After winning a historic bronze medal in women's rugby sevens last week, Ariana Ramsey has found a new reason to be at the Olympics: the free health care services.
In a series of TikTok videos, the rugby star documented her preventative care journey, including getting a Pap smear, eye exam, a new pair of glasses and a dental appointment with X-rays — all for free, courtesy of the Olympic Village.
"Like, what?" Ramsey said in a TikTok after her optometry appointment. "Y'all, I'm truly amazed."
The Village also offers specialized consultations in sports medicine, orthopedics, gynecology, cardiology and physiotherapy to athletes, free of charge, according to Chief Medical Officer Philippe Le Van. The organizing committee is covering the costs with help from volunteer health care professionals.
Free Village health care services have actually been offered since the 1932 Los Angeles Games, but it seems that few athletes were aware of the perk until recently. Other Olympians who saw Ramsey's videos DM'ed her expressing their surprise, the rugby player told Sports Illustrated, and clinic staffers thanked her for raising awareness about their services.
One of Ramsey's videos featuring volunteer health care workers has more than three million views on Instagram.
The United States is the only high-income country without universal health care, according to a study by The Commonwealth Fund. It also ranked the U.S. last overall in providing accessible, affordable and high-quality health care and reported that 38% of American adults didn’t receive their recommended medical care in 2020 because it was too expensive.
Athletes — even those going to the Olympics — are no exception. While the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee does have a health insurance policy, an individual athlete's eligibility is determined by their sport's governing body.
"Some of the most talented competitors under our flag go to sleep at night under the roof of a car or without sufficient food or adequate health insurance," a report by an independent commission appointed by Congress said.
The report found that more than 40% of U.S. athletes paid for health care out of pocket, averaging to about $9,200 per person. More than a quarter of athletes said they earned less than $15,000 per year.
“America needs to do better with their health care system," Ramsey said in a TikTok, "because there’s no way why me, an American girl, should be so amazed by free health care."
