Poor U.S. Pandemic Response Will Reverberate in Health Care Politics for Years, Health Scholars Warn
Effects on the Political System and Health Policy
Respondents also offered a particularly grim view of the long-term implications of the failed coronavirus response for the United States.
Survey after survey has shown that partisanship influences individuals’ perceptions of the coronavirus pandemic. Early research indicates that right-leaning media and presidential communication may have significantly contributed to these discrepancies and increased polarization.
And according to scholars in our study, these stirred-up partisan differences may lead to increases in distrust in government, a lack of faith in political institutions and even further growth in political polarization in the long term.
Overall, scholars were generally skeptical about any major progressive changes like the adoption of universal health care, paid sick leave, or basic income in the aftermath of the pandemic. At the same time, they also do not expect popular conservative changes like the privatization of Medicare or block grant Medicaid, which restricts expenditures from the federal government to states to a set lump sum.
Once more, hyperpartisanship, combined with the cumbersome political process, is seen as the major culprit here.
There is one major exception: adoption of a federal public option, a government-run health plan to compete with private insurers. Here, more than 60% of scholars initially thought that adoption would be somewhat or very likely in the next five years; however, this number dropped to 50% by September. This expectation appears to be driven by the expectation of a Biden presidency.
Two-thirds of respondents expected public health, health infrastructure, and pandemic preparedness to take on more prominent roles going forward. Just under half expected a larger focus on inequalities and inequities. Yet, with major reforms unlikely, scholars are generally skeptical about much progress on the issues.
Looking Ahead
There is ample evidence that the U.S. has fared significantly worse than its peers in handling the coronavirus pandemic.
To health policy and politics scholars, this came as no surprise. In the U.S., the pandemic collided with a political system rife with distrust and polarization. Both pathologies are mirrored among the American public. Large parts of the population are wary of the role scientists play in policy. Many subscribe to conspiracy theories.
This combination, together with poor leadership, has put coordinated and sustained policy response out of reach.
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To make things worse, the coronavirus has also highlighted the ubiquitous inequities in American society. It has also laid bare the inadequacies of the safety net or other social protections like paid sick leave.
In our view, no matter the outcome of the elections, the impacts of the failed coronavirus response will likely reverberate through the U.S. political system for decades. Much rebuilding will need to be done.
Simon F. Haeder is Assistant Professor of Public Policy, Penn State. Sarah E. Gollust is Associate Professor of Health Policy and Management, University of Minnesot. This article is published courtesy of The Conversation.
