While some athletes are fleeing Paris’ Olympic Village with complaints about cardboard beds and limited food options, others are taking full advantage of the amenities — specifically the free healthcare.
Over the past week, Team USA rugby player Ariana Ramsey has taken to TikTok to document her first experience with France’s universal public healthcare system.
And she is thrilled.
“Not only in the village do we have free food, but we have free dental, free healthcare,” she said upon learning about the benefit for all participating athletes. “I literally just got a pap smear for free, and I have a dentist appointment and eye exam next week.”
@ariana.ramsey I quite literally love it here. The way the Olympic village has free healthcare, but America doesn’t😣 #o#olympicso#olympicvillageo#olympiant#teamusar#rugbyb#bronzemedalist ♬ original sound – Ari Ramsey
Although citizens in the Olympics’ host country are heavily taxed, France runs a “statutory health insurance system” providing universal coverage for its residents. The system covers most costs for hospital, physician, and long-term care.
In 2000, the World Health Organization ranked France’s healthcare system the highest, with Ramsey’s home country, the United States, coming in 37th.
In a follow-up video, the 24-year-old bronze medalist revealed that her medical journey has inspired her to campaign for free healthcare back home.
“The fact that I’m actually so excited to be getting free dental is crazy,” she remarked. “This is gonna be my new fight for action: free healthcare in America.”
@ariana.ramsey♬ original sound – Ari Ramsey
As noted by the Paris 2024 organizing committee, the Olympic Village provides a range of free healthcare services to athletes, including cardiology, orthopedics, physiotherapy, psychology, podiatry, and sports medicine, with dermatology available for Paralympic athletes.
This complimentary healthcare has been available to participants since the 1932 Los Angeles Games.