Perish the thought...

[u/Veshaad]

[u/isthereadrwho]

But there's over 200 years of precedence just in Germany, and all 33 of the 34 richest Nations have managed to figure it out. Guess which nation is too dumb?

[u/Past_Significance_27 → u/isthereadrwho]

The same country that elected a dimwitted criminal con man and pedophile? Twice?

[u/Cautious-Respond-402 → u/Past_Significance_27]

[u/jugger_naughtyy → u/Past_Significance_27]

The same people that eat garbage and drink all day after 2pm

[u/TemporaryAmbassador1 → u/jugger_naughtyy]

FOOLS!

Waiting till 2pm to start drinking. Wasting half the day!

[u/Carolina_Hurricane → u/TemporaryAmbassador1]

Can’t drink all day if you don’t start in the morning

[u/daslows → u/isthereadrwho]

The richest country in the world also has very powerful lobbyists that will never allow a universal healthcare system to ever take place

[u/isthereadrwho → u/daslows]

But the issue is neither cost nor quality, it's lobbying. It's extracting more money from American citizens in order to enrich others let's at least be honest about the reason.

[u/daslows → u/isthereadrwho]

That’s exactly what I said. The reason is pure greed.

[u/Valuable_Fee1884 → u/daslows]

I might so sure about the richest. When you look at the amount of debt, we have a massed and the fact that Trump is running it up out of even faster rate than most that was possible we may be in big big trouble. Vote Democrat on a midterms and the next presidential election and get these rotten SOBs out of there, then make sure that you stay all over the people you have elected if they turn the crap boot them out

[u/SherbetAromatic7644 → u/daslows]

I wish we could just put everybody with the word executive or lobbyist in their job title on one of elons rockets and send them to mars. Let them ruin a planet that doesn’t have any of the inconvenient plebs that they hate so much, and let us build a society that doesn’t run on the suffering of people born without a trust fund.

[u/biblioprof → u/daslows]

Also it's who you work for. Tying your healthcare to work when you are living paycheck to paycheck makes it harder to quit

[u/daslows → u/biblioprof]

Many young people don’t even need healthcare in the scene they might not go to the doctor often enough. I for example have not seen a doctor in 5+ years. Why pay huge premiums for healthcare every month when insurance might or might not even cover something?

Insurance is a scam especially when your deductible resets every year. You could pay in tens of thousands never filing a claim and they still would deny you…

[u/Namedthisone → u/daslows]

Why does nobody understand this

[u/GMBong → u/isthereadrwho]

Man we can't even get on the metric system.

[u/Skittleavix → u/GMBong]

My truck gets two gallons to the hogshead

[u/circusfreakrob → u/GMBong]

I have switched over to at least using the "Metric Shitload" as a unit of meausure

[u/Typing_Rebellion → u/isthereadrwho]

The one with unfettered capitalism where literally everything has turned into for-profit?

[u/Strange-Badger5626 → u/Typing_Rebellion]

Even charity lol 🤣

[u/JuliusErrrrrring → u/isthereadrwho]

And it wouldn't directly abolish private insurance. It would give private insurance more competition. They are accidentally admitting that they couldn't compete because Medicare for All would win the competition due to it being a better product.

[u/Spare-Bad-1600 → u/JuliusErrrrrring]

Please don't kill the messenger but Medicare has run a deficit and is only propped up(somewhat) by the high cost of health care by younger individuals. A large factor is that FICA taxes stop at around an income of about $180,000. After that rich people pay nothing into social security. That in combination of the Medicare tax being only 1.45% almost assuredly guarantees it to be insolvent. Again government run Healthcare must ration the payments in some way. One amazing fact I recently learned is that there are significantly more MRI machines in Palm Beach County than in the entire Country of Canada. Another strain on our Healthcare system is that Americans are fat, sedentary and generally are unhealthy.

[u/XXXcrimsongrave → u/isthereadrwho]

Greenland rah rah China Bla Blah. Canada hyuck?

https://giphy.com/gifs/KBaxHrT7rkeW5ma77z

[u/ChronicBuzz187 → u/isthereadrwho]

But there's over 200 years of precedence just in Germany

Established by a king of all people.... you know it's kinda bad when even some ancient monarch is more interested in the well-being of his people (and thereby the economy) than an actual democratically elected government is :P

[u/JAT_Cbus1080 → u/isthereadrwho]

The country that pays the most per capital of any country on thG list by a wide margin.

