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Why the US Makes No Progress with Accessible, Affordable Health Care
Because in the US healthcare is primarily for profit, perhaps the only country in the world that runs a for profit healthcare system. It's about as dumb as for profit fire or police department.
Ever wonder why waiting period to see a doctor in the US is relatively short? Because many people can't afford to go to the doctor. Even with private insurance they still have to pay the entire bill out of pocket due to the high deductible. In countries with universal healthcare, everyone is covered with little or no out of pocket costs, so naturally waiting periods are longer. Delayed care is better then no care.
The Republicans had some good ideas in their health care bill. Overall, it was a turkey that stuck it to working people, but some things ought to be considered if we want to keep a private insurance system. One I like would be replacing the mandate with guaranteed renewability. In other words, sign up and you get to continue your policy at the same rate as your risk group as long as there is no lapse. Don't sign up and you pay a penalty. The 30% for one year was far too low. My plan would be 300% for 5 years perhaps. The main problem with this is that when people face a short term financial crisis like a job loss, they might let their insurance lapse for a month and then get hit with the penalty. I think we could work that out though, with credit or forbearance options.
Another might be changing the essential benefits. Not getting rid of them as the Republicans proposed but making them subject to different deductibles if a person wanted to choose that to keep down costs - say $ 500 for vision, $2000 for maternity, 10,000 for chemo or something like that. Kind of like car insurance. Again, you have to come up with some scheme to stop people from going low until they need it, but that shouldn't be all that hard.
The US has lower taxes than many countries and certain things are much cheaper in the US such as gasoline.
And the US has higher health care taxes than almost any other developed country in the world. 47% of all health care spending in America is public (Medicare, VA, Medicaid). Thats almost $5000 per year per person. More than what almost any other country in the world pay in taxes for their health care system. We pay for a national health care system but dont get it.
It was affordable before ACA....
No deductible to be met.
Premiums weren't killer...
Many different insurance companies and policies to choose from.
Was optional to have... Not mandatory. Not a fine or taxable offense if you chose not to have it...
So why can't it go back to that?
I haven't had any insurance as you describe in my entire life, and I am about ready to retire.
I don't know whom has ever had a policy like that. Health costs had been climbing every year (and climbing outrageously for the last two decades) and I have never had a health policy without a deductible.
The big pharmaceutical companies do not want a single entity being able to negotiate down the high-markup prices for the entire market. When that happens in other countries drug prices fall like a rock!
The American Medical Association has long had a policy of restricting the number of medical professionals as much as possible. The objective here is to maintain a very nice standard of living for themselves and high return on minutes spent with customers. A powerful health system would undoubtedly see the expansion of the MD pool (through grants and scholarships) as another way of bringing the cost of health care into line.
The insurance companies would much prefer to have a lucrative portion of the vast market with it's high rates of return than none at all ...
Altogether these three groups are the sources of an incredible fountain of dark money to pollute our electoral process and shut down any meaningful reform of the health care industry. They are in this racket like mobsters, each gets it's 'skim'..
Yes^you are tipping the iceburg. Let's add pharma making millions here compared to others who regulate drug prices and distribution. We take way too many drugs, this is killing us.
It was affordable before ACA....
No deductible to be met.
Premiums weren't killer...
Many different insurance companies and policies to choose from.
Was optional to have... Not mandatory. Not a fine or taxable offense if you chose not to have it...
The ACA is much more than the exchanges. The ACA started taking effect in 2010.
Sadly, most people get their health insurance from their employer. Guess what happens when you get an expensive health problem, your employer kicks your butt to the curb.
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