discussion Study: 43% of Americans are uninsured or under-insured, insurance prices jumped 24%

[Communion]

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A new analysis from former health insurance executive Wendell Potter shows that six of the seven largest health insurers — Centene, CVS, Elevance, UnitedHealth, Humana, and Molina — now receive the majority of their health plan revenues from the federal government, while the seventh, Cigna, gets 42 percent of its revenue from the government. These revenues are fueled in large part by the growth of Medicare Advantage plans, the expensive privatized Medicare plans operated by private health insurers that often wrongfully deny care.

 

These figures do not even include the subsidies that insurers receive to help people buy individual insurance plans offered on state exchanges under the ACA. Under President Joe Biden, Democrats have twice expanded this ACA subsidy program, now until 2025. If Democrats move to authorize these subsidies yet again, the total ACA health insurance subsidy scheme would cost the public more than $800 million over the decade. Meanwhile, these plans deny nearly 20 percent of all in-network health claims.

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All that government money, however, is not buying more affordable prices. According to new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, health insurers raised their prices by 24 percent in a single year. Earlier this year, the Biden administration announced an 8.5 percent spike in revenues paid to Medicare Advantage insurers after implementing the highest-ever increase to Medicare premiums, a decision Biden has partially walked back for next year.

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The government largesse is inflating insurance industry profits, but it isn’t buying universal — or even very good — coverage: A new study from the Commonwealth Fund finds that 43 percent of Americans “are inadequately insured” — meaning they’ve had coverage gaps, they are insured but still cannot afford medical services, or they have no insurance at all.

https://www.levernews.com/health-insurers-get-government-cash-then-jack-up-prices/

[Dula Peep]

It’s a scam we been knew 

[A Bomb]

I'm sorry, but will Dem voters continue to elect utter dumbasses still peddling that private insurance companies NEED to exist or?

[Happylittlepunk]

We need public option tbh. 

[Protocol]

6 hours ago, A Bomb said:

I'm sorry, but will Dem voters continue to elect utter dumbasses still peddling that private insurance companies NEED to exist or?

Do you know what’s it like here in Canada? Do you think waiting 6 months for a specialist is fun?

[A Bomb]

5 hours ago, Protocol said:

Do you know what’s it like here in Canada? Do you think waiting 6 months for a specialist is fun?

I thought Canada only covered general care? Also, waiting compared to not getting any care or going into debt because of it. Seems like a very lovely problem to have. 

[chessguy99]

Some Republicans talk about privatizing Medicare, when in reality it is practically privatized with these Medicare Advantage plans. 

[Protocol]

4 hours ago, A Bomb said:

I thought Canada only covered general care? Also, waiting compared to not getting any care or going into debt because of it. Seems like a very lovely problem to have. 

No, all healthcare aside from dental and vision is covered and all private medicine is illegal. Rich Canadians go to America and pay out of pocket if they want something done quickly. It’s not a lovely problem to have because people literally die on wait lists.

[A Bomb]

11 minutes ago, Protocol said:

No, all healthcare aside from dental and vision is covered and all private medicine is illegal. Rich Canadians go to America and pay out of pocket if they want something done quickly. It’s not a lovely problem to have because people literally die on wait lists.

As opposed to dying in the US for not having any insurance. Do you read back the **** you say? Canada ‘s healthcare is also varies province to province. Idk where you think private insurance is the cure to wait times or how a profit motive will allocate people efficiently. Clearly, in the US it is not.  Clearly the studies done about how Black people and Hispanic poor people literally die earlier because of a lack of access to doctors and medicine dont mean anything compared to waiting. You are arguing from a much better position. Your post is giving “I really don’t care about keeping people out of access to life saving treatments” Just say it with your chest next time. 

[Communion]

11 hours ago, Protocol said:

Do you know what’s it like here in Canada? Do you think waiting 6 months for a specialist is fun?

Guess how long poor Americans wait to see a specialist. 

 

Forever until that blood clot they didn't know they had - since they decided the pain in their chest was manageable because the simply couldn't afford the cost of a doctor visit - travels through their body, up to their brain and then explodes, killing them instantly on their way home from work one afternoon. 

Edited October 12, 2022 by Communion

[Azulito]

15 hours ago, Protocol said:

Do you know what’s it like here in Canada? Do you think waiting 6 months for a specialist is fun?

I have to wait 2 months to see a specialist right now  And that's just for the initial appointment. Have no idea how long I'll have to wait for the next one or how much everything will end up costing.

[Kamil24]

On 10/12/2022 at 2:55 AM, Protocol said:

Do you know what’s it like here in Canada? Do you think waiting 6 months for a specialist is fun?

Sometimes it's quicker though? I remember when I was referred to a specialist, there were different levels of urgency selected. Each level of urgency had a different time period to wait. Mine was not urgent so I think I waited 3 months, but the urgent option was much faster. This was all pre-covid though and I know now it's much worse.

Edited October 13, 2022 by Kamil24