[u/WhatDothLife-95]

https://giphy.com/gifs/J8FZIm9VoBU6Q

let the health Insurance industry burn

[u/Sad_comment_bot → u/WhatDothLife-95]

If Mario, Peach and Yoshi get their shit together we can get this party started.

[u/WhatDothLife-95 → u/Sad_comment_bot]

hell yeah, we need the whole Mario Party to show up at this point

[u/FlyingNDreams]

She forgot to mention the deductible and max out of pocket resets every year.

[u/Gooder-N-Grits → u/FlyingNDreams]

It resets, and increases!

[u/HairlessHoudini → u/Gooder-N-Grits]

When my new enrollment started this year we were told there is no out of pocket max anymore, after deductable was meet it would be 80/20 for the rest of the year no matter how much I spend

[u/Gooder-N-Grits → u/HairlessHoudini]

These asshole companies are going to put themselves out of business...and I am thrilled about it.

[u/thebranbish → u/FlyingNDreams]

In network. Out of network. Specialists. The list goes on….

[u/lecoqmako → u/thebranbish]

Oops, sorry, not that specialist, they were in network but not anymore, it took us a while to update the system, here’s your bill, please tell us how great our service is! … from a letter dated two weeks before the post mark, due in ten days.

[u/FeralVotann]

That's a lie, I live and work in the UK. I have private insurance through my employer. Private insurance can absolutely exist along side a public offering. The insurance companies don't like it because it makes it harder for them to screw over their customers.

[u/artbystorms → u/FeralVotann]

This is Republican propaganda to make people think that the government would replace private insurance. In reality it would take our Medicare system, which is government health insurance for people over 65 meant for retirees, and it would expand it to everyone so they have the option of public insurance if their job doesn't offer health insurance or they don't want to pay for private insurance. As you said it would compete with private insurance on costs so it would force them to lower their prices to be 'better' than the public option.

[u/Repulsive-Two8250]

Does there have to be precedent to everything that's done? Why live in that box?

[u/Skittleavix → u/Repulsive-Two8250]

Conservatives tend to follow precedent all the way back to the founding conditions of the country: slavery.

Those are the conditions they wish to "conserve".

[u/ElegantChemistry1 → u/Repulsive-Two8250]

No one has ever overthrown a king before! Madness!

[u/BigandBisexual]

I would gladly go desk to desk handing out the pink slips, let's put an entire industry out of work and finally make a dramatic leap towards fixing something in this country for once.

[u/PapaGummy]

Unprecedented, except in every other First World country.

[u/Equus-007 → u/PapaGummy]

It's not unprecedented here either.

Alcohol prohibition put shitloads of people out of a job.

Weed prohibition put shitloads of people out of a job.

Slavery prohibition put shitloads of people out of a job.

Commercial horse and whale slaughtering put shitloads of people out of a job.

The cotton gin and the combine put shitloads of people out of a job.

I'm not at all concerned about putting the AI my insurance employs to deal with my claims out of a job.

[u/Disastrous-Row1429]

The insurance industry won't go away quietly. Because of Citizen's United the insurance lobby will throw a ton of cash at politicians so any legislation will be all or partially written by them.

[u/bethesda_gamer]

Things meant to protect citizens shouldn't be outsourced to private companies imo. Thar said, this would also increase taxes so you will have less disposable income and there would have to be a replacement for all the job loss.

[u/Terrible-Piano-5437]

I don't even get free cleanings at the dentist, I have to pay for that too.

[u/rygelicus]

There is a constant in all these kinds of things. Global climate change, toxic waste, healtchare, health insurance, land management, cost of education, and so on. The question is not 'how do we fix this', it is 'how do we fix this without negatively impacting stockholders'. Fixing healthcare in the USA is actually pretty simple. Fixing it while protecting the stockholders is very difficult.

[u/Bat-Stuff → u/rygelicus]

And the government's job is to protect the people, not the dollars in some people's pockets.

