Americans experienced a significant surge in death and illness in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A new report published in PNAS, a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), suggests that mortality rates could have been significantly reduced if a universal healthcare system like Medicare For All had been implemented in the United States.
According to the report, which pulls data from a variety of sources, up to 212,000 American deaths could have been prevented due by universal healthcare during 2020. That number is significantly higher than the 76,064 preventable deaths calculated for 2019, the analysis says.
Recommended For You
The research looked at a variety of factors, including increased access to primary care physicians, which the authors say would have led to a reduction in comorbidity-related COVID-19 deaths due to better management of underlying conditions. Moreover, Medicare For All could have reduced deaths by increasing access to doctors in general. With many people deterred from seeking medical care due to concerns about cost during the pandemic, those with COVID symptoms often delayed or avoided care, increasing their own risk of a negative outcome as well as the chance of spreading COVID-19 to others.
Additionally, increased primary care doctor access and affordability would have helped more Americans seek preventative care, like a COVID-19 vaccine. Additionally, fewer resulting severe COVID-19 cases would have reduced stress on hospitals in general, allowing for better care and reduced mortality for non-COVID patients.
The report also estimated the financial impact a single-payer health care system could have had during 2020, including reductions in standard pharmaceutical costs due to Medicare negotiation as well as COVID-specific costs. For example, the study noted that the cost of a hospitalization with mechanical ventilation was almost twice as high for someone with private insurance compared to someone on Medicare.
While a single-payer health care system would not completely eliminate healthcare inequities and disease burden, the study's authors say it would help reduce mortality during future pandemics. "To facilitate recovery from the ongoing crisis and bolster pandemic preparedness, as well as safeguard well-being and prosperity more broadly, now is the time to transition to a health care system that can better serve the American people," the authors wrote.
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
