Is the US HC system finally toast?

[Anonymous]

There are a lot of headwinds (in addition to the expiration of the subsidies) that may be difficult for the current HC system to handle:

1) our aging population > more expensive healthcare needs as people age

2) AI eliminating the availability of jobs for younger workers > fewer younger (and usually healthier) people enrolled in workplace plans to offset the costs of older workers

3) the layering in the healthcare system with lots of different entities involved and all those entities are taking profits

To me, these headwinds are ones policymakers across the political spectrum should be paying close attention to.

Additionally, with insurance plans linked to employment, when a person moves to a new job they often move insurers. Therefore, insurers are not incentive for long-term thinking about a person's health, just optimizing the current state.

If a single payer can't come to fruition, we at least need to figure out a way to decouple insurance from employment. I think that is the source of many of our problems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I will always remember Romney answering a health care question during a Republican debate rhetorically asking “we can’t just let them die, can we?” Members of the audience yelled, “Yes!!!!!!!”
This is the plan apparently.

The GOP has doubled down on this by discouraging vaccines in the population group which is incapable of critical thought. I assume it's a strategy to have people remove themselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People have to be more responsible and save their money to cover paying for health insurance and out of pocket expenses. ACA plans are still pretty reasonable and there are good plans available to most people for $500 to $1,000 per person per month, even without subsidies.

What a terribly tone deaf response. In case you haven't noticed, the cost of everything has been increasing at alarming rates while wages do not. When so many people are living paycheck to paycheck, how exactly do you expect them to have the money to cover a huge increase in healthcare costs?? For example, I have a friend who is a divorced mother of 3. Fortunately her kids are covered on their father's insurance plan. She works full time and gets health insurance through work. Her portion of the premium is increasing by nearly $500/month. She is incredibly frugal, but she doesn't have an extra $500/month so she's going to be forced to drop insurance.

However, as it stands previously, she didn't feel the pain. Now she does. Cruel, huh?
But she is going to experience the market feedback and maybe take into account the wild costs of health insurance and health care.
I don't care for the idea that we'll permanently shield a large percentage of the population from reality and garner their vote by the idea that it doesn't matter to them, because someone else is paying the bill.

Call it cruel. I call it reality. I'm tired of the entire health care industry raising prices to soak up all that free money the tax payers throw to the wind. There needs to be a reality inserted when things become so upside down that they can't continue.

Healthcare Spending Will Be One-Fifth of the Economy Within a Decade

https://www.pgpf.org/article/healthcare-spending-will-be-one-fifth-of-the-economy-within-a-decade/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A VAT on junk food, alcohol, cigarettes, and soda could fund a basic program.

Perfect idea! Agreed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People have to be more responsible and save their money to cover paying for health insurance and out of pocket expenses. ACA plans are still pretty reasonable and there are good plans available to most people for $500 to $1,000 per person per month, even without subsidies.

What a terribly tone deaf response. In case you haven't noticed, the cost of everything has been increasing at alarming rates while wages do not. When so many people are living paycheck to paycheck, how exactly do you expect them to have the money to cover a huge increase in healthcare costs?? For example, I have a friend who is a divorced mother of 3. Fortunately her kids are covered on their father's insurance plan. She works full time and gets health insurance through work. Her portion of the premium is increasing by nearly $500/month. She is incredibly frugal, but she doesn't have an extra $500/month so she's going to be forced to drop insurance.

Your post makes no sense. Frugality involves saving money. Your friend just sounds poor.

Wow. You just double down on being awful. I truly hope you're a troll.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A VAT on junk food, alcohol, cigarettes, and soda could fund a basic program.

No plan fits all people but I'd like to see a plan like auto insurance and one like home warranty.

The auto insurance one only covers catastrophic events. The home warranty cover catastrophic and maintenance. The consumer makes the choice and pays the fare. There may be a limited subsidy to support pooling of major health events, but not like the crazy govt subsidies we have now.

Today, everyone is getting shafted, except those who pay nothing at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am fine with my health insurance, its just part of my pay package when considering a job. If they have more expensive health insurance then I ask for more money or weigh it against another job offer

Also can decide on choosing my spouses if needed.

System is designed find for two working adults, if you are on of the poors or old Medicaid and Medicare is available.

Stop tying to get free or discount anything it doesn't exist.

Attaching healthcare to employment is one of the problems, especially for the "poors" you disdain.

Maybe someone should work ?

Perhaps you aren't aware that many people only have part time jobs, for various reasons including that the employer only offers part time to avoid having to provide healthcare. Or people that do work full time jobs but can't afford their share of the healthcare premium.

Some people in this thread are totally unaware of their privilege.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People have to be more responsible and save their money to cover paying for health insurance and out of pocket expenses. ACA plans are still pretty reasonable and there are good plans available to most people for $500 to $1,000 per person per month, even without subsidies.

What a terribly tone deaf response. In case you haven't noticed, the cost of everything has been increasing at alarming rates while wages do not. When so many people are living paycheck to paycheck, how exactly do you expect them to have the money to cover a huge increase in healthcare costs?? For example, I have a friend who is a divorced mother of 3. Fortunately her kids are covered on their father's insurance plan. She works full time and gets health insurance through work. Her portion of the premium is increasing by nearly $500/month. She is incredibly frugal, but she doesn't have an extra $500/month so she's going to be forced to drop insurance.

However, as it stands previously, she didn't feel the pain. Now she does. Cruel, huh?
But she is going to experience the market feedback and maybe take into account the wild costs of health insurance and health care.
I don't care for the idea that we'll permanently shield a large percentage of the population from reality and garner their vote by the idea that it doesn't matter to them, because someone else is paying the bill.

