Summary
Polls show a majority blame insurance and pharmaceutical companies for high costs, denied claims, and access issues.
Only 44% rate U.S. health care quality as “good” or “excellent,” a 20-year low.
Support for government intervention is rising, with 62% favoring federal responsibility for universal health care.
Meanwhile, satisfaction with the Affordable Care Act has grown, with 54% approving.
Trump’s unclear health care overhaul plans are entering a polarized environment where Americans remain split on private versus government-run systems.
Maybe private insurance is problem then? Because they used to not have viable alternatives? Or how would ancap phrase it “used to not have competetion”.
The problem is tax law! The money my company pays for my health insurance is not taxed. If instead of giving me their insurance they give me that $1000/month what I get (after taxes) is around $700/month.
As such private insurance as learned to serve their customer: the company I work for. Since I’m not the customer they do not serve me. There is plenty of competition in private insurance, but I don’t get too look for it, I’m limited to whatever my company gives me as options, which works out to two different plans from the same company with tiny differences.
Returning to this. Tax law by itself is least problem. Recent example is Canada, where they zeroed taxes for month, and prices got increased as result. Private companies will charge as much as people are willing to pay.
I will expand my other reply and tell how and why UHC will make even private healthcare better. Right now in USSA alternative to private healthcare is dying. While in developed countries alternative to private healthcare is healthcare. When even worst national insurance(other kind of single-player system) provides functioning healthcare, asking 1k for spit-and-pray healthcare is not a viable buisness model. If you really want competetion for patients, then UHC is it. Without it yoir healthcare is race to the bottom - minimum healthcare for maximum price.
what I get (after taxes) is around $700/month.
Is it not subtracted from taxes? In Europe paying for healthcare generally counts as pre-tax expence, so you pay taxes as if you did not receive money that you paid for healthcare. Basically less direct private healthcare subsidy.
Since I’m not the customer they do not serve me.
Yep. That’s also why having UHC is better.
US tax law around health care is bad. That is my point.
UHC the customer is the government, not you. Well indirectly you since you own the government, but you then have to figure out if you vote for the person who wants UHC like you or the one who [something else unrelated to health care].
