The United Kingdom. Australia. They all guarantee health care to every citizen. And they all spend half of what we spend per person.

Medicare for All would eliminate private insurance premiums, deductibles, and copays. It would cover dental, vision, and hearing. It would allow patients to choose their own doctors and hospitals.

And it would save money. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that a single-payer system would reduce national health expenditures by trillions of dollars over 10 years.

Better Benefits USA: Critics say Medicare for All would raise taxes on the middle class. How do you respond?

Sen. Sanders: Let me be very clear: Yes, taxes would go up. But for the vast majority of Americans, their total health care costs would go down dramatically.

Right now, the average American family pays nearly $7,000 per year in premiums, plus deductibles, copays, and out-of-pocket costs. Under Medicare for All, you would pay nothing at the point of service.

So yes, you might pay more in taxes. But you would no longer pay premiums, deductibles, or copays. For working families, that is a huge net savings.

And employers would save money too. Right now, employers spend an average of $18,500 per employee on health benefits. Under Medicare for All, those costs would be eliminated or dramatically reduced.

The Human Cost of the Current System

Better Benefits USA: Beyond the economics, what is the human toll of our current system?

Sen. Sanders: Let me tell you about a woman I met in Ohio.

She was a grandmother. She worked her whole life. She had insurance through her employer. But she was diagnosed with cancer, and her insurance company denied coverage for the treatment her doctor recommended.

She appealed. She was denied again. She spent the last months of her life fighting her insurance company instead of fighting her cancer.

That story is not rare. It happens every single day in America. According to the Commonwealth Fund, nearly 40% of insured adults report being denied coverage for a recommended treatment.

People with insurance go bankrupt from medical bills. People with insurance delay care because they cannot afford their deductible. People with insurance die because their insurer denied prior authorization.

That is the human cost of a for-profit health care system.

Better Benefits USA: What about the 85 million people who are uninsured or underinsured?

Sen. Sanders: That is 85 million human beings. That is more than one in four Americans.

They are your neighbors. They are your coworkers. They are the people who serve your coffee, stock your grocery shelves, and clean your office buildings.

They are one medical emergency away from financial ruin. And that is unacceptable.

The Role of Employers in Health Care Reform

Better Benefits USA: As an organization that helps employers reduce health benefit costs, we are interested in your perspective. What role should employers play in health care reform?

Sen. Sanders: Employers are stuck in an impossible position.

They want to provide good benefits to attract and retain workers. But health care costs are rising faster than wages, faster than inflation, faster than anything else. And they have no leverage to negotiate lower prices.

That is why so many employers have moved to high-deductible plans, shifted costs to employees, or dropped coverage entirely. They are not bad people. They are trapped in a broken system.

The solution is not to blame employers. The solution is to take health care off the backs of employers altogether.

Under Medicare for All, employers would no longer have to worry about negotiating insurance contracts, managing open enrollment, or absorbing double-digit premium increases every year.

They could focus on their actual business – instead of being part-time health insurance administrators.

Better Benefits USA: What can employers do right now, under the current system, to help their employees?

Sen. Sanders: First, they can conduct a benefits audit to see where their money is really going. Often, employers are paying for waste – administrative fees, poor plan design, underused benefits – without realizing it.

Second, they can add navigation and advocacy services to help employees actually use their benefits. Too many people have insurance but do not understand how to use it.

Third, they can advocate for change. Employers have enormous political influence. When business leaders demand health care reform, Washington listens.

And fourth, they can support state-level reforms. While Congress debates, states like Oregon, Nevada, and Illinois have passed laws requiring hospitals to provide charity care and limiting aggressive collections. Learn more about nonprofit hospital tax exemptions and charity care requirements here.

The Political Landscape in 2026

Better Benefits USA: The 2026 midterms are approaching. Where does health care rank as a voter issue?

Sen. Sanders: Health care is always a top issue. It touches every single American family.

What I am hearing from voters is exhaustion. They are exhausted by high premiums. Exhausted by confusing insurance plans. Exhausted by fighting with their insurance company. Exhausted by medical debt.

And they are frustrated that Congress has not done anything meaningful to fix it.

The ACA was a good start. But it was a Band-Aid on a bullet wound. We need fundamental transformation.

Better Benefits USA: Do you see a path forward for Medicare for All in the current political environment?

Sen. Sanders: Change never comes easily. They said we could not pass Social Security. They said we could not pass Medicare. They said we could not pass the ACA.

But we did. Because the American people demanded it.

The same will happen with Medicare for All. It may not happen this year or next year. But it will happen. Because the current system is unsustainable.

When people realize they can have better health care for less money, the political will will follow.

What Individuals Can Do

Better Benefits USA: What can an individual employee do if they are struggling with health care costs right now?

Sen. Sanders: First, if you have insurance, learn how to use it. Many plans include free preventive care, telehealth, and patient advocacy services that people do not know about. The Kaiser Family Foundation has excellent resources on understanding your health plan.

Second, if you receive a bill you cannot afford, ask for an itemized bill and apply for financial assistance. Many nonprofit hospitals are required to offer charity care – but they do not advertise it.

Third, do not be afraid to appeal a denial. Insurance companies deny claims automatically. The majority of appeals are successful.

And fourth, get involved. Vote. Call your representatives. Support organizations fighting for health care reform.

Change happens when ordinary people demand it.

Conclusion: A Moral and Economic Imperative

Better Benefits USA: Final question, Senator. Why should Americans believe that health care as a human right is achievable?

Sen. Sanders: Because every other wealthy country has already done it.

We are not asking for something radical. We are asking for what Canada has. What Germany has. What France has. What every other civilized nation has.

Health care is a human right. Not a privilege for those who can afford it. Not a commodity to be bought and sold.

It is time for the United States to join the rest of the developed world and guarantee health care to every citizen.

That is not a radical idea. It is a moral and economic imperative.

And I believe the American people are ready for it.

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has served in the U.S. Senate since 2007 and as a U.S. Representative from 1991 to 2007. He is the longest-serving independent in congressional history and a two-time candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Key Takeaways

• The U.S. spends twice as much per person on health care as other wealthy nations but has worse outcomes
• 85 million Americans are uninsured or underinsured according to Commonwealth Fund data
• Sanders argues health care is a human right, not a commodity
• Medicare for All would eliminate premiums, deductibles, and copays while covering dental, vision, and hearing
• Employers spend an average of $18,500 per employee on health benefits – costs that would be eliminated or reduced under single-payer
• Employers can take action now through benefits audits, navigation services, and advocacy
• Several states have passed hospital charity care and collection reform laws – read our nonprofit hospital analysis here
• Medical debt remains the leading cause of personal bankruptcy in the U.S.

---

This interview was conducted on May 15, 2026, and has been edited for length and clarity. Sources: Congressional Budget Office, Kaiser Family Foundation, Commonwealth Fund, and National Consumer Law Center.