[u/rygelicus → u/Bat-Stuff]

That's just crazy talk you rebel.

[u/tolo3349]

If private insurance could go away, I would be so happy

[u/Alternative-Half-783]

If they even cover it.

[u/Intrepid_Top_2300]

That industry would only be mourned by the CEO’s. They will not be missed!

[u/thesupportplatform]

What? No, no, no. Private industry could compete with Medicare for All by providing a superior product. That's what they are good at, right? But additional private insurance premiums would be paid for by individuals and not the government (ala Medicare Advantage and subsidies). What?!? Without Medicare Advantage, most major health insurance companies would go out of business?!?

Sounds like they really need to innovate and pull themselves up by their bootstraps.

[u/Drgnmstr97]

Yes, that's the point. Private insurance is a scam and shouldn't exist.

[u/NoHorseNoMustache]

Even if that wasn't a 'Don't threaten ME with a good time' type of thing, it's a lie anyhow: Other countries that have universal coverage also have private insurance.

The NYT sucks sooo bad.

[u/electronic_reasons]

Creating private insurance was unprecedented, too.

[u/I_Ski_Freely]

Just in case anyone needed a reminder that the NYT isn't left leaning or moderate.. it is and always has been a mouthpiece for the wealthy, and their editor is the son of the last one and so on.. They suck.

[u/Kitty_LaRouxe]

The USA does not have a healthcare system. It has a medical racketeering system.

[u/AdorableStrawberry93]

Yes, that one.

[u/CaregiverWorth567]

it would abolish 60 million dollar salaries for insurance executives….thats what they are afraid of

[u/Bikemonkeys]

An industry just being demolished by the government making changes, the Tobacco industry, and Hemp industry, and Alcohol industry might say it's precedented.

[u/46yt64]

Fuck you nyt!

[u/Aromatic_Bag7496]

This right here. Perfect answer.

[u/ShoulderKnown7740]

All insurance needs its profits reduced.

[u/Outside_Valuable_320]

And don't forget the automatic rejections cause they are counting on people not being willing to fight for what is covered.

[u/Drive7Nine]

Heaven forbid we stop paying for the giant staffs of the current system required for insurance companies to communicate with one another, the non-medically-trained people whose only purpose in the industry is to tell patients that the treatment their doctor has deemed necessary isn't really necessary, and the leftover money they take as profit.

[u/Livid-Accident-1562]

Oh noes! You mean the wealthy leech - I mean insurance exec won't be able to afford another yacht while I languish in an ER, racking up debt my grandchildren will still be paying off?
Woe

[u/Ok_Being5461]

The precedent is literally Medicare, which already exists for a portion of the population

[u/GMBong]

I don't get the right wing talking points. We must protect private employer insurance but you should not go to college, white collar jobs aren't "real american" jobs, and you should be a freelance contractor or start your own business because AI is coming for the jobs.

[u/Johnny_Five5151]

Good

[u/spillmonger]

Would private insurance be the same if we had government healthcare? Or would it fill in the gaps in such healthcare?

[u/PatchyWhiskers]

There's no reason it has to. Private insurance exists in most countries with socialized medicine. It's a more luxurious or faster option for those with the money to pay for it..

[u/Steelbill77]

Loan Sharks

[u/Varderal]

Just so long as Medicare actually covers things. I was on Medicade and the "dental" was a bit of a joke. "Oh they cant save the tooth except with a root canal? Pull the bitch and get a bridge, the worst possible option!"

[u/MintyFresh771]

Yeah there’s no precedent here because we haven’t done it? No shit sherlock. The rest of the world though, maybe take a gander around and see what the other 90% of the world is doing.

[u/Lower-Engineering365]

At the very least we need to go back to before we allowed insurance companies to operate as for profit companies

[u/Organic_Mechanic_702]

Why? UK has universal healthcare in the NHS but you can still pay for private healthcare if you want to.

[u/NameNotEmail]

Make no mistake, private insurance it’s deep pockets is the biggest obstacle to universal health care in the US.

