Venture
2021
Table of Contents
1 .........................EDITOR’S NOTE 2 .........................YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS by Brad Le 5.........................CHANGES DURING COVID-19 by Brianne Burgess 6 .........................HISTORY OF BLACK LIVES MATTER By Ash Espinoza 9 .........................GRESHAM BAKERY KEEPS IT SWEET by Daniella Young 10........................A CLOSER LOOK AT HEALTHCARE by Marin Thorsen 13........................DESIGN PRESENTATION By Mae Cossu
Editor’s Note
F
Photographer: Fletcher Wold Graphic Designers:
Mae Cossu Hannah Hart Mariah Johnson Advisers:
Howard Buck Dan Ernst Editor Daniella Young
rom the major impact a global pandemic has made on our lives, to wildfires, ice storms, and protests concerning racial injustice, the period covering 2020 into early 2021 has definitely been a wild ride. Despite the challenges of these unprecedented times, new and returning members of The Advocate newspaper and Venture Magazine at Mt. Hood Community College worked together to create this 2021 edition. This year’s Venture was created remotely as we adjusted to the changes in workflow this past year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was created with the help of various designers with different design interests and strengths. The new skills learned throughout this process are sure to stay with us for years to come. It’s been such an amazing experience to work with such a talented group on Venture Magazine, and the memories of creating something so timeless will last forever. With the distinct style of each student writer and designer each year, Venture reflects the experience and observation of what is occurring during that period of time as well as other personal, enduring stories. Amid the many challenges this past year has brought, brighter times lie ahead of us. Whether it’s going to a bakery, diving into business as an entrepreneur, or working to build a more safe, inclusive community for future generations, there are always things to be involved in, to look forward to and to explore. This year’s Venture highlights the experiences of entrepreneurs, bakery store owners, college students, and how the pandemic has changed the way specific businesses and entire professions operate. The cover art here was illustrated by Mae Cossu, and the rest of the magazine was crafted with the help of other designers. We hope you enjoy this issue of Venture. Thank you so much to Dan Ernst, Howard Buck and all the designers and writers for their hard work on this project, as well as their support and diligence.
Daniella Young
Venture Magazine
1
Entrepreneurs By BRAD LE
Photos by Melody Rin and Mia Bratcher
T
he 20s mark one of the most diverse stages in most people’s lives. Some 20-somethings have never been in relationships, while others are getting married. Some are in college; others went straight to work. Some of us are just in the beginning of our careers and others, far more advanced. Then there are those among us that have already become their own boss, charging headfirst as young entrepreneurs. Many people choose not to pursue the entrepreneur route for a variety of reasons, among the most prominent a lack of professional experience. Despite that hurdle, two young Portland-area women decided to toss their fears out the window and embraced the challenge that comes with being a young entrepreneur. As we learn their stories, we might ask if every business is unique as some people insist – and, if there is something common that all young entrepreneurs might share. Melody Rin is the 20-yearold founder of Rin’s Resins, where she turns decorative resins into durable plastics, or durable castings applied on top Melody Rin posing next to her work area of glassware. She is most known for her floral resins, which commonly end up sold as ashtrays, earrings and heart jars. But she is perhaps most famous for her work on bongs, the latter making up most of her Instagram page. While she has a regular stock of standard orders that are her floral designs, she has made custom commissions including a sparkly green Hennessy bottle for a collaboration and a
2
Venture Magazine
Trail Blazers-themed bong which has the words “Rip City” in matching Blazers colors. “I really love being my own boss,” said Rin. “If I want to have a meeting, it’s literally just me and I don’t have to go through a lot of hoops to make that happen,” she explained with a laugh. She shares that part of being an entrepreneur is having to go through a lot of trial and error and realizing that menial logistics is part of the journey. For example, there are days that she wants to continue doing her resin work, but needs instead to dedicate time to ship boxes first. Ultimately for every moment there is pleasure doing work, there is another moment that can be a chore. Nonetheless, the result is oftentimes rewarding and you take the good with the bad, she said. Rin said one of the difficulties faced as a young owner is that older people do not take you as seriously, commenting that “it’s just a phase, or that you are doing it for fun.” However, she stresses that being an owner makes managing a business so much more personal than a job. “There’s a whole community of artists out there who also take their work seriously,” she noted. While she does lack a lot of professional experience that older business owners hold, she is lucky to have a family that supports her. That experience can always be gained, and she is always on the road to learn more about herself. “I dip my toes into a lot of jobs, which gives me experience, and (I know) that plenty of my interests such as baking and photography also give me ideas to build my business,” she said. Just as there are moments of joy that can be found in being
