Health Care

LoveOurNeighbor said:

Insurance industry maintains a huge lobby mob in Washington to make sure they keep the politicians and public under their thumb. But really what is the health insurance industry but a gouging middleman who provides no value add to the services.

We wonder how in the world will we pay for medicare for all (strange that most other developed nations manage)

Well medicare for all would instantly reduce costs by 1 Trillion dollars.

Health & Medical Insurance in the US - Industry Data, Trends, Stats | IBISWorld

There are many other aspects to explore. Let's get to work.

Click to expand...

Australia has universal healthcare. It costs a fortune and is supported by a taxpayer levy. Under a certain salary, the levy is not payable. It works, sort of. At the same time, many people have private health insurance. Some of that cost is tax deductible. To me, it is a complete waste of money so I don't bother. I've had 7 days in hospital in the last 48 years, all of that in a 6 month period. Other people are not so blessed. No one in this country has the astronomical medical costs that we hear of in the US.

Implementing such a scheme is difficult, and always much more expensive than anyone budgets for. When healthcare is "free" (no such thing) people tend to use it more than when it is out of their own pockets. Having said all that, the Aussie system works pretty well, unless you live in remote areas. Logistics kick in then. There are always horror stories. We rarely hear of the good news.

LoveOurNeighbor said:

Did you know that 5 years ago a tiny box of facial tissues in the hospital costs $20 even if you didn't use them. I can imagine what they must cost now.

Click to expand...

There is much that can be done. Universal care can be done but it will require the GOP be willing to work with the Democrats.