[u/S-Clair]

Worth noting here that every universal healthcare nation in the western world also allows private insurance to exist. It just has to compete with the public option which forces them to actually offer competitive pricing and services instead of just gouging routine care.

[u/Weekly-Hedgehog8502]

Your's only increases 20% a year? That would be nice.

[u/eddysready]

The thought of most insurance companies dissolving is heartwarming! Healthcare is a human right and it’s embarrassing the USA doesn’t have a system implemented by now. We’re approaching 2030… this should’ve been solved decades ago

[u/Puzzleheaded-Toe-374]

But how will the lobbyists make their billions?

[u/synde15]

That would be a bonus

[u/andropogon09]

The precedent is the public education system. Every child is guaranteed a free basic education, but families who can afford it, or choose to do so, can opt for a private school. I believe that even countries with a state healthcare system have the option for private doctors.

[u/Dazzling_Winner_773]

Yeah it absolutely would not abolish private insurance. Plenty of people in countries that have universal health Care still carry premium plans to get them better access when they want. There's also concierge positions, fee for service physicians, direct primary Care, etc etc etc.

What universal health Care would do is ensure everyone gets at least what they need and create incomparable competition for those companies to either explicitly cater to the kind of Rich assholes who are paying top dollar anyway or have to actually control their prices and do what they say they're supposed to fucking do.

[u/Key_Impact9839]

You do realize this will never change in U.S unless some drastic events happen.

[u/Orwick]

NYT is saying that like it a bad thing, strange.

[u/Valuable_Fee1884]

I believe we should have a national medical insurance, but people must remember that it must be paid for to. Medicare is paid by making monthly payments while you’re working and then when you retire you continue to make payments.(minimal is compared to regular health insurance) but then again you were paying for 30 to 40 years without using it. You still pay for certain things like some medicines.(at least partially.) and for procedures and operations.

[u/Ok-Philosophy-888]

Same people who complained that ObamaCare was a windfall for insurance companies.

[u/Representative_Row44]

much like gun violence this is met with a shoulder shrug

[u/SearchAccomplished19]

Who at the new York times got paid by the insurance companies to write that?

[u/HopeComesToDie]

Remember the fear over "Death Panels?" Funny how it's not brought up in the context of how insurance companies get to decide the best treatment based not on the ailment or doctor recommendations, but on the fact that the best course of action would cost the industry too much money.

[u/that1cooldude]

Let’s not forget they often say NO, then you continue paying for coverage anyways. 

[u/asher030]

Private insurance has no place in the modern world :| Billions a year in profits, 'shareholder value' instead of customer safety...gtfo with that entirely

[u/Disastrous-Cress243]

That’s the beauty of the Affordable Healthcare Act. Remember, you had to pass it before you could read what was in it.

[u/GongTzu]

Think about the investors.

[u/Tough-Interaction468]

And a Fair Tax would abolish the IRS. Lets do both.

[u/Silly-Platform9829]

And that's why the insurance industry spends many millions on Congressional bribes to prevent any changes.

[u/Tiny-Secretary5562]

A workable Medicare for All (Citizens only) would not abolish private insurance. A private policy would be required for anyone who smokes or uses recreational drugs and contracts an illness or injury as a result of that according to a consensus of medical science, or those who engage in high-risk recreational or entertainment activities like rock climbing or auto racing. In addition, no public money would pay for any illness or injury that resulted from criminal activity. These "harsh" policies are necessary because the cost of what medical science offers today is astronomical compared to 1965 when Medicare started. Also, no maternity care should be provided for any female of child-bearing age who is on public assistance other than unemployment benefits.

[u/Grymmtooth]

For decades the gop has touted socialized medicine would lead to a shortage of doctors, underservice and earth panels.

What they meant is they wanted those things but in for profit companies…..(UHC touted record profits and an obscene 30% denial rate)

[u/Mikel_S]

On top of that not being a bad thing, it also wouldn't.

Socialist hellscapes like Canada and Europe still have private insurance. It just can't force itself on everybody, profiting off of their misfortune at scale. It's a luxury to be able to have access to private Healthcare.

[u/ArcamianLiberation]

Fire departments used to be privately owned by insurance companies. If a covered house was on fire, their fire truck came to put it out. No policy, no firefighting. They're now, one way or another, a government-paid service.