Mia’s World business link: https://www.miasworld. co/lashes Instagram name: miasworld.co
Rin’s Resin business link: https://rinsresin.bigcartel. com/ Instagram name: rins.resin
an entrepreneur, there are low points. Nearly all artists will eventually face a creative block where they cannot focus their imagination or enthusiasm to pursue a project to the best of their ability, and realize that they are their own worst critic. “There are times when I doubt my own ability and I start asking if my work is honestly good enough,” Rin said. Being an entrepreneur is doubly painful because not only do you have an expectation for yourself, but there is also an expectation from the people that order from you, she explained. Regardless, she does not see herself being deterred: “They (customers) have still been supportive of me and I still have a family that encourages me, which keeps me motivated through all the low points.” Rin acknowledges that her journey is long and still a work in progress. However, she is also a strong proponent that age is not an obstacle to greatness in the world, but merely a number. She takes inspiration from common phrases; for instance, “while it sounds corny, ‘Do not give up,’ ” she said. “There are days I go without sales, but being able to talk about them helps (me).” She adds that there is almost a universal spirit among young Mai Bratcher sitting in her workspace entrepreneurs: Defiance. “There will always be haters who say that ‘I can do that myself.’ Then challenge them to make it as good as you!” she said. “We should follow our dreams even if it is crazy because you’ll be happier pursuing the dreams you set rather than the dreams that others put on you.”
Just as Rin believes it is better to pursue one’s own path, Mia Bratcher, 19, believes that ambition will propel people to be the best that they could be. In her words, “Better to shoot for 100 and get 80 than shoot for 20 then get 10.” The founder of a cosmetics company, Mia’s World, Bratcher set her goal to make quality eyelashes and lip glosses at an affordable price as she once struggled herself to find quality cosmetics items at an accessible price. She prides herself because she views her company as more than just a place to get quality eyelashes and lip gloss. It’s also as a brand that serves the community as a role model for young people who also seek affordable beauty and as an inspiration to encourage them to pursue their own dreams. “I wanted to find a way to financially support my mom and I didn’t like working for Domino’s,” while she “inherited a spirit of entrepreneurialsim” from her father, she said. She explains that her family comes from an artistic background and so she wanted to combine her father’s business attitude with her own artistic interests. The birth of her company came in 2019 in the middle of softball season at Centennial High School in Gresham, where she mentioned to her teammates that she wanted to create a business selling lip gloss and eyelashes. “They had questions at first, but one of my team members
Venture Magazine
3
made my first order and that’s how Mia’s World began,” she said. She was really afraid to mention to her family that she started a business, mindful of their possible reactions, but found her parents to be her biggest supporters. She notes that Centennial provided an excellent starting ground as it enabled her products to be spread through word-of-mouth. “If I was older in my life, I wouldn’t have the community that high school provides me,” she said. “(It is) what gave me the drive to see my company as not only a tool to help spread beauty, but also to give back to my community. It is why I made Mia in my company an acronym, standing for ‘Made to Inspire Artists.’ ” Reflecting on her view as a community influencer, she acknowledges that her age has had a profound impact on her personal and professional image. “My customer base is younger than me and they look up to me; (and) I think the older generation is also proud of me, because entrepreneurialsim is easier said than done,” she said. Bratcher concedes that the older generation still has its moments of doubt, as they see her business as a side hustle and believe she will eventually pursue something else. “But I’m bigger than just the Portland-Gresham area,” she explains. She points out that her commitment to the local community is solid as she donates a sizable portion of her profits and reinvests all her money back into her business. Bratcher currently attends Oregon State University, where she is finding out about the best ways to improve her business while also balancing her life. “It gets difficult trying to have that trifecta of being an owner, a college student and having a social life,” she explains – observing that one of the ultimate equalizers between everybody, whether they are rich or poor, is the amount of time they have in one day. She recalls a time in high school where she had to stay up all
