Healthcare with Mike Johnson

Healthcare with Mike Johnson

By the end of October 2020, it’s fair to say everyone was ready to put the 2020 election behind them. This burnout was especially real for Gen Z, who had a lot of stress on their minds going into it. What better way to relieve some of it than to talk about one of our generation’s most important issues, with one of the most charming and likable bachelors on TV?

On October 27, just one week before the election, The Conversationalist Founder and CEO Sophie Beren spoke with Mike Johnson, known for his loveable stints on Season 15 of The Bachelorette and season 4 of Bachelor in Paradise, along with seven Gen Z panelists about healthcare. Following the conversation, Mike participated in an exclusive virtual Q&A session. And as if it couldn’t get better, The Conversationalist donated $1 to Big Brothers Big Sisters for every person viewing the panel, which is an organization that is near and dear to Johnson’s heart. 

Here for the right reasons

Our host Mike might be best known for his rose game, but he’s also an Air Force Veteran, a global spokesperson, a keynote speaker, and an author. Healthcare has played an essential role in his own life experiences, and he asked thoughtful questions that captured the nuances of each of the panelists’ ideas and responses. The panelists made it clear that no matter what side of the aisle they might be approaching it from, young people are changing the conversation about healthcare in the United States. 

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With that, it was time to get into it.

What does healthcare mean to you?

Community organizer, Ameer Abdul, said that he believes healthcare is a human right. “Healthcare in this country is a broken system. How we fix it, politically or financially, is up for debate, but hopefully, we can agree that it’s a right for everyone to have quality healthcare,” he said. 

For Sarah Cehelyk, a junior at Muhlenberg College, healthcare is personal. Her father passed away from cancer when she was young, and her mother struggles with Multiple Scurrilous. Recently, she said her mother struggled to find a doctor that could meet her needs. “I think the inequality that’s present in our system is in front of me every day when I wake up in the morning,” she said. “I look at my parents, the people closest to me, and wonder why the system failed them and why it continues to do so every day. “

Johnson, and the panel’s virtual audience, commended her for speaking from the heart. 

Elle Kalisz, a senior at American University who has worked with the United Nations, the US Senate, and healthcare industry consulting, said she hopes to expand the conversation toward quality of care instead of only considering access to care. “Healthcare is one of those political issues that is inherently personal,” she said. “When we talk about access, we don’t always talk about what it means if the quality of care isn’t that great.” She added that she hopes to see reform that improves outcomes and patient experience because simply expanding a broken system will do more harm than good. 

What are your thoughts on the brokenness of the healthcare system?

Zahier Turner, a student at Savannah College of Art and Design, where he studies film and television, agreed with Elle’s point. He grew up in Patterson, NJ, a low-income town. Based on his experience, he also believes in the importance of improving quality. “We can’t focus on spreading something to the masses if we don’t fix the internal system first,” he said. 

“A problem in the U.S. is that not everyone knows how our system works because it’s incredibly complex,” said Justin Truglio. He is a graduate of Columbia University who now works in healthcare consulting. In his work, he learns more about the system every day. He said that many of the issues come from the fact that many people can’t identify the system’s errors.

Mike recalled an asthma attack he had while serving in Wales. He received treatment in the hospital and was surprised by how the health system differed. “I was surprised I had no bill at the end,” he said. “I was surprised I didn’t have to wait in the lobby to fill out paperwork.” 

About 8% of the population is uninsured. How do you feel about how we can educate people about this without being biased?

Maya Siegel, a student at Colorado State University and the founder of Space to Speak, an organization amplifying the voices of young survivors of sexual violence, said this was a complicated question. To start, she would like to see doctors break things down more. “We go to doctors because they’re knowledgeable and because we trust them.” In her opinion, she believes healthcare is a right and realizes that the best possible care is a privilege in reality.

“The ideal system would be the moral system,” said Kudwy, a popular TikTok creator and a student at the Objectivist Academic Center. He said the fact that the panel discussion was happening at all showed some problems exist and said he would like to see a standard regarding laws in the healthcare industry. 

Jacob Uhler, the vice president of Turning Point USA at Cedarville University, said that he appreciated The Conversationalist for creating civil discourse. When it comes to determining if healthcare is a right, he said he wants to see a system where everyone can have healthcare but isn’t sure that’s the same as quantifying it as a right. Additionally, he added that he is unsure of how to combine the idea that everyone deserves healthcare and that there is personal responsibility involved in accessing it. “This issue is very personal in a way that not a lot of other issues are. We all want to be healthy, and we all want our relatives to be healthy,” he said. 