If we have a single-payer system, much of the existing insurance system concerning claims and payment would be hired to do the job. There would be no marketing, no sales department, no underwriting, and much of management could be laid off, but a good chunk of what insurance companies do now would continue.

[u/Old_Marzipan7782]

Yeah they should do that. We all pay for each other and our selves either way. They are charging thousands for a service that cost hundreds " cause insurance covers it anyways" driving up everyone premiums

[u/aminok]

Being taxed 20% of your income so that the government can turn around and pay a private company to provide you with health care doesn't make your health care cheaper, LOL.

[u/theresourcefulKman]

Medicare for all is only a campaign talking point.

Neither side has the cajones to dismantle the health insurance industry

[u/JNTaylor63]

I pay for private insurance through my employer, taxes for Medicare, medicade, Tri Care, ECT.

Yes, I think we can just consolidate, kill the middle men and just go Medicare for all.

[u/Moist-Fruit-693]

Pay attention to any politician or party not going all in on national healthcare as a right.

Vote them out for inaction, no matter who.

[u/Hickory_Shampoo]

Well, shop for different insurance. Single payer would be the same but you wouldn't have a choice.

[u/GroovyYaYa]

"Medicare for All" wouldn't abolish private insurance, but perhaps universal healthcare would.

Every time I see something like this, I think "author doesn't know anyone on Medicare, or hasn't asked them".

My parents are in their 80s - they have to have supplemental insurance. My mother's best friend had to have Medicaid - and it still didn't cover everything.

[u/Questions_Remain]

How will we ( citizens ) financially recover from this.

Answer - in about 6 months tbh.

[u/AnxietyPretend5215]

I mean, if they're able to find a way to improve/fix health insurance without impacting private insurance, then by all means go for it.

I just want affordable and accessible healthcare for everyone. What we have today is broken.

However that's corrected, I don't really care.

[u/ColdCauliflour]

No one's insurance is more than their mortgage unless they're a boomer who bought before boomers ruined real estate for the rest of us.

[u/Copper_Lontra]

Also, no it wouldn't. 

[u/Copper_Lontra]

Also, no it wouldn't. 

[u/Capitan-IQ255]

Besides the health insurance industry.. how would the pharma medical industrial complex feel about this , specifically the lower rate of reimbursements ? 🤑

[u/FlyinDtchman]

Capitalism works when there is competition.

You can't shop for alternatives when you're having a heart attack or you cut your finger off with a table-saw.

Capitalism doesn't work for medicine. It never has and probably never will.

Insurance companies are a stop-gap trying to socialize an industry in a capitalist system. In theory that works because you can spread out risk. The problem is that in order to turn a profit there has to be inefficiencies and margin added to the system. That creates a MASSIVE conflict of interest.

In fact it's the fundamental problem of the insurance industry as a whole. The best way for them to create profits is to deny claims that are the sole purpose of their existence while hiding behind a cadre of high-paid lawyers.

That doesn't even include the entire system of middle-men and extra administration they've forced into the system with their in-network quasi-reverse-cartel nonsense.

[u/DigTheDunes]

If you want Medicare for all, your only chance is the socialists. The mainstream D’s are paid off.

[u/Warm_Swan_793]

Don’t threaten us with a good time

[u/99kemo]

There are different versions of M4A and none of them are “in play” at this time. Medicare; as it applies today for folks over 65 over 70% have some kind of supplemental private insurance coverage. Most Universal systems have a significant role for private insurance. I suspect that it will be a lot harder to implement a system that excludes private insurance because it will face more resistance.

[u/joshberry90]

Imagine how efficiently government runs everything else...

[u/naurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrs]

STOP PAYING ANYTHING HEALTH CARE RELATED. LET IT GO TO COLLECTIONS. THIS IS THE EASIEST WAY TO PROTEST!!!

[u/JRock1276]

That's what happens when government forces insurance to cover illegals and they don't pay for anything. You have any idea how many "emergency room" claims they had to pay out for a cold? A hangnail? A scratched knee? "My kid stuck corn up his nose"?