Call it cruel. I call it reality. I'm tired of the entire health care industry raising prices to soak up all that free money the tax payers throw to the wind. There needs to be a reality inserted when things become so upside down that they can't continue.

Healthcare Spending Will Be One-Fifth of the Economy Within a Decade

https://www.pgpf.org/article/healthcare-spending-will-be-one-fifth-of-the-economy-within-a-decade/

So screw the divorced mom?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am fine with my health insurance, its just part of my pay package when considering a job. If they have more expensive health insurance then I ask for more money or weigh it against another job offer

Also can decide on choosing my spouses if needed.

System is designed find for two working adults, if you are on of the poors or old Medicaid and Medicare is available.

Stop tying to get free or discount anything it doesn't exist.

Attaching healthcare to employment is one of the problems, especially for the "poors" you disdain.

Maybe someone should work ?

Perhaps you aren't aware that many people only have part time jobs, for various reasons including that the employer only offers part time to avoid having to provide healthcare. Or people that do work full time jobs but can't afford their share of the healthcare premium.

Some people in this thread are totally unaware of their privilege.

It's gobsmacking, absolutely gobsmacking. They are also one catastrophe away from joining this group of un/underinsured Americans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People have to be more responsible and save their money to cover paying for health insurance and out of pocket expenses. ACA plans are still pretty reasonable and there are good plans available to most people for $500 to $1,000 per person per month, even without subsidies.

What a terribly tone deaf response. In case you haven't noticed, the cost of everything has been increasing at alarming rates while wages do not. When so many people are living paycheck to paycheck, how exactly do you expect them to have the money to cover a huge increase in healthcare costs?? For example, I have a friend who is a divorced mother of 3. Fortunately her kids are covered on their father's insurance plan. She works full time and gets health insurance through work. Her portion of the premium is increasing by nearly $500/month. She is incredibly frugal, but she doesn't have an extra $500/month so she's going to be forced to drop insurance.

However, as it stands previously, she didn't feel the pain. Now she does. Cruel, huh?
But she is going to experience the market feedback and maybe take into account the wild costs of health insurance and health care.
I don't care for the idea that we'll permanently shield a large percentage of the population from reality and garner their vote by the idea that it doesn't matter to them, because someone else is paying the bill.

Call it cruel. I call it reality. I'm tired of the entire health care industry raising prices to soak up all that free money the tax payers throw to the wind. There needs to be a reality inserted when things become so upside down that they can't continue.

Healthcare Spending Will Be One-Fifth of the Economy Within a Decade

https://www.pgpf.org/article/healthcare-spending-will-be-one-fifth-of-the-economy-within-a-decade/

So screw the divorced mom?

So make pithy remarks on a blog when people won't give you money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are a lot of headwinds (in addition to the expiration of the subsidies) that may be difficult for the current HC system to handle:

1) our aging population > more expensive healthcare needs as people age

2) AI eliminating the availability of jobs for younger workers > fewer younger (and usually healthier) people enrolled in workplace plans to offset the costs of older workers

3) the layering in the healthcare system with lots of different entities involved and all those entities are taking profits

To me, these headwinds are ones policymakers across the political spectrum should be paying close attention to.

Additionally, with insurance plans linked to employment, when a person moves to a new job they often move insurers. Therefore, insurers are not incentive for long-term thinking about a person's health, just optimizing the current state.

If a single payer can't come to fruition, we at least need to figure out a way to decouple insurance from employment. I think that is the source of many of our problems.

Tying health insurance to fortune 500 employment or government jobs was a terrible mistake. I can only imagine the number of good ideas and start ups that never got off the ground because everyone's health insurance is tied to working for a large organization. And I don't think that's coincidental. The current health care system is designed to make things impossible for new small businesses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will always remember Romney answering a health care question during a Republican debate rhetorically asking “we can’t just let them die, can we?” Members of the audience yelled, “Yes!!!!!!!”
This is the plan apparently.

The GOP has doubled down on this by discouraging vaccines in the population group which is incapable of critical thought. I assume it's a strategy to have people remove themselves.

What do you know you're not even starving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will always remember Romney answering a health care question during a Republican debate rhetorically asking “we can’t just let them die, can we?” Members of the audience yelled, “Yes!!!!!!!”
This is the plan apparently.

The GOP has doubled down on this by discouraging vaccines in the population group which is incapable of critical thought. I assume it's a strategy to have people remove themselves.

What do you know you're not even starving.

I think the bots are losing it y'all.

Anyhow, I've heard more friends tell me they may have to stop paying for health insurance in the past month than at any other time since the ACA passed. They literally can't afford to pay for health insurance and health care anymore.

And considering some of them now have long Covid because they refuse to vaccinate or mask, it's going. To be tough.

[Anonymous]

Didn’t read all 10 pages so maybe another DCUMer posted this…

Private equity firms are driving huge medical cost increases. They need to be stopped.

[Anonymous]

The healthcare system is indeed toast, and with the current state of political polarization nothing will be done anytime soon.

At this point, I think (with the exception of those on Medicare, Medicaid, & Tricare) they should just provide every man, woman, and child in America with a monthly subsidy towards the healthcare solution of their choice. Enough to cover 50% of the cost of a basic HDHP for your zipcode & age(s). Put it in an HSA keeping the current spending rules in place. Same payment for every person whether they have employer healthcare, ACA, or no insurance. If you don’t need it, let it accumulate. You probably will eventually.

Tax the absolute snot out of alcohol, tobacco, other vices, & junk food/drink to raise revenue. Come up with a fair tax structure to pay for the remainder, targeting the super wealthy.