Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Unlike the rest of the developed world, the U.S. does not have universal healthcare. No two countries do universal healthcare the same. Some rely on private insurance. Some rely on public insurance. Most rely on a blend of the two.
Each US state regulates insurance, all insurance. Each state has different insurance laws. Insurers slice and dice the state into regions. A person in one zip code will not pay the same premium for auto or property insurance as a person in another zip code. As it relates to healthcare insurance, insurers typically divide a state into regions. Those who live in competitive healthcare markets typically pay less than those who live in less competitive regions.
The ACA caps healthcare insurer's profits which is a move in the right direction.
Way back, Hillarycare proposed regional healthcare markets to balance premiums across states. There is no federal law that prevents insurance from being sold across state lines.
Congress and states insisted on state rights and all that. That was then. This is now.
All health insurance companies do is handle the money. They collect money from the patients and pay the hospitals and health care providers. The surplus is pure profit and they do not provide any health care!
And they make more money by raising insurance premiums and denying care to the patients. And the American people are OK with that! And they have zillions of "gotcha" hidden rules to make the patients pay out of pocket or deny care.
In Europe health care is like an utility. Folks have electricity, running water, and health care. It is a given by simply being a citizen.
Healthcare is business, big business in the U.S. It is viewed as a human right in the rest of the developed world.
Costs are lower elsewhere because of more government involvement and because the population is not as fat as the U.S. population.
This is what happens when we have healthcare be a for profit industry.
Most hospitals in the U.S. are private and not for profit. Despite this, many hospitals incur $ hundreds of millions in profit, each year.
They use those profits to build the brand, destroy or acquire the competition and acquire medical practices. It's common to see major Cancer Treatment Centers advertising throughout the U.S. As well as within their own communities.
Hospitals in Europe focus on health and safety. They generally don't compete, advertise or offer frills. In some countries, the patient checks in with their own towels and sheets to avoid out of pocket costs. If TV and/ or WIFI is available, there is usually an out of pocket fee. No valet parking or lattes in the lobby. Babies are delivered by midwives in neighborhood birthing centers.
Big Pham is not allowed to advertise. Government negotiates the price of meds.
It is a scam, my parents were paying for around $20k/year for their health insurance because of pre-existing condition. They got a letter saying they will not renew our insurance because they are leaving the state, so all that money being invested into them, out the drain. Thankfully, nothing bad happened to them otherwise they would have been out of luck. My dad was fine getting insurance again, but my mom couldn't get insured until Obamacare came. They both have medicare now at least. I like when Trump said a big problem is having borders for insurance companies because it creates monopolies.
Monopolies are intentional. The American Hospital Association is a substantial state and federal lobby. Congress does not bite the wallets that feed them. This has been going on for 75+/- years.
U.S. people begrudge a kid a $1.50 SNAP meal allowance because he had the misfortune of being born to parents who can't or won't feed him. Yet, they don't blink an eye that they are subsidizing global Big Pharm by paying more for their meds than the rest of the world.
Healthcare is business, big business in the U.S. It is viewed as a human right in the rest of the developed world.
Exactly! Europeans are generally shocked by all the crap they have to go trough to receive health care in the USA. In Europe all you need is your name and age.
Quote:
Costs are lower elsewhere because of more government involvement and because the population is not as fat as the U.S. population.
Private Health Insurance companies make billions by insuring the young crowd with no previous illness. They let the US government insure the geriatic population and the disabled ill folks. From an actuary point of view this is a win win situation and they earn billions.
And all they do is handle the money. IF Medicare covered the young healthy people the government could actually make money to afford the health care of the elderly and the disabled. The money is available, but it goes into the pockets of the crony capitalists. I love genuine capitalism where there is wealth creation. However, the Health Insurance business is not true capitalism as there is no wealth creation. All they do is move money from the pockets of "many" to the pockets of a "few" and they do not provide any health care.
Quote:
There is no such thing as free healthcare.
I agree, but it could be much more affordable (see above).
Not having National Health Care is a disgrace. And the right wingers think it is socialism.
As a for profit before the ACA it worked. It needed some reforms, but $8,000 deductibles didn't exist and insurance companies actually did pay.
High deductibles did exist before the ACA.
Maximum annual out of pocket costs were often not capped and usually did not include the deductible. The ACA caps out of pocket expenses for individual plans at $ 6,600 for an individual and $ 13,200 for a family, regardless of size. This cap includes the deductible and co-pays.
Many states allowed insurers to sell junk plans that did not include hospitalization or medications. Most people assume all insurance is alike. There was little consumer protection.
Most states allowed insurers to discriminate against those with pre- existing conditions. One state allowed insurers an unlimited " look back" period.
Most states allowed insurers to cap pay outs on an annual or lifetime basis.
Medicine/ healthcare in the U.S. is all about profits. 2/5 most profitable industries in the U.S. are healthcare. It outperforms the financial sector. It lobbies Congress and states to protect their interests. Legislators don't bite the wallets that feed them.
Why not have Medicare cover everybody? It would be much cheaper!
Medicare is public healthcare insurance. It does not cover all costs. Supplimental private, for profit insurance generally pays some of what Medicare does not.
Congress sets Medicare reimbursement rates, MD and hospital fees. No MD outside Emergency Medicine is required to accept Medicare patients. Many don't or limit the number.
Congress has denied Medicare the authority to negotiate the price of prescription meds and medical mobility devices. It last did so at the same time as creating a new unfunded prescription medicine benefit.
Medicare needs to spend more to detect and prevent healthcare provider fraud.
Since its inception 50 years ago, Medicare has never been self sustaining and was augmented by general revenue ( taxes) / deficit spending. 50 years ago, a diagnosis of heart disease or Cancer tended to be a near term death sentence. No one could imagine a $ million heart transplant for a 70 year old being billed to Medicare, despite the recipient's ability to pay for it out of pocket.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