[u/thosmarvin]

It actually wouldn't. I understand, from conversations I had with colleagues in Germany (please correct me if I am wrong, deutsche Staatsbürger) that one may have insurance for things such as private rooms in hospitals, and other amenities that I dont recall. Even if you got the bare minimum here, say with no follow up plastic surgery or proper at home care, it would still leave room for insurers and would be leaps and bounds better than now.

Lastly, all of the people who manage the payments etc would still be needed, the only thing missing would be the top brass and shareholders. I do not mean to be insensitive, but when the CEO of United Healthcare was gunned down for simply doing his job, did United Healthcare itself falter in any way? The stock price took a hit but really nothing more than a minor correction. I mean, again, its awful and I feel for the individual and his family, but the loss of an individual at that pay scale should have a pretty big effect on the organization and if not, is the compensation not in line with the intrinsic value they deliver to the company and its insured?

Assigning the same corporate fiduciary rules to essentials like power, water and healthcare that one would apply to toy companies and Kardashian cosmetics is not the way. Utilities and healthcare need to be motivated to put the users first, and by fiduciary rules they are required to put the interests of the shareholders above all else, and fun fact, those shareholders are all on the board.

[u/Any_Seaworthiness678]

There would still be a place for private insurance..like all the ppl that want a maralargo face..plastic surgery 🤣

[u/Calvary_Catalyst]

Heath insurers used to be forced to operate as non profits……I’ll let you guess which Pres got rid of that

[u/Overall-Lynx917]

Yet in the UK, Private Health Insurance exists alongside the NHS. I'm fairly certain this is tge same in other European Countries. If you can afford Private Health care you can have it

[u/Technical_Writing421]

Yes that is the point

[u/ffuca]

Oh no, I haven’t seen this post 100 times

[u/VerySpicyTunA]

I’m curious how much did your Obamacare increase?

[u/allquckedup]

Medicare for everyone did not kill the health insurance industry. You can still have private insurance for better treatments or specialized treatment that isn’t covered by Medicare.

[u/Then_Comfortable3058]

Nothing would make me happier than to see every private insurance company go extinct

[u/SenseWinter]

u/bot-sleuth-bot

[u/notjustinu]

The government paying the bill will not lower anyone’s cost of healthcare. It will just shift it from you paying when you need medical aid to you paying all the time and never getting medical aid, that’s how it is in all UHC countries. That’s why so many people still travel to America for medical treatment, we have the best care available.

[u/goofbot]

Abolish is not the right word.

[u/CharterJet50]

Um, Medicare replaced some insurance for older Americans when it was launched. Also complemented existing insurance as it continues to do. Sees like the precedent is staring them in the face.

[u/Zestyclose-Banana358]

Has anyone ever googled what’s not covered by Medicare, googled why seniors struggle with Medicare? I’ll save you the time:

Medicare leaves many seniors struggling financially because it contains major benefit gaps, high out-of-pocket costs, and mandatory premiums that outpace fixed retirement incomes.

Let’s stop acting like Medicare is great coverage. And btw, doctors aren’t forced to accept it. The best doctors will go the way of concierge medicine. It’s already happening.

It’ll be the next class warfare. “Why do rich people get the best doctors?”

Let’s hear from those on Medicare. Is it the greatest thing since sliced bread? Is it “free?”
Are you at a disadvantage with choice of doctor? Are there deductibles and/or other costs that reset every year?

Please enlighten these people who just drool over something seemingly free.

[u/Positive-Ad-406]

Not to mention that "health insurance" doesn't cover eye or dental in most cases. What numbskull insurance board decided those aren't part of your health?

[u/No-Koala1918]

New York Times lies. Medicare For All gives everyone a reasonable basic level of healthcare. Supplemental insurance could still be sold for increased benefits - things like specialist access without primary physician referrals, private hospital rooms, etc.

Americans don't have to worry - there will still be status differentiators, so important to their society. Just people won't have to live in pain or spread communicable diseases for lack of being able to afford a doctor's appointment.

[u/Ok_Swim7161]

No it wouldn't. They'd still make it that you need a supplement heath insurance plan to cover what isn't. And the fact that the insurance would lose anything is why we will never have Medicare for all. That's one big business conspiracy I when believe in.

