Viewpoints: Lessons From The Dutch On Affordable Health Care; Vaccine Research In America Is In Crisis

Opinion writers examine these public health issues.

Published on Feb. 21, 2026

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This article discusses two public health issues - lessons the U.S. can learn from the Netherlands about affordable healthcare, and the crisis facing vaccine research in America.

Why it matters

As the U.S. faces potential cuts to the Affordable Care Act, examining the Dutch healthcare model could provide insights into building a sustainable multi-payer system. Additionally, the challenges facing vaccine research in the U.S. have significant implications for public health and the country's ability to respond to future pandemics.

The details

The article examines two opinion pieces. The first discusses how the U.S. could look to the Netherlands as a model for a sustainable multi-payer healthcare system as cuts to the Affordable Care Act loom. The second piece is written by a Moderna executive who discusses the vaccine industry's response to the global COVID-19 catastrophe and argues that the vaccine industry is not the enemy.

  • The article was published on February 18, 2026.

The players

Joshua Cohen

An opinion writer examining lessons the U.S. can learn from the Netherlands about affordable healthcare.

Richard Hughes IV

A Moderna executive who wrote about the vaccine industry's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lisa Jarvis

An opinion writer examining the first year of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s tenure as health secretary and the impact on public health.

Samantha Bonsack

An author who wrote about the variation in TSH test results from different lab machines.

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What they’re saying

“With cuts to Obamacare looming, the U.S. could look to the Netherlands for a model of a sustainable multi-payer system.”

— Joshua Cohen, Opinion writer (kffhealthnews.org)

“A year earlier, I hadn't even known the company existed. Now, I was an executive there, part of a team responding to a global catastrophe.”

— Richard Hughes IV, Moderna executive (kffhealthnews.org)

The takeaway

As the U.S. healthcare system faces challenges, examining successful models like the Netherlands' multi-payer system and addressing the crisis in vaccine research could provide valuable insights and solutions to improve affordability and public health outcomes.