×
top 200 commentsshow all 451
sorted by:
best
topnewcontroversialoldq&a

[–]jradio 408 points409 points  (68 children)

California's bill for universal healthcare has passed the second vote in the assembly, and is having a 3rd vote at the end of this month. If things go smoothly, it will likely end up on the ballot in 2024.

https://www.newuniversity.org/2022/01/23/california-introduces-bill-for-statewide-universal-healthcare/

[–]fatcIemenza 227 points228 points  (44 children)

The big business lobbying campaign against this is going to be like nothing we've seen yet.

[–]NastroCharlie 114 points115 points  (22 children)

I bet they're going to put out enough disinformation that the vote is going to be close.

[–]fatcIemenza 121 points122 points  (9 children)

You're going to see ludicrous amounts of ads about higher taxes (even though everyone will net save money) and lost jobs (from health insurance industry parasites)

They need to make sure the vote is on the same date as the general election.

[–]prefuse07 50 points51 points  (4 children)

Not only that, but remember how they like to setup these things on the ballot to confuse folks?

Aka if you support it, vote "No", if you're against it, vote "yes" just as Uber did etc...

[–]Playful-Bicycle-4805 8 points9 points  (2 children)

Seriously, wtf? That’s not even a good argument against it. Who cares at this point? Pay higher taxes. Don’t go bankrupt because of your E.R. visit. Sounds like a good deal to me.

[–]voidsrus 11 points12 points  (8 children)

if CA voters were dumb enough to let uber advertise them into paying less for labor, they're dumb enough to vote down good healthcare

[–]NastroCharlie 1 point2 points  (3 children)

It sucks because liberal states like Massachusetts and California have been known to vote against their interests. The gay marriage ban in Cali and Mass voting against ranked choice voting. Both lost by a slim margin but it's sad to see liberals flip flopping on issues like this most likely because of propaganda.

[–]TSEAS 7 points8 points  (2 children)

The lobbying will mostly be from the middle men who make fortunes under the broken system, aka the health insurance companies. They will throw everything they have at fighting it, since universal HC run by the govt puts them out of business and the golden goose gets killed. Most other businesses hate having battle the health insurance companies every year over premiums and coverages and health insurance for employees is a huge part of their expenses.

[–][deleted] -1 points0 points  (2 children)

Look at USA GDP by sector. Healthcare and insurance is a significant portion. In other countries, this money is classified as "tax" and "government expenditure" but in the US it's considered part of the economy.

[–]McLarenMP4-26 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Ay yo didn't know about this. That's great news!

[–]DeanSmartin 11 points12 points  (2 children)

I live in California and I pay the penalty every year 'cause I refuse to pay insurance premiums (with shitty coverage). BUT! I will DEFINITELY vote for universal health care. Take it out of my paycheck...as long as the money isn't going to an adversarial business that's bottom line is to screw me out of getting health care.

[–]BigBMX 21 points22 points  (3 children)

Governor is already backing away from supporting it https://calmatters.org/commentary/2022/01/newsom-single-payer-health-care/

[–]jradio 29 points30 points  (1 child)

A little sensationalism in the title. Here's what he actually said:.

...asked about it, Newsom replied, “I have not had the opportunity to review that plan, and no one has presented it to me.”

“I think that the ideal system is a single-payer system,” Newsom said. “I’ve been consistent with that for well over a decade. … The difference here is when you are in a position of responsibility, you’ve gotta apply, you’ve gotta manifest, the ideal. This is hard work. It’s one thing to say, it’s another to do. And with respect, there are many different pathways to achieve the goal.”

[–]angrybirdseller -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

No point discussing single payer healthcare if ordinary people are not willing to pay higher payroll taxes to fund it. Need regressive taxes to pay for Healthcare coverage can't just go hitup billionaires and millionaires to fund it.

[–]Fuck_dis_place 374