And let's not forget the medical system designed to ignore chronic illness (especially of the "invisible" type) because it "costs too much" and is therefore unprofitable for insurance companies to accept as legit codes, creating a Mobius Strip of denial.
Especially when your doctor sends you for a test that you get charged for as unnecessary. The insurance companies shouldn't be making decisions about the necessity of our healthcare.
Our politicians fear the loss of the healthcare industry money in their super pacs. Every Congressperson who fights Universal healthcare does so based on greed alone. It seems the most successful weapon against UH is labeling it socialized medicine. America voted for trump because the price of eggs is too high but they have no problem with all the money spent on HC? They don't see a problem with children not being able to see a doctor because mom can't afford it? What about the small businesses the GOP is always claiming to champion?
I love that unions gave us overtime pay, vacations, and sickdays as well as other benefits enjoyed by many of us today but tying our HC to our jobs was a mistake. Someone has cancer and they can't work, when they officially have to end their employment, what happens to their healthcare? There's COBRA but it's not cheap and it's temporary. JFK tried to get is UH, Hillary Clinton tried as well. Bernie Sanders has always been vocal of the need in this country for UH. I think he's pushed Medicare for all but after my first year of Medicare, I don't think it compares to what countries like Canada provides.
One last thing to get out of my head, the ACA is not perfect but it was infinitely better before the changes under trump. Standard coverages were removed and basic plans that don't cover squat are now sold so a broken arm can be catastrophic. The bill originally required every American have a policy, subsidies are available for anyone who can afford the premium. I seem to remember something about companies had to spend 80% of money collected from premiums on actual healthcare, not on CEOs or board members. What happened to that? Ok rant over.
They tied healthcare to jobs on purpose. It makes people indentured servants. And the for-profit healthcare model is a scam. It’s all by design. Just like cruelty is a feature, not a bug.
It may be that Medicare is kind of uneven, great for some, but not everybody, or every condition. I can only speak for myself.
I’m a type 1 diabetic, with an insulin pump and a continuous glucose monitor. None of this stuff is cheap. In addition to insulin, I have a lot of replacement parts to pay for over the course of the year. I have original Medicare and a supplement. Long story short, I pay the Part B deductible (still less than $300) at the beginning of the year, and everything else is covered for the year. Now, my doctors didn’t tell me about this. I found out about it from an online discussion group for diabetics called TuDiabetes. My first year of Medicare eligibility, I had a Medicare Advantage plan, and was pretty deep in the out-of-pocket hole. Then I found out about how much original Medicare really covered, and I’ve had it ever since. I do have to see an endocrinologist every 90 days. That’s a Medicare requirement. But it’s worth it to me, because it’s keeping me healthier than I could manage on my own.
I firmly believe keeping US healthcare in its sorry state supports US armed forces recruiting. We knew so many families that either first joined, or stayed in long after, just for the military healthcare for their family, often for one family member with a chronic or severe medical condition.
I paid for healthcare and was very disillusioned when it officially—IMO—evolved from a doctor driven profession into an MBA driven business of life blood ticks. Fortunately, I had a backup as a veteran. The VA, even with some problems is highly superior to what I was getting with HMO’s. It is similar to socialized medicine which is superior to Capitalist greed.
And the main reason we don't have Medicare for everyone is that the for-profit health "insurance" executives make significant contributions to politicians and parties. No wonder that the man who murdered the head of the largest insurance group was considered to be a hero!
Our healthcare system is about making money and has nothing to do with providing healthcare to people. Dr. Oz wants to privatize medicare which provides less healthcare then original medicare and the premiums and co-pays will be higher. Dr. Oz owns six hundred thousand dollars of stock in medicare advantage companies. He stands to make millions if medicare is privatized and people will face higher premiums with bigger deductibles or become uninsured. This is something Dr. Oz will never tell the people. It is all about money.
I've always been astonished at the power of rumor and hearsay to protect this system. "My uncle's friend's roommate is Canadian and his mom died waiting for chemo so I don't want universal healthcare." No she didn't, you tool. That didn't happen. Any American who actually gets care in a country with a saner system is instantly red-pilled.
