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I think this comment betrays the reality of Americans interaction with healthcare insurance. It’s not about regulatory awareness, but angst over the system - Pe

I think this comment betrays the reality of Americans interaction with healthcare insurance. It’s not about regulatory awareness, but angst over the system - People die because of the decisions made by insurance companies. If you read or hear the things people are saying, they’re expressing frustration over the way they’re treated by insurance providers and their policies. The costs across the industry are insane, and insurance companies sit at the intersection of all the money, leaching away 15-20% (your numbers) as profit. Go to a Reddit thread about this murder, and you’ll hear stories of all sorts of families who faced existential questions of paying exorbitantly for or losing access to necessary healthcare. Because of a UnitedHealth policy. It’s a boiling point of the increasingly divided society with growing wealth inequality. It doesn’t matter what the regulations say, people are suffering and they’re lashing out. The narrative isn’t actually about UnitedHealthcare and their profits.

consumer451 2y ago
Remember how death panels were evil, but a bottomless layer cake of corporate bureaucracies making those same decisions, with added profit margins at each layer, was somehow perfectly fine? I am not trying to get political, or be flippant, I just truly marvel at how easily we are programmed. I mean all of us, myself included.
- cratermoon 2y ago
  Death Panels: Big Gubmint deciding who lives and dies Private Health Insurers: Free Market!
  - consumer451 2y ago
    Having grown up thinking that I was libertarian, the US healthcare system really killed that entire panacea for me. It came down to this simple realization: In a somewhat socialized healthcare system, every dollar not spent to benefit the patient is called waste, and we work to reduce it. [0] In a for-profit healthcare system, every dollar not spent on the patient is considered shareholder value, and we work to increase it. My hardcore libertarianism ideals died right there, at that realization. [0] Let's keep it local and say that's medicare/medicade. [0.1] Sorry, I did get political.
mlrtime 2y ago
>People die because of the decisions made by insurance companies. And if we had single pay, wouldn't people still die but now there is someone else to blame? Meaning there is still a budget for care, it is not infinite. There will still be a group to decide what to accept and what not.
- vineyardmike 2y ago
  Well sure, theoretically budgets are limited. But (1) the entire "profit" of insurance companies, and other middle-men, today becomes extra cash in the budget. Which if OP is to be believed, would be upwards of a 25% increase - just from insurance companies. (2) A single-payer would have more negotiation power to actually drive down costs, because if the single-payer doesn't buy your goods, there is no market for you to sell to. (3) There is no expectation of out-of-pocket expenses, so no one was to worry about a massive bill after losing a family member. Also, a key difference with single-payer healthcare is (generally) the distribution and accountability of program. We'd dispense with "preexisting conditions" and "in/out of network" and provide this service to everyone. Every single person would be eligible, it'd truly be for the citizenry. Because of this, coverage becomes a legislative practice, and if coverage or care is not meeting expectations, it can be changed. (also, UnitedHealth profit margin was consistently > 20% pre-2024)

consumer451 2y ago

Remember how death panels were evil, but a bottomless layer cake of corporate bureaucracies making those same decisions, with added profit margins at each layer, was somehow perfectly fine? I am not trying to get political, or be flippant, I just truly marvel at how easily we are programmed. I mean all of us, myself included.

cratermoon 2y ago
Death Panels: Big Gubmint deciding who lives and dies Private Health Insurers: Free Market!
- consumer451 2y ago
  Having grown up thinking that I was libertarian, the US healthcare system really killed that entire panacea for me. It came down to this simple realization: In a somewhat socialized healthcare system, every dollar not spent to benefit the patient is called waste, and we work to reduce it. [0] In a for-profit healthcare system, every dollar not spent on the patient is considered shareholder value, and we work to increase it. My hardcore libertarianism ideals died right there, at that realization. [0] Let's keep it local and say that's medicare/medicade. [0.1] Sorry, I did get political.

mlrtime 2y ago

>People die because of the decisions made by insurance companies. And if we had single pay, wouldn't people still die but now there is someone else to blame? Meaning there is still a budget for care, it is not infinite. There will still be a group to decide what to accept and what not.

vineyardmike 2y ago
Well sure, theoretically budgets are limited. But (1) the entire "profit" of insurance companies, and other middle-men, today becomes extra cash in the budget. Which if OP is to be believed, would be upwards of a 25% increase - just from insurance companies. (2) A single-payer would have more negotiation power to actually drive down costs, because if the single-payer doesn't buy your goods, there is no market for you to sell to. (3) There is no expectation of out-of-pocket expenses, so no one was to worry about a massive bill after losing a family member. Also, a key difference with single-payer healthcare is (generally) the distribution and accountability of program. We'd dispense with "preexisting conditions" and "in/out of network" and provide this service to everyone. Every single person would be eligible, it'd truly be for the citizenry. Because of this, coverage becomes a legislative practice, and if coverage or care is not meeting expectations, it can be changed. (also, UnitedHealth profit margin was consistently > 20% pre-2024)