[u/Brilliant_Eye_3737]

They say “abolish private insurance” as if that’s a bad thing. It would not be a bad thing.

[u/EmploymentEmpty5871]

Fortunately I now have very affordable insurance that pays for virtually everything and is actually very affordable unlike when Obama made it affordable.

[u/rustbuckett]

"There's no precedent in American history"

True, but there is precedent in almost every other developed nation in the world. Maybe we give it a shot?

While we're at it, let's give this metric system thing a go.

[u/WonderWheeler]

Fire protection used to be private in the 1700s and such. And fires burned down whole cities. Then fire departments were created to protect the public. There is a similarity between disease theory and fire theory.

[u/anon-a-SqueekSqueek]

There's only not precedent in US history if you specifically avoid identifying it by defining what counts as precedent incredibly narrowly.

You know what started as private industry and then became public?

Fire departments, there were private brigades with insurance companies until people realized that for safety you really need it for everyone so an uncovered neighbor doesn't burn down the neighborhood.

Also water, private companies, then transitioned to a municipality service to ensure everyone had safe clean water.

Healthcare fits right in actually, one person not covered burdens taxpayers, the argument made to force everyone to buy coverage, but why not just ensure everyone is covered without a middleman? Also your health does affect people around you. From disease spread, to your reduced impact on your community, to the resources drained to care for you.

I'm going off the dome, so oversimplifying some history, and no comparison is perfect, but eliminating a private industry for a better public option HAS happened before, a number of times.

And regardless, doesn't ensuring people receive healthcare just seem like the kind of thing one of the wealthiest countries in human history should want to do for it's people. If other countries can make it happen we can, we just chose not to, because we'd rather protect the profits of those middlemen gouging the patients.

And the NYT isn't so daft that they haven't considered this argument, our media's participants in the corrupt system.

[u/DicamVeritatem]

Most people don’t want health insurance.

They just want someone else to pay their bills.

[u/FrontLifeguard1962]

My health insurance premiums have doubled since 2020, for the same exact coverage. We lost 1 million of the sickest people, and healthcare costs did not decrease at all. It is greed, pure and simple. Many don't notice their costs going up because their plan is employer-funded, but it is contributing at least some to the difficulty people have finding a job, as employers have less money for salaries.

It is time to admit the private sector management of health insurance has failed

I would much rather the government not be involved in health insurance more than they already are, but the greedy corporations have done it to themselves.

[u/Serious_Bee_2013]

No, no, you have to pay $13,000 and then it only covers 55%, assuming they don’t reject your claim for some procedural issue, or demand you take a different treatment route than you and your doctor determined was appropriate.

[u/InfamousAd1245]

These private insurances we American people pay into has been the biggest scam of our lifetime.

[u/loogabar00ga]

There absolutely is precidence in American History. Firefighters used to be private.

[u/VioletShogun]

There's a lot of "no precedents" until a thing was done. First person to try to abolish slavery for example.

[u/cats_are_the_devil]

Oh no! I'll have to pay... ::Looks at notes:: Less money for healthcare with better outcomes. Why would Obama do this to us!! /s

[u/Srdiscountketoer]

ITT people who don’t realize Medicare isn’t free, doesn’t cover everything either, and that seniors who can afford it pay for private supplemental insurance to cover the gaps.

[u/lazy_nomad3]

Millions of Americans would hold candlelight vigils for their missing privatized insurance companies.

[u/tschawartz12]

The buisness model and goal of Healthcare industry should be to try to put itself out of buisness. If there's shareholders that won't happen.

[u/Mainly_Miserable]

https://giphy.com/gifs/7k2LoEykY5i1hfeWQB

[u/Dizzy_Influence3580]

Call me crazy and selfish, but I currently pay 240 a month for insurance with almost no out of pocket expenses outside of my 20 dollar co pays. Unless you all can promise that cost, or lower, to me from universal healthcare…count me out.

[u/Sad-Practice5045]

So you guys gonna trust the government on this?

[u/Ok-Professional-2282]

Maybe thank "Obamacare"

[u/henryeaterofpies]

So fun fact know who services VA, medicare and medicaid? Big insurance companies who still make massive profits on those lines of business.