night for a Winter Formal to make lashes for all her orders in time for the dance. “Now that I’m in college, it’s even harder to manage, especially when there’s exams,” she said. Bratcher said she hopes to grow at a faster rate, to leave Earth a better place, but laughed as she admits that sometimes she doesn’t know how she manages to maintain the delicate balance in her life. Perhaps the most difficult part of being an entrepreneur is the emotional difficulty it takes to reinvest in your company and the mystery of not knowing where it will take you, she adds. But similar to Melody Rin’s theme of “defiance” in her enterprise, Bratcher takes the pressures of her journey in stride, stressing that “A broke college student who struggles to put food on the table will be more motivated than someone who’s had it all. “Dreaming big means that you will manifest big. You may not make it to the goal but you can be close and that strength is the ability to do your work in silence,” she concludes.
“She shares that part of being an entrepreneur is having to go through a lot of trial and error and realizing that menial logistics is part of the journey.”
4
Venture Magazine
Perhaps there are unifying themes of young entrepreneurialism, after all. Both Rin and Bratcher faced doubts from their older peers, but remain determined to prove their efforts are not “just a phase.” While both struggle to balance their lives, their high hopes keep them going through the difficulties. And even while they work to expand their businesses, they remain humble as they also work to support the community that has backed them from the beginning. Defiance, ambition and humbleness – these are themes that unite young entrepreneurs such as Rin and Bratcher as they each strive to be not just a good entrepreneur, but an exemplary one.
V
CHANGES DURING COVID by Brianne Burgess
I
n America, 1 of 3 people have lost a loved one to COVID-19. The unmeasurable feeling of loss has been universal since the initial outbreak swept the globe and has shifted our relationship with the outside world. The first coronavirus case in the U.S. was declared on the last day of February 2020. Not long after, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown issued a statewide lockdown, closing the doors to all public gatherings and services to reduce the spread of the virus. Consequently, the effects of the pandemic have crept into every corner of our lives, changing how we work, socialize, study, and even changing how we grieve. Brian Y. Louie, a MHCC Funeral Services student and the scheduler for the program’s annual mock arrangements event, described caring for the grieving during the pandemic. (The event matches students who walk “clients” through realistic funeral preparations.) He said the program had “more people interested in making arrangements this year than ever before,” reaching outside of Oregon to serve clients from other states. With the accessibility of virtual meetings, mock funeral clients were able to meet with students via Zoom or Facetime. When asked if this hindered the ability to comfort the students’ clients Louie said, “Just being able to see another person does so much to convey empathy.” Studies show that Louie’s assumption of the importance of face-to-face interaction is accurate. “Empathy Needs A Face,” a research study conducted by Jonathan Cole, author and visiting professor of clinical neurophysiology at Bournemouth University, suggests that
“empathy itself is supported by, and requires, the embodied expression and communication of emotion that the face provides.” Collectively, our screen time increased to combat the loneliness associated with the new social isolation and aided in maintaining safe distances. We’ve stayed connected in deeper ways during challenging times and celebrations alike during state-mandated lockdowns and social distancing. Good thing, because social isolation is associated with risks to our physical and mental health according to the American
Psychological Association (APA). Quickly, online platforms became an essential resource for work and education – including, of course, at MHCC. Over 1,000 college campuses transitioned to remote learning in the U.S. after campus closures. Students and faculty alike roughly transitioned into distanced education. Younger, grades K-12 students were set back in their educational year, while most teens experienced a loss in milestones, missing prom and graduations. College attendees struggled to stay engaged, with declining GPAs a common result. Since the start of the pandemic, there has
“ “
Consequently, the effects of the pandemic have crept into every corner of our lives, changing how we work, socialize, study, and even changing how we grieve.
