4 ms·

We spend $14K per person, or $4.5T on healthcare in the US. The typical cost for healthcare in comparable countries is 1/2 of that per person. There is $2.25T

We spend $14K per person, or $4.5T on healthcare in the US. The typical cost for healthcare in comparable countries is 1/2 of that per person. There is $2.25T per year of savings to be had. We can eliminate our national debt in 15 years, and with that also eliminate the $1T going to $1.5T of interest payments we pay each year on the debt, so a total savings down the road of about $3.5T per year. To put that in perspective, our entire national budget was a bit less than $4T pr year pre pandemic. There is absolutely nothing else that comes close to the potential savings on healthcare. All of the schemes I have seen whether they are tax increases or cutbacks in other programs, even the extreme ones, *might* save $2T over 10 years.

from-nibly 2y ago
The problem is that the solution is subtractive not additive. Its, at the very least, a lot harder to make a business where people stop doing stuff. What do we need to stop doing? All of the billing shenanigans with insurance. We need to stop insuring regular healthcare, and go back to insuring catestrophic healthcare. What we do now with healthcare is like buying car insurance that pays for oil changes.
- dzhiurgis 2y ago
  > We need to stop insuring regular healthcare, and go back to insuring catestrophic healthcare. Good point. In NZ we are covered for accidents, infections, heart attacks, etc. But get lung cancer from smoking and you are paying yourself. It's not perfect, but sets priorities to live healthy.
  - nradov 2y ago
    If a patient is diagnosed with lung cancer there is no reliable way to determine whether the root cause was smoking, radon exposure, or some random mutation. https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/13/health/lung-cancer-young-and-middle-age-women/index.html https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/13/health/lung-cancer-young-and-...
    - dzhiurgis 2y ago
      Oh no doubt. But it’s more fair than otherwise.
- mkoubaa 2y ago
  I disagree. The development of petroleum made people stop whaling

from-nibly 2y ago

The problem is that the solution is subtractive not additive. Its, at the very least, a lot harder to make a business where people stop doing stuff. What do we need to stop doing? All of the billing shenanigans with insurance. We need to stop insuring regular healthcare, and go back to insuring catestrophic healthcare. What we do now with healthcare is like buying car insurance that pays for oil changes.

dzhiurgis 2y ago
> We need to stop insuring regular healthcare, and go back to insuring catestrophic healthcare. Good point. In NZ we are covered for accidents, infections, heart attacks, etc. But get lung cancer from smoking and you are paying yourself. It's not perfect, but sets priorities to live healthy.
- nradov 2y ago
  If a patient is diagnosed with lung cancer there is no reliable way to determine whether the root cause was smoking, radon exposure, or some random mutation. https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/13/health/lung-cancer-young-and-middle-age-women/index.html https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/13/health/lung-cancer-young-and-...
  - dzhiurgis 2y ago
    Oh no doubt. But it’s more fair than otherwise.
mkoubaa 2y ago
I disagree. The development of petroleum made people stop whaling