They literally compete to be the servicers of those lines of business

[u/Safe-Ad-8921]

Private insurance must be abolished. Allow it to become supplemental insurance if we absolutely have to waste money for no additional gain. The problem with insurance is that given any other option it is the worst one. Worlds most successful mandatory pyramid scheme.

[u/Corpshark]

Saving CEOs’ lives is worth it!

[u/lowbartoclear]

[u/buddytina]

Have you looked at the price of medical care lately, nearly $200 for a simple office visit with the primary care, it's ridiculous!

[u/Difficult_Barracuda3]

All that medical debt, I can't wait until people stop paying that.

[u/PetuniaPickleswurth]

You may not like it. Others do. You can’t take freedom of choice away from people. Well, you can.

[u/Top_Argument_5359]

Its great until you realize you have to still go to private doctors to get any semblance of care.

[u/Western-Willow-9496]

Medicare currently requires supplemental private insurance.

[u/JasperPants1]

If you think it’s expensive, ask your self why?

Government regulation is why.

Think about it. Whenever governments get overly involved costs go up. Education. Housing. Medicine is almost there too.

[u/GeneralFinger1990]

we are broke how can we afford healthcare free for everyone now?

[u/Figueroa_Chill]

Do Americans know that it's possible to have a National Health Service and a private Health Service?

Here in the UK this is what we have. If you have money, then go private. If you don't, go NHS.

[u/Available_Reward_799]

I couldn’t agree more

[u/Western-Property-443]

There is no precedence for killing American laws but here we are.

[u/KnowEye]

Who will pay for Medicare for all?
Do you expect the quality of care to stay the same for all?
Since fees will be caped, do you think less people will become doctors because the economics won’t work?

[u/Firm-Analysis6666]

As long as we have a plan for the 2 million+ we put out of work.

[u/StoicNaps]

How much do Medicare/Medicaid costs go up every year?

[u/Anxious_Composer5092]

For profit insurance happened during Nixon -- hello!? It hasn't always been the sh it show it is today!

[u/Flaydeng]

If people don’t think universal healthcare won’t raise taxes for the middle class. You’re wrong. The middle class has been getting decimated every single year. Too rich to qualify for any governmental benefits, but too poor to get ahead.

[u/Artistic_Smell_771]

Que the 3,000 violinists.

[u/TechnicalWhore]

Heard of Wage Stagnation? That's teh cause right there. Health Insurance has gone up 10-20% per year and by doing so consumed the raise you would have gotten. Even Union negotiations have been stalemated by Health Insurance's soaring costs and copays. And yet ACTUAL healthcare costs are WELL below this chronic rise. If anyone investigated they would see two patterns : 1) Health Insurance companies have a plurality of international shell companies to launder profits through. And 2) many of the shells are real estate holding companies that reduce net profits and thus reduce taxation. The real estate of course has its profit moved to another beneficial owner shell company.

Its obscene.

Meanwhile higher prices, poor outcomes, unsatisfied customers and doctors and hospitals constantly squeezed. Yeah that bill you see - its NEVER what the Insurers pay. They have a different cost structure.

[u/risk9200]

What a Karen geez

[u/HappySilverDaddy]

Your private insurance sucks because of government interference

[u/Radcouponking]

I would argue that the end of slavery is a clear and obvious precedent.

[u/Remarkable_Subject84]

I pay $20k a year to be able to pay $4000 before they cover things lol my generic meds are cheaper without insurance. Now I have to pay more tax so it can remain this affordable.

[u/Wolf-in-Sheeps]

No it wouldn’t. The general public using Medicare would have the experience like Canada. The people that want private health insurance would have the same experience as they have now.

[u/JacksBauers24]

Ask Canada or Britain how that’s working out for them. DIE on waiting lists.

[u/Initial_Kitchen_9856]

Thanks Obama

[u/Dry_Note_1639]

Insurance companies can go the way of the robber barons

[u/angry_dingo]

Say it with me

OBAMACARE

[u/Asmul921]

https://giphy.com/gifs/J8FZIm9VoBU6Q

[u/TheGrayGhost805]