been a 3.6% decrease in enrollment by first-year higher education students (Mt. Hood suffering a more severe 15% overall enrollment drop). Students cite a lack of self-motivation required to maintain productivity and passing grades with the online platform. In addition to the mental hurdles, many students struggled with college tuition fees as COVID-19 affected the economy, and their employment and/or income. Business owners paused operations and lost significant revenue, many permanently closing their doors. In cities such as Portland, the culinary landscape responsible for accruing tourism has seen major losses, with an unpredictable future. However, no loss can equate to the loss of a loved one – something experienced by millions of Americans, and the world’s population. All these changes affected our mental health and productivity while various people saw this year as an opportunity to become adaptive. Amid the crisis, challenges and opportunities arose – more time to experiment with new skills after a year of isolation and forced downtime. Many people experienced an increase in personal growth and a renewed appreciation for the outside world. Our homes became gyms, offices, classrooms and bakeries. A great uncertainty has accompanied the pandemic, with the unknown to what, or when, the outcome would be. Each person experiencing the pandemic has survived in ways unique to their situation. And our post-COVID world will be undoubtedly different from the world before the global pandemic that kept us in our homes.
V
Venture Magazine
5
The history behind the movement By ASH ESPINOZA
E
veryone and everything has a story, whether we really know the tale or not – though some know it better than others. A story that has always caught my eye has been the Black Lives Matter movement, including how and why it began and what it truly stands for, not as the media tries to portray it. Let’s set the stage: It’s the year 2012, and 17-year-old Black boy was shot dead on the 26th of February. He was walking home from a 7/11 store in Sanford, Florida, when his killer, George Zimmerman, took notice, and the rest, as we say, is history. Trayvon Martin’s death sparked national outrage and people screamed for justice. For weeks, peaceful protest would be seen on TV, in newspapers and on social media platforms, as streets were flooded and demands of justice in prosecuting Zimmerman were made. It took 45 days before Zimmerman was arrested, and you might think it would have been an open-and-shut case. To me, the evidence was right there and the facts don’t lie, but on July 13, 2013, he was found not guilty by a jury. At this point, Alicia Garza, a domestic worker rights organizer in Oakland, California, had seen
6
Venture Magazine
enough. Her social media page said what it needed when it took on two paths: those who knew and were tired, and those who made excuses. So with that, she began writing a series of letters on her social media page titled “A love letter to black people.” When ending her final letter she stated “..... our lives matter.” Her close friend, Patrisse Cullors, an anti-police violence organizer in Los Angeles, responded with the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter, to which their friend Opal Tometi, an immigration rights worker in Phoenix, gave her support – and thus a movement was born. This is not the first story but just one of many, many tales of death, hatred, and violence against a race of people, but maybe after true reform the tale can change with time, until we no longer need hashtags and we won’t see another life taken too soon on our TV screen. The BLM movement didn’t happen because of the brutality we were facing from the police, but because of the fact that innocent black lives were being taken without cause and without justice from people who took the law into their own hands. Then came 2014, when 18-year-old Michael Brown was murdered by a white police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri. His body lay on the ground for four hours before it was eventually taken to the city’s morgue. Thank God for cell phones, right? It was because of bystanders documenting with their cell
phones that news began to spread around the world making a change not only for our generation, but also via social media. future generations? Once again, protests began. In Ferguson, people A) These BLM protests across the country make a took to the streets just as they had before. But by this statement. They allow for those who do not see this as time, our beautiful women who had originated the an issue to become aware of the issues that need to be #BlackLivesMatter hashtag had spent the previous addressed. year working with cultural workers, artists, designers, Because these protests were/are so massive, they and even technicians to grow what was originally just make people question what exactly is going on. It also a hashtag, a single word, into something more – they becomes a more standard talking point at the “dinner moved it from the internet and onto the streets. table.” Who knows what conversation is happening? It took three weeks for the hashtag to blow up, But you cannot ignore massive protests happening being used over 58,000 times a day on average, and across the country. you better believe that number increased three months later – to 172,772 times a day – after a grand Q) In what way are these protests different from ones jury decided not to charge Wilson with murder. in the past – for example, the Rodney King riots and Within three weeks, the hashtag had the protests and marches “This is not the appeared about 1.7 