The boy couldn't believe that American hospitals charge people just for riding in their ambulance. Congresswoman Cortez agrees

When a U.S. politician asked a little boy what law he would make if given the chance, she likely expected a playful response. But what he said was far more impactful than anyone expected. Well, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@repaoc), a congresswoman for New York’s 14th district, was shocked when a little boy spoke about USA's ridiculously expensive healthcare while advocating for free services for the general public. The video, posted on April 13, has gone viral with over a million views on Instagram.
"America has to let the people go to the doctor for free," the boy said. Moreover, he recalled his mom paying $10,000 to have her baby in a hospital, which Rep. Ocasio-Cortez agreed was absurd. The interaction became even more interesting when she asked him how much he thinks the hospitals should charge for having a baby, and the boy replied, "Five bucks."
Actor Julian Shapiro-Barnum, who had also accompanied the American politician, joined the conversation, asking the boy if he had an idea of ambulance costs in America. "It should be free," he said, only to hear Rep. Ocasio-Cortez gasp, "[It costs] thousands of dollars sometimes. Isn't that crazy?"
The boy couldn't believe that American hospitals charge people just for riding in their vehicles. Moving on, Julian Shapiro-Barnum questioned if there were any other things the boy wished to change for the better. And he answered, "Well, we should start using solar," leaving the interviewers stunned at his thoughtful response. Overwhelmed, Shapiro-Barnum insisted the boy elaborate on his thoughts on people refraining from speaking out on important issues, and he replied, "Well, your voice — it's one of the many. If you didn't share your voice, you wouldn't start a chant."
It seems like kids in America have turned more mature and civically aware than most adults in the country. In fact, when Rep. Ocasio-Cortez interacted with another child, he also appeared to have similar thoughts about the healthcare system in the United States. The boy said America should make the necessities free. He also spoke about the expensive groceries and that he thinks they should be no more than $52.
A 2019 report (survey of 3,500 adults) by Gallup found that Americans are so worried about healthcare expenses that one in four skipped medical treatment in just one year, and Americans collectively borrowed approximately $88 billion to pay off their medical bills. In fact, almost half of Americans (45%) believe they might go bankrupt if hit by a serious health crisis. Considering the ground reality, people, especially politicians, need to take action and make healthcare facilities minimal, if not free, as mentioned by the kids.


Meanwhile, reacting to the child's take on America's healthcare, @drelisabethpotter commented, "When America's children are asking us to fix healthcare… it’s time we take actions that they can be proud of." Similarly, @marielsphotos shared, "I live in Queensland, Australia. In my state, ambulances are free — it’s covered by our taxes, which is what taxes are supposed to be used for! So when I fell, an ambulance took me to the hospital, and all I paid for was a taxi home because I didn't want to wake my family up. Because healthcare is paid for by our taxes. What taxes are for?"
You can follow Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@repaoc) on Instagram for more content about the American government.
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