Back in 2019 when universal healthcare was being discussed during the Democratic primary, the Pod Save America guys addressed the question of “Who will pay for it??!” with…
America only ever has one total medical bill, for all the medical expenses and associated costs that we all use, every year. And even if someone doesn’t go to the doctor, then that still eventually adds up to a cost that we all pay, because someday they’ll miss work, or die, or they’ll get really sick and wind up having to declare bankruptcy, and that’s a cost that affects us all, too. There’s no way to subtract from that total cost; either people get the treatment that they need, or the cost gets distributed around anyway, sooner or later. So really, the only variable over which we have meaningful control is how much inefficiency is built into that system, and private insurance is an absolutely massive source of inefficiency.
Also, I can’t fucking believe that we haven’t had a major campaign on the premise of “Never have to think about your insurance EVER AGAIN!” because every goddamn time I have to think about my insurance, whether I’ve got it, whether it covers what I’m thinking of, whether I’m at the right doctor or not, I feel bile rising in the back of my throat. Having to think about insurance should probably poll at around the same level of rectal polyps, and yet we all have to think about it at some point or other, and it’s fucking bullshit.
Back in 2019 when universal healthcare was being discussed during the Democratic primary, the Pod Save America guys addressed the question of “Who will pay for it??!” with…
America only ever has one total medical bill, for all the medical expenses and associated costs that we all use, every year. And even if someone doesn’t go to the doctor, then that still eventually adds up to a cost that we all pay, because someday they’ll miss work, or die, or they’ll get really sick and wind up having to declare bankruptcy, and that’s a cost that affects us all, too. There’s no way to subtract from that total cost; either people get the treatment that they need, or the cost gets distributed around anyway, sooner or later. So really, the only variable over which we have meaningful control is how much inefficiency is built into that system, and private insurance is an absolutely massive source of inefficiency.
Also, I can’t fucking believe that we haven’t had a major campaign on the premise of “Never have to think about your insurance EVER AGAIN!” because every goddamn time I have to think about my insurance, whether I’ve got it, whether it covers what I’m thinking of, whether I’m at the right doctor or not, I feel bile rising in the back of my throat. Having to think about insurance should probably poll at around the same level of rectal polyps, and yet we all have to think about it at some point or other, and it’s fucking bullshit.