million times. during Dr. Martin Luther This was not something that would King Jr.’s time? first story but just fade into the darkness. A) These are one of many... Fun fact: Cullors, with the help different because it is of Darnell L. Moore, started the tales of death, not surrounded by one Black Lives Matter freedom rides individual. With Rodney hatred, and to St. Louis, adjacent to Ferguson. violence against a King and MLK, these Basically, the pair sent over 500 of men were catalysts. race of people...” their members from across the nation BLM is a group; there to help join the ongoing protests in is no one individual at Missouri. the focus (although individuals such as George Floyd The BLM movement is and has always been have been at the center of a lot of the movement, it is inspiring, but it was built upon the foundation of not solely his movement.) the 1960 civil rights movement, the Black feminist BLM is an entity that allows for many people to get movement from the 1980s, the Pan-African behind it. It would be easy for a racist to disregard an movement, the 2000s LGBTQ+ movement and the individual, but how do you disregard an entire race? political hip hop movement that have all fueled the ongoing fight today. Q) In light of BLM and what we are and what we have been fighting for, how do you feel about the larger movement, its evolution and how our words (message) have changed over time? Do you feel the message should be made even more stronger, to be more “heard”? I took some time to seek out and ask a few people about this whole topic – the past, present and future – A) The BLM movement started years ago but it was hoping for candid answers and opinions. Here’s their only just recently during COVID that it has taken response (kept anonymous for privacy reasons): off in a more mainstream way. More white people are behind it, more corporations are behind it, the Q) How do you feel the BLM protest contributes to amount of signs I see in white people’s yards is pretty
Venture Magazine
7
expansive. is always more progress to be made. We have only just This wave of support, hitting during COVID especially, opened a door and shown a light on what may be behind has allowed so many more people to point their focus at it that door. I’m impressed I’m hearing people talk about and realize it is an issue they not only cannot just ignore, racial issues pretty regularly, so that is progress. But, it’s but can actually get behind and see the issues being raised not enough. The fact that every day we are still seeing more clearly. I imagine it like rolling a ball on a teeter- killings of black individuals on the news, and it is talked totter (go with me here!) – the ball will hit a point where about almost like it’s normal, is an issue. the teeter-totter will shift and the ball will cascade to the There are so many systemic issues at play that are just other side. so incredibly difficult to parse out. I mean, our whole There is also a call-out culture that has come up – friggin’ government is still a white-washed sea of old men. where white people, So, we have made steps, companies, are being put “ ...the fact that innocent but there are so many in the spotlight if they say more steps that need to black lives were being racist things, or behave in be made until African racist ways, and that has taken without cause and American lives and the had power, as well. even without justice from lives of People of Color Honestly, I do not are seen more fairly. people who took the law know if the movement would be more heard Q) What changes you into their own hands.” or understood if the would like to see in how message was altered too the protests are being heavily. In altering it, I worry you risk muddling up the handled in order to get the message through and make sure water and making the heart of the message lost. real progress is made? However, our society, especially white people, need to A) We MUST continue to lift the voices of BIPOC understand that THIS IS THE BEGINNING... this is just individuals. We must have representation in the media the ‘Aha’ moment... that there are layers, and layers, and of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) layers and LAYERS to this that continuously need to be individuals – news, TV, social media, government, peeled back in order for that message to be achieved. schools, neighborhoods, etc. We must have police reform; Unfortunately, there are still so many people that are money that is going to our military industrialized complex still at that beginning stage. But hey, maybe evolving that should go to schools and into neighborhoods. message is beneficial. Finally we can be like, OK, so now Where possible, we must have BIPOC leaders making that we ALL agree that Black Lives Matter, let’s evolve that these decisions. Get the old white men out of our very simple concept a bit more. I think in some cities, government, allow the government to reflect the people it would work, but in some, we are still at that initial and diversity of our country/states, which it does not teaching point. (now), at all. And tax the rich. Tax the rich and give the money to the communities that have suffered at the hands Q) Do you think we have made any progress, or could of the rich the most. Call it reparations, but call it equity. be making more progress, in a search to improve not only Of course, there are more things that could be done, African American lives but the lives of all people of color? but we must look to those BIPOC leaders to be part of that A) Oh, man, this is a big question. First of all, there decision making.
