That is the reality those people will fight you to the death to defend.
West Virginia is one of those states that overwhelmingly supported the Cheeto. One WV mayor described his town as “the most Trumpian place in America.” It is also one of the most impacted by the “opioid epidemic” which oddly enough seems to be only recently acknowledged when the man probably most responsible for its worst damage was shown to be not only the one charged with reducing the supply before moving from corrupt regulator to industry leader but was put up by the Cheeto as the “drug czar.”
Unfortunately for America, the stereotypical residents of the West Virginia hills are the “base” on which the Cheeto is building in his move to “corporatize” American government to the benefit of Wall Street and the oligarchy of which he wants to be part.
I think one if the biggest problems is that insurance isn’t a countrywide business. Each state has its own rules and regulations so in reality the market isn’t the whole US it’s state by state. Maybe a makeover in THAT system is what we need as well…
Without a universal health care system, the US still spend the most on health care per person of all OECD countries:
There may be more than one explanation for this, but here may be one of them:
It should be noted that there are only self-declared data for USA (and many other countries) Where there are both self-declared and measured data it appears that the reality is something abt. 10% higher then the self-declared, which may put USA in supreme leadership also here.
But that is not reflected in the WHO’s Health Care Ranking:
USA is at #37, but at least that is 2 places ahead of Cuba.
What about private health care insurance cost?
Here is a comparison of international health insurance around the world, with the highest and lowest in each region:
It is again a “winner” for USA. How can that be in the highly competitive capitalist heaven of USA?
Opioids are hard to get here, Dutch doctors are very conservative with these drugs, same with anti biotics which is good I think. At the Health Wagon one guy who came for free treatment stated: I am a capitalist and donot want a compulsory insurance. What happened with these people which are dirt poor and suffering so much to say that they are a capitalist? Something went very wrong in the past…
A large part of that is because many people don’t have insurance so they go to the emergency room for everything because the ER can’t turn them away. Emergency rooms cost SIGNIFICANTLY more than regular doctors.
Yes that is obviously one of the direct reasons. The other is that your health care system is based on “for profit” hospitals, health insurance and not to mention the high prices charge by the pharmaceutical companies for medicine. All of which leads to unnecessary tests, treatment and procedures, over use of prescription medicines and other waste of resources.
It is IMPOSSIBLE for foreigners to understand why there is such a resistance to change from the people that suffer the most from the present reality. (Here and in other things that is particular to US)
Since it appears that EVERYBODY know where the problem lays and know that other countries have better and cheaper systems that can be used as a model for US improvement, why is nothing productive done to change it?
I tend to agree with what you’re saying unfortunately we have a huge disconnect in government. I believe a single subsidized provider modeled after some in existence would be a great start.
because the average unwashed poorly educated Amerikan has been manipulated by those holding power to vote for only candidates who support GAGG* issues and being addicted to a recretainment culture without much in the way of a thought process they are not capable at understanding how they continually vote against what should be their own personal interests such as health care, education, balanced government spending, a livable minimum wage, consumer protection, protecting the environment, ad nauseum. They have no real basis to oppose the Affordable Care Act but still demand it be killed (which actually serves the interests of the wealthiest 5% who’s taxes went up to pay for it). Yes, the Act can be improved but why do these people want it killed? Bet most could not truly answer that question other than it was created by the Democrats so it must be evil!
Of course these same people do not demand taxes be raised on the very wealthy to bring revenues more in line with spending, want to spend even more on our MEGA military on weapons systems for enemies which no longer exist, build the border wall, deport every illegal alien even though their working for such low wages results in lower costs for food and construction, and wail to high heaven when someone suggests they should belong to a labor union (because the monied powerbrokers have brainwashed them long ago that organized labor is the personification of all that is unholy!).
Instead these folks have little to no savings, high debt loads, plenty of monster trucks and playtoys, houses much too large for their real needs, every type of firearm imaginable plus thousands of rounds of ammo and a 65" big screen TV in each room so they never miss an episode of Game of Thrones or Real Housewives or any football game!
this is what is known to those with educations as “bread and circuses” and this isn’t the first time the world has seen this phenomenon. The USA is now on an inexorable slide to handing its status as global leader to China pissing away all the tremendous wealth that was created here in over four centuries. I do in fact wonder what the global order will look like in 50 years long after I am dust? I do know it will not be pleasant for this nation and its people.
If everybody HAD insurance the cost of even unnecessary visits to E&A would be spread on more policies.
Or even better, if it was paid for over taxes and the hospitals were run by the Government, they could put a price on unnecessary visits and procedures.
Of course you should be free to take out expensive private insurance, go to private clinics and hospitals, get as much expensive and unnecessary treatment and stuff yourself with as much overpriced medicine as the Insurance Company would allow you. (That is the price of FREEDOM, I suppose??)
Surprise, surprise, that is also allowed in countries with “free” Government health care for everyone.
Does all this smell of Socialism? Yes it IS Socialism at it’s best, for the benefit of the many, not the few.
Private insurance companies limit the tests and procedures asked to be done and most doctors have ethics and order only what they need to find a result. It’s rare that extraneous things are done just to make money.