Earlier today, (on Substack, sorry source) I read this:
The majority of insured US adults had at least one issue, including denial of claims, with their health insurance in the span of a year, according to a survey released in June 2023 by KFF, a nonprofit health policy research group.
This feels unspeakably vital. For-profit driven healthcare has meant that I constantly feel that doctors are seeing an ROI calculation when they look at me— an equation that has meant they've given up on me when I didn't prove to be an immediate return on investment by getting better. It has been such a grind to believe in the continued worth of my life when the system is telling me I am not a worthy expenditure.
I recently paid AU$40 ($12.80) for a prescribed ointment when the pharmacist told me I was lucky because it cost $1000 in America. Ofcourse, I didn't believe him, so googled it, and he was wrong. The cost was between US$900 and $1500.
You bet I spent an hour online leaving reviews telling people IT DOESN'T EVEN WORK!!
My last post was about this subject and I'd have loved to have access to your wonderful drawings, which tell the story so well.
I looked at healthcare from the privileged point of view. I
I think that those who have privileged healthcare are happy with their healthcare, hence don't want to change anything, and are the same people who have the influence and power to keep the status quo.
This week United Healthcare denied 2 of my claims and 1 of my teenage daughter whom we’ve both been covered by UHC her entire life. I called to find out why considering my deductible has been met. They said they thought we both had a second insurance. I said nope your it. They said they’d fix it but it’s crazy how many claims are denied over BS reasons hoping we don’t notice
Excellent summary, thank you! Our abysmal "healthcare" system is a major issue to tackle. We absolutely need Medicare for all. I am on Medicare, still pay into it, and do not want it diminished or abolished. It is a lifesaver. Unlike insurance company policies, which encourage illness and death.
Panels one and six really hit home. My dad is in the U.S., has Medicare, and it's STILL like that! Panel six is what's called the "time tax", and it's infiltrating ALL services.
And let's not forget the medical system designed to ignore chronic illness (especially of the "invisible" type) because it "costs too much" and is therefore unprofitable for insurance companies to accept as legit codes, creating a Mobius Strip of denial.
It's absolutely infuriating!
Especially when your doctor sends you for a test that you get charged for as unnecessary. The insurance companies shouldn't be making decisions about the necessity of our healthcare.
Our politicians fear the loss of the healthcare industry money in their super pacs. Every Congressperson who fights Universal healthcare does so based on greed alone. It seems the most successful weapon against UH is labeling it socialized medicine. America voted for trump because the price of eggs is too high but they have no problem with all the money spent on HC? They don't see a problem with children not being able to see a doctor because mom can't afford it? What about the small businesses the GOP is always claiming to champion?
I love that unions gave us overtime pay, vacations, and sickdays as well as other benefits enjoyed by many of us today but tying our HC to our jobs was a mistake. Someone has cancer and they can't work, when they officially have to end their employment, what happens to their healthcare? There's COBRA but it's not cheap and it's temporary. JFK tried to get is UH, Hillary Clinton tried as well. Bernie Sanders has always been vocal of the need in this country for UH. I think he's pushed Medicare for all but after my first year of Medicare, I don't think it compares to what countries like Canada provides.
One last thing to get out of my head, the ACA is not perfect but it was infinitely better before the changes under trump. Standard coverages were removed and basic plans that don't cover squat are now sold so a broken arm can be catastrophic. The bill originally required every American have a policy, subsidies are available for anyone who can afford the premium. I seem to remember something about companies had to spend 80% of money collected from premiums on actual healthcare, not on CEOs or board members. What happened to that? Ok rant over.
They tied healthcare to jobs on purpose. It makes people indentured servants. And the for-profit healthcare model is a scam. It’s all by design. Just like cruelty is a feature, not a bug.
It may be that Medicare is kind of uneven, great for some, but not everybody, or every condition. I can only speak for myself.