V
8
Venture Magazine
Sugar Cubed Gresham bakery keeps it sweet during COVID
By DANIELLA YOUNG
T
Photos by FLETCHER WOLD
he pandemic surely changed life as we know it this past year, especially the impact on local businesses, particularly restaurants and eateries. Showing my grandma, who lives in Mexico, around Portland was one of my highlights. But one regret I have is not taking her to my favorite bakery: Sugar Cubed Cakes. I remember when I first spotted this bakery, walking in downtown Gresham a few years back. I believe it replaced a previous one, Bella Bella Cupcakes. Our family soon visited, and thought it was awesome. We enjoy coming here whenever we’re in the mood for cupcakes or cookies. And it’s convenient, only about 10 minutes from home. Sugar Cubed Cakes is best known for its mini cupcakes and custom cakes; its main source of income is custom orders (cupcakes/cakes) and presales. Owner Kayla Brown, who shares MHCC roots, has definitely experienced the pandemic fallout firsthand. This has changed many aspects of her work. Previously, the shop spent a lot more time handling bigger celebrations and orders, but has found that doing smaller celebrations and fewer deliveries can equally provide income. While it had to make some layoffs last spring, the bakery was able to return to full staff later in the year. It secured a Gresham Grant, a federal Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) loan, which was helpful. The pandemic changed operations in that Brown and her bakery staff
One of the many cakes created at Sugar Cube
Kayla Brown holds one of her delicious sweets
got to spend more time with their families in the summer. For almost every upside, there’s been a downside, however. One recurring “huge challenge” has been suppliers running out of product or materials usually easily accessible, such as boxes and certain dairy products, Brown said. “If there is (a COVID) ‘outbreak’ at any of the distribution warehouses they have to shut down and then everything gets super back-ordered, and then the price skyrockets. And we have to get super creative on how we make up for those things, seeking out other distributors or modifying how we box things up.” Compared to the same period in 2020, the bakery’s revenue so far this year has grown about 30%, she said. “Business has been pretty good. This time last year was a challenge.” Brown has owned the business for about nine years, about half that operating n the current site and the first five years from the basement of her parents’ home. She attended the Art Institute of Portland, majoring in advertising while taking general art studies. Then she transferred to MHCC and switched to the graphic design program, graduating in 2010. Her husband, Jordan, who handles the financial side of the bakery, earned an associate’s degree at Mt. Hood before he completed a business bachelor’s degree. Brown said personal goals for herself, Jordan, and their two small children have changed a little bit, too. She hopes to “stay successful without feeling overwhelmed,” and spend more family time and going on more trips.