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Does personal accountability matter in who gets healthcare?

In response to Jacob’s point, Ameer said that personal accountability is undoubtedly important in any situation. But in his experience working in public health, he has seen how different circumstances impact communities. He worked in a community that had a playground built on a lead field, which led to poor health outcomes among the population. 

How do you feel about income dictating quality of care?

Building off of Ameer's point, Sarah agreed that many people don’t have a sufficient income for reasons that are entirely out of their control. Her family, for instance, relies on social security due to illness. “Are we looking at the person when it comes to the most vulnerable members of society when we look at them and say, ‘you’re going to get the minimum?’” She said.“But what would life look like if they didn't just get the bare minimum?”

With that, Elle noted that people get different quality of care based on their location. The United States is a large country, and people have different needs in different states. Given that, she said states should have different plans that work for their residents' needs. She also noted the importance of looking at other healthcare payment models to improve the patient experience. “I think we have to understand that when we're revolutionizing our healthcare system, that doesn't mean just expanding access,” she said. “We all live in different areas. We all have different needs. Our healthcare system should reflect that, and more importantly, our reimbursement model- what we're paying for health care - should reflect that.”

Zahier agreed that it’s important to focus on how each state can do it instead of a universal plan.

What have you learned today, and how has it changed your perspective?

Kudwy said that if he were in charge, he would deregulate the healthcare system to protect rights.

Justin agreed with Elle’s point about tailoring healthcare to patients based upon needs and demographics. He also said that in addition to access, it’s important to consider affordability.  “Even if patients do have access to medications, they don't take them because they can't afford them,” he said.

Why is our healthcare system the way it is from a financial standpoint?

Maya said that part of the issue lies with the lack of competition and buyer power. “We aren’t as educated as we could be, so we are spending money we shouldn’t be,” she said.

How do you regulate privatized companies in regards to healthcare?

Sarah said private companies are essential and should exist, but she is concerned by the notion that money equates to better care. “I don't have a problem with the idea of privatization,” she said. “I have a problem with the fact that privatization means you get what you've earned. But you haven't earned it at all. You've just kind of dealt with different circumstances, and maybe you've handled it differently than somebody else would have, but I don't think that makes you more or less worthy.”

How might a single mom protect herself and her children?

Jacob spoke to his family's experience in the healthcare system. He compared the care that his grandfather received, on private insurance, for early dementia symptoms at the Mayo Clinic in Florida to publicly funded care that another grandfather received for his cancer in prison. He also pointed to some healthcare systems in other countries as arguments for protecting privatization. “The average Ukrainian doctor makes the equivalent of about $19 per hour because when the state funds the entire healthcare system, that's so much money that they're going to have to pay for the cheapest, lowest quality stuff that they have available,” he said. “They're trying to pay for healthcare for everyone, and so we have to remember that doctors have families too that they have to provide for, and so we can't just assume that doctors are automatons.”

“The healthcare model that we want in the United States doesn't exist yet. It's not in another country. I think that’s part of why our healthcare system here in the states is so good is because we have an awesome private sector that is willing to do anything,” Elle said. She pointed to the importance of putting less pressure and regulations on the private sector, so we can continue to have a strong quality of care and develop more solutions surrounding bringing better care to more people. 

Mike said the panelists showed more respect for one another than he’d seen during the Presidential debates. 

How did tonight’s conversation break open your echo chamber?

Zahier said that it was interesting to hear from different perspectives but also shared some final thoughts. “I feel like, as a society, humans become very dependent on healthcare, and we forget that we're capable of doing a lot for ourselves without healthcare,” he said. “I feel like it's really important to value yourself and to seek your self-help if you can.”

Maya said she appreciated hearing about the importance of changing and challenging our current system rather than taking it away completely. 

After saying goodbye to the bad-ass panelists before heading into an exclusive Q&A session, Mike shared how the conversation broke open his echo chamber. “I respect every single individual on our channel tonight. We did have differences of opinion, but every single individual, despite being liberal or conservative, felt that all human beings in our country should have some form of healthcare,” he said. “I smile when I say that because, in other panels, people don't feel as such. I appreciate that our Gen Z community feels that way.”

(us after the panel)

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