I’m a type 1 diabetic, with an insulin pump and a continuous glucose monitor. None of this stuff is cheap. In addition to insulin, I have a lot of replacement parts to pay for over the course of the year. I have original Medicare and a supplement. Long story short, I pay the Part B deductible (still less than $300) at the beginning of the year, and everything else is covered for the year. Now, my doctors didn’t tell me about this. I found out about it from an online discussion group for diabetics called TuDiabetes. My first year of Medicare eligibility, I had a Medicare Advantage plan, and was pretty deep in the out-of-pocket hole. Then I found out about how much original Medicare really covered, and I’ve had it ever since. I do have to see an endocrinologist every 90 days. That’s a Medicare requirement. But it’s worth it to me, because it’s keeping me healthier than I could manage on my own.
We have medicare part G not an advantage plan.
I firmly believe keeping US healthcare in its sorry state supports US armed forces recruiting. We knew so many families that either first joined, or stayed in long after, just for the military healthcare for their family, often for one family member with a chronic or severe medical condition.
I paid for healthcare and was very disillusioned when it officially—IMO—evolved from a doctor driven profession into an MBA driven business of life blood ticks. Fortunately, I had a backup as a veteran. The VA, even with some problems is highly superior to what I was getting with HMO’s. It is similar to socialized medicine which is superior to Capitalist greed.
Don't even get me started about dental healthcare ...
And the main reason we don't have Medicare for everyone is that the for-profit health "insurance" executives make significant contributions to politicians and parties. No wonder that the man who murdered the head of the largest insurance group was considered to be a hero!
Our healthcare system is about making money and has nothing to do with providing healthcare to people. Dr. Oz wants to privatize medicare which provides less healthcare then original medicare and the premiums and co-pays will be higher. Dr. Oz owns six hundred thousand dollars of stock in medicare advantage companies. He stands to make millions if medicare is privatized and people will face higher premiums with bigger deductibles or become uninsured. This is something Dr. Oz will never tell the people. It is all about money.
I've always been astonished at the power of rumor and hearsay to protect this system. "My uncle's friend's roommate is Canadian and his mom died waiting for chemo so I don't want universal healthcare." No she didn't, you tool. That didn't happen. Any American who actually gets care in a country with a saner system is instantly red-pilled.
Earlier today, (on Substack, sorry source) I read this:
The majority of insured US adults had at least one issue, including denial of claims, with their health insurance in the span of a year, according to a survey released in June 2023 by KFF, a nonprofit health policy research group.
Raise your hand if that’s you. ✋🏾🤚
This feels unspeakably vital. For-profit driven healthcare has meant that I constantly feel that doctors are seeing an ROI calculation when they look at me— an equation that has meant they've given up on me when I didn't prove to be an immediate return on investment by getting better. It has been such a grind to believe in the continued worth of my life when the system is telling me I am not a worthy expenditure.
I recently paid AU$40 ($12.80) for a prescribed ointment when the pharmacist told me I was lucky because it cost $1000 in America. Ofcourse, I didn't believe him, so googled it, and he was wrong. The cost was between US$900 and $1500.
You bet I spent an hour online leaving reviews telling people IT DOESN'T EVEN WORK!!
Aubrey,
My last post was about this subject and I'd have loved to have access to your wonderful drawings, which tell the story so well.
I looked at healthcare from the privileged point of view. I
I think that those who have privileged healthcare are happy with their healthcare, hence don't want to change anything, and are the same people who have the influence and power to keep the status quo.
I'll DM the post to you.
This week United Healthcare denied 2 of my claims and 1 of my teenage daughter whom we’ve both been covered by UHC her entire life. I called to find out why considering my deductible has been met. They said they thought we both had a second insurance. I said nope your it. They said they’d fix it but it’s crazy how many claims are denied over BS reasons hoping we don’t notice
It’s all about the money. People don’t matter.
Health care should not be for profit. It’s conflict of interest!
Excellent summary, thank you! Our abysmal "healthcare" system is a major issue to tackle. We absolutely need Medicare for all. I am on Medicare, still pay into it, and do not want it diminished or abolished. It is a lifesaver. Unlike insurance company policies, which encourage illness and death.
Panels one and six really hit home. My dad is in the U.S., has Medicare, and it's STILL like that! Panel six is what's called the "time tax", and it's infiltrating ALL services.