V
Sweet handmade treats made at the bakery
Venture Magazine
9
A Closer Look at Universal Healthcare A brief guide to healthcare systems throughout the world
By MARIN THORSEN
B
y now it’s a well-known fact that the United States is the largest U.S. safety net, providing income for the retired stands out among the developed world as the nation and the disabled. that does not guarantee healthcare to its citizens. Then, there are economic rights – material guarantees made Most Americans agree that something needs to to citizens by the government, because it has been deemed for be done about our healthcare system, with its ever-rising costs. one reason or another as a right that everyone should have, So why haven’t we done anything about it yet? Well, there are no matter how rich or poor, old or young, that one might be. many complex reasons: Chiefly, healthcare is a very messy In the United States, we don’t have many economic rights, business. And this truth applies everywhere in the world. save for one critical one for all Americans: universal K-12 It’s safe to say that should American adopt a universal education. healthcare system, chances are it will continue to be a complex However, in a number of nations around the world, there issue in this country. is another right that citizens typically hold: the right to basic In the U.S., the Canadian model of universal healthcare healthcare services. is much discussed and often described as “government-run” The variance in how countries run their healthcare system healthcare. For starters, that language is misleading, for reasons rests primarily on the basis of whether their model is based that will be stated later, on a robust safety net or as an but this is the alternative economic right. In Oregon, there “In the United States, we most advertised to the is a healthcare safety net for the American public. elderly and for those who are low(have the right of) universal Could it be that these K-12 education... However, in income (the federal Medicaidapproaches are really the supported Oregon Health Plan). a number of nations around only two ways healthcare However, this safety net only is run? The quick answer the world... citizens applies to a certain demographic, is no; healthcare policy not for the general population. typically hold the right to is a lot more complicated Meantime, there are basically than that, and America three universal healthcare basic healthcare services.” has other options models used throughout the available. world: the Public Insurance, Single-Payer; and Statutory First, there should be some distinctions made to clear up Insurance (sometimes called Multi-Payer) models. confusion. This is because, perhaps as surprise, there are many countries that feature universal healthcare and yet this is not SINGLE-PAYER MODEL treated technically as a “right.” How does it work? How is this so? Most countries that can afford it have Single-Payer healthcare is an umbrella term for a system programs called safety nets, and economic rights. These two where services are paid for through one entity: the government, terms, while serving similar functions, have key differences funded directly through taxes. Under single-payer, healthcare that must be distinguished. is considered an economic right to all citizens, no matter who Safety nets are programs set up to provide government- they are, whether employed or not. run services to people who meet certain criteria; for example, Just who provides the healthcare services can vary. Some they may be poor, or perhaps old. A good example of a safety governments contract private firms to provide services, and net that people often benefit from is food stamps, where the some will have their health ministry set up a healthcare service government subsidizes certain food purchases. Social Security and the government will then directly provide healthcare to
10
Venture Magazine
citizens. Just how big of a role the government can differ widely. What are some countries that use it? Canada is often given as an example of a single-payer system. However, Canada’s healthcare system is heavily decentralized; it’s largely up to the different provinces how their single-payer system is run. As a result, there isn’t one “Canadian model.” Some provinces, such as Alberta, will provide healthcare through a government-owned service run by the provincial Ministry of Health. Other provinces, including British Columbia, won’t have a health service and will simply contract much of their work to private healthcare providers. In this system, everyone (generally speaking) is on a governmentfunded healthcare plan that will cover expenses charged by their healthcare providers, whoever they may be. The United Kingdom is another popular example of a singlepayer system. Each country in the U.K. (England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland) has its own healthcare service that provides services to all, like that in Alberta. They do this generally with no out-of-pocket expenses. In most of the U.K. countries, this is called the NHS (National Health Service). Historically the NHS provided everyone free healthcare, including foreign nationals. But in the last decade, the Conservative-led government in the U.K. has been reforming the NHS in an attempt to reduce its cost. The subject of the NHS is now very touchy, often one much debated in British politics. What are some common problems with single-payer systems? One common problem in single-payer systems, particularly ones that run their care through public health services, is that performance of those institutions are more at the mercy of government funding: If the government is failing to fund the systems sufficiently, the public’s health is likely to go downhill. One can see this in the U.K., where the fight over NHS funding
has become a constant in the British Parliament. Another problem that many people have with introducing a single-payer system in the U.S. is that taxes, overall, would surely increase. Yet, one thing to consider is that some studies suggest that the increased taxes individuals would pay for the system would be less than what they already pay for private health insurance. That’s actually a net gain, if indeed the case. But the reality would heavily depend on how healthcare policy is crafted. PUBLIC INSURANCE MODEL How does it work? The Public Insurance system (also known as the Bismarck Model) is also common across the world. In this model, universal healthcare is treated as a public safety net. It functions a little like our Social Security system, but funds healthcare expenses, rather than pay for pensions. Many of the countries using this model tie their healthcare safety net to an individual’s work, where the government withholds part of the person’s wage while also making their employer pay into a mutual fund that person may use when they need medical attention. Precisely how these systems function can vary widely. Many countries using this model will also use government funds to subsidize healthcare to make costs cheaper for the patient, and in some cases select services will essentially be free. What are some countries that use it? The most prominent example is France, though France is a little unusual for this type of system because the government heavily subsidizes healthcare. In fact, healthcare is so subsidized in that country that some mistake it as a single-payer system. But ultimately, France’s healthcare is structured around a safety net called Social Security (not to be
Venture Magazine
11
confused with our own Social Security). Another good example is the one in Japan. It’s normal there for an individual’s work to offer an insurance plan, but if that job does not come with insurance, a worker will be placed on the public insurance system. This system will usually cover a good portion of one’s healthcare expenses should they need it, but that person may still need to pay a portion of costs for those services.
