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Well, that IS true, but the costs for medical care and insurance have not only decreased, but I believe that it is true that have actually continued to rise significantly since Trump has been in office. (I could not find any figures for 2018.) Yes, of course, medical and insurance costs should have increased just like most other expenses, but THIS much?!!
Below is a link to an article that examines the reasons, but the key sentence, in my opinion, is this one: "That translates to an annual health care cost of $10,739 per person in 2017 versus just $146 per person in 1960!"
Comparing medical care of 1960 to that of today is not apples to apples. Think of all the facilities, specialization, equipment, drugs, etc. In 1960, you got sick it was two aspirin and call me in the morning. Most serious illnesses had no effective treatments at all. The R&D costs alone since then are staggering. Now, I'm not arguing that we need to look to control costs, but let's not pretend that medical care now is the same thing it was 60 years ago - or that it should be priced the same.
What should outrage us more is when comparing the costs in other nations that have successful health care systems to our own, such as Canada and Germany.
Comparing medical care of 1960 to that of today is not apples to apples. Think of all the facilities, specialization, equipment, drugs, etc. In 1960, you got sick it was two aspirin and call me in the morning. Most serious illnesses had no effective treatments at all. The R&D costs alone since then are staggering. Now, I'm not arguing that we need to look to control costs, but let's not pretend that medical care now is the same thing it was 60 years ago - or that it should be priced the same.
Just the so-called 'disease' definitions alone have multiplied logarithmically since then. Luckily they're all treatable, ask your doctor.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ponderosa
What should outrage us more is when comparing the costs in other nations that have successful health care systems to our own, such as Canada and Germany.
Just the so-called 'disease' definitions alone have multiplied logarithmically since then. Luckily they're all treatable, ask your doctor.
Seriously though, in 1960 Bernie would have died. There were no cardiac caths, no stents, no bypasses. Childhood cancer was a death sentence as was breast cancer. We have come a long, long way and it was not cheap. I do think that Americans have been unfairly paying the R&D for these advances though while the rest of the world got them at a bargain which is one reason among many for the disparity in costs.
The private market wasn't working, costs continued to rise, and about 15-20% of the country had no coverage at all. I don't call that "working"
About 1/3rd of the people without insurance were those earning more than $75,000 who simply chose not to go with it. So in reality, there were about 10% of the country unable to get insurance, with 90% happy with the system. Obama messed up the entire system, and now we have a different set of people - the middle earners - unable to afford insurance, and the low-income getting it for free. Ridiculous that low-income people get whatever the doctor recommends, at no cost, while the middle earners have to skip recommendations even after paying $1000 a month for insurance because the "insurance" (cough-cough) has such high deductibles that it is practically useless.
I've had Obamacare for five years, and I reached my deductible only one year (the year I had my colonoscopy, which Oamacare insurance ALSO didn't cover), and the other four years I paid up the wazoo for insurance AND covered all my medical expenses out of my own pocket.
Somebody's dutifully, faithfully paying the increases each and every time. Besieged employers are paying the increases that writers are "outraged" by. Restaurants, stores, trades,....
I need more information before making an informed opinion. What would medical insurance premiums be today if there had never been ACA?
I'm sure I have remarked about our friend of 40 years. He owns a couple pissant regional insurance companies. He dumped his wife for a sweet young thang. He bought wife a 2 million dollar house right behind his 4 million house. And gives her 50,000 a month. He got child custody.
I could make it on 1/2 million a year income if there were no expenses.
How much is enough? When will they have enough?
Are you on the right thread? What does the rich guy or his mansion have to do with Obamacare? The topic is that responsible, self-supporting people earning as little as $50,000 (or $40,000 net) are being socked with $1000/month premiums under the "Affordable" care act.
I think too much is spent on unnecessary, even physiologically deleterious, so-called 'care.' It too is business.
When the trough is removed, prices come down. When homeowners can no longer swing loans, house prices come down. Same for the education complex.
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