John Oliver tackles kidney dialysis, Taco Bell, and what they can teach us about single-payer health care

John Oliver tackles dialysis
(Image credit: Last Week Tonight)

On Sunday's Last Week Tonight, John Oliver dove headlong into the topic of kidney dialysis. Yes, he knows. "I know that right now you're getting ready to push the button on your TV remote marked 'Dear God Literally Anything Else,' but I promise you, this is worth listening to," he said. And really, it's more interesting than you probably think. He started off with a definition. "Dialysis is basically where a machine acts as your kidneys by taking blood out of your body, cleaning it, and then returning it to you," Oliver said. "Think of it as a Brita pitcher for your blood — which, yes, is more disgusting than I needed to make it sound."

Chronic kidney disease is the No. 9 cause of death in the U.S., but America pays more than its peers on dialysis care, for worse results, Oliver noted. "We're basically paying for a fully loaded Lamborghini and receiving a drunk donkey on roller skates." In 1972, Richard Nixon signed a law saying the government will pay for dialysis for anyone who needs it, "which is really incredible," he said. "Essentially, we have universal health care in this country for one organ in the body. It's like your kidneys, and only your kidneys, are Canadian."

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.