Private insurance for high-income earners, meantime, is much like people would find here in the States: One simply buys a healthcare plan, and it’s up to the firm how much it charges.
What are some countries that use it? Not many – only a handful: Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Israel. All of them have very similar systems. An interesting case study is the U.S. relationship with this What are some common problems with the public insurance system, however, for many observers thought of “Obamacare” system? as an attempt to implement this system here. What we really In the French system, healthcare is subsidized by have now is the vestiges of a failed attempt to bring about reimbursement. Individuals must pay out-of-pocket costs statutory insurance to America. So when some people called in some instances, and there Obamacare “socialized medicine,” “As Oregon and the United realize that this is really the will be a lag before the French government makes up the States move forward with most private-friendly universal difference. This adds a layer healthcare model. attempts to improve our of complexity that anyone must consider when using healthcare system, it’s What are some common healthcare in France, even important to know clearly problems with this model? if, ultimately, the service By far, the cost: While not what options we have.” costs will be covered by the as costly as (typical) American government. healthcare, this model does still cost more money to manage than the other systems described STATUTORY INSURANCE MODEL here. While a person may not be paying taxes to a public How does it work? health service, they will pay for services by a private – albeit Unlike the others, this insurance model does not consider very regulated – provider. universal healthcare as a right, nor is healthcare guaranteed by a safety net. In contrast, this model works with a largely A CLEAR LOOK AT THE OPTIONS private health insurance market, similar to that of America’s When discussing ways to implement universal healthcare, system. Everyone is required by law to have a healthcare plan, there are ultimately three basic options: single-payer, public similar to how drivers must buy car insurance in the United insurance, and statutory insurance models. States. Single-payer and public insurance are, by far, the most However, there are two types of insurance, for different commonly used and among the developed countries, singlepeople: statutory health insurance, and private health payer is the favored model. insurance. Statutory plans are provided for people who fall As Oregon and the U.S. move forward with attempts to below an income threshold. These individuals are insured by improve our healthcare service, it’s important to know clearly a firm that is heavily regulated by the government – telling what options we have. And while all these systems have their companies how much can be charged and making sure the own problems and are by no means perfect, their examples insurance and services being provided are affordable. These could very well help us build a healthcare system that everyone firms essentially run on an almost nonprofit basis. could more readily rely upon.
V
12
Venture Magazine
Mae Cossu’s business link: https://samhayn.net
The Samhayn brand encompasses the work of Mae Cossu, a nonbinary PDX based graphic designer. Samhayn draws inspiration from y2k graphics, video games, graffiti and anything they deem cool.
Venture Magazine
13
The Advocate / Venture Mt. Hood Community College 26000 SE Stark Street Gresham, Oregon 97030
advocate@mhcc.edu For Venture online and video extras: advocate-online.net/venture
Venture Magazine is a Mt. Hood Community College student publication produced by staff members of The Advocate newspaper. The articles and materials present in Venture do not necessarily represent the views of Mt. Hood Community College. None of these materials may be reproduced without written permission from Venture.
This issue of Venture Magazine is printed on recycled paper.