a.lock@setonhill.

edu

November 7th, 2021

President Joseph Biden

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President,

As an international student studying in the US at a wonderfully diverse university, not only

have I witnessed adversity, but I have experienced it firsthand. In my second semester at
Seton Hill University, I was in an accident and fractured my jaw. Before my arrival, the
school recommended different insurance companies I could use in case of an issue just like
this. The insurance I chose turned out to be helpless, and the accident ended up costing
thousands more than we expected, I still receive hospital bills to this day. It made me realise
that the pain from this accident was the worst physical pain I have ever experienced, however
the collateral damage caused by the ongoing hospital bills and lack of help from the insurance
company made this suffering even worse. Back home in the UK, I would not have to worry
about any hospital bills, as the National Health Service provides free healthcare for all.
Fortunately, I am fairly privileged, and the cost of this incident was not as destructive to my
family and I as much as it would be for a working class individual, but that does not sit right
with me. I do not like how millions of people in this country live in fear that an accident or
even a random diagnosis could end up costing them a fortune, and putting them into debt.
Rather, people should live with the calming knowledge that if, god forbid, anything
unwelcoming affects their health, they are in the safe hands of their country’s wonderful
health service and do not have to worry about paying a penny. 

As is the case in the UK, and many other of your friends across the Atlantic, I believe that
you should create a public healthcare system that allows all citizens to access free healthcare.
I am aware of the difficulties this will create regarding job benefits, private healthcare
institutions and so on. However, I believe it will create incredible change in this country, and
provide people of all backgrounds to live safer and calmer lives, which will in turn provide
more opportunities for those who have only experienced the struggles and burdens that life
has to offer. Shift budgets, improve education systems, implement higher taxes for those
whose wallets are larger than necessary, whatever it takes to create a more equal and
opportunistic society in your country. 

As I was reading An American Sickness by Elisabeth Rosenthal, a particular quote stood out
to me. “Claims forms and explanations of benefits now seem as native to medicine as oxygen
and water are to the earth” (Rosenthal, 2017, An American Sickness, p.14, The History: In the
Beginning). In a country with such a high population, it is impossible for everybody to live
unproblematic lives, however with free healthcare, so many issues will become resolved and
more of your people can live happier than before. As President of the United States, I believe
the Catholic Social Teaching ‘Option for the Poor and Vulnerable’ should cross your mind
when it comes to the health of your people. The poor and vulnerable have too many
difficulties to face daily as it is, and they should not need to worry about medical bills on top
of providing for their families. 
Providing free healthcare is an example of giving alms to the poor, to relieve the poor of
some of their problems and to provide them with hope. I am sure you are already aware of
how healthcare systems operate in different countries, however I will provide you with a
gentle reminder from an article I read from The New York Times. The publisher asked eight
people from around the world what they thought about the US healthcare system, and one
individual from Japan said that “Here in Japan, even if you lose a job, you would never lose
your health insurance” (Dingari, 2021, ‘That’s Heartbreaking’: How American healthcare
looks from abroad). The collateral damage I endured from my injury by the medical bills is
illustrated here. The people of this country live in fear that if they lose their job, they will also
lose their medical benefits. This is not right, and if anything, people who lose their jobs
should be able to continue their lives calmly, knowing that despite becoming unemployed,
they can still receive free healthcare if anything unexpected were to happen. 

I wish you well as you guide your people to a better, safer future, and thank you for taking
your precious time to read this letter. I hope I have reached out to you on a personal level,
and that this letter provides you with a thoughtful insight to the struggles of life that many
people endure. 

Yours Sincerely,

Archie Lock
Seton Hill University
1 Seton Hill Drive
Greensburg, PA 15601
a.lock@setonhill.edu