If you think the healthcare system in the United States is over-complicated and inequitable, you might be surprised to learn about the corruption and lack of access and affordability to healthcare that most citizens of Puerto Rico face on their island. In this episode of the Making Public Health Personal podcast, CUNY SPH doctoral student Sergio Rivera Rodriguez, MPH gives us context on the political history of Puerto Rico and how their healthcare system became what it is today.
Host Laura Meoli-Ferrigon inquires about Sergio’s current research project which aims to expand health care coverage to every citizen on the island. Based on his data collection and analysis, he describes the differences in access, utilization, and cost of health care services by health insurance status, including the elderly and people living in poverty. This data is severely lacking in Puerto Rico, where there is not even an accurate count of how many people are uninsured. In order to create efficient policy reforms, hold private health insurance companies accountable for their spending, and adequately fund public programs (such as medicare and medicaid), this data is essential.
What is the solution to Puerto Rico’s healthcare woes? How can we use this research into Puerto Rico’s system to create better healthcare access, affordability and satisfaction here in the United States? Are the other healthcare systems that other countries have in place working more effectively? The answers may surprise you.
Episode Links:
Contact & find out more about Sergio Rivera Rodriguez’s project:
https://twitter.com/Sergio_RiveraR
https://www.instagram.com/sergio.rivera.rodriguez
Want to be a guest on a future episode of this show? Contact our host: [email protected]
Interested in finding out more about CUNY SPH? Visit: SPH.cuny.edu
Download a transcript of this episode: https://www.dropbox.com/s/hhogowfthch2wpr/Episode%208%20Transcript%20MPHP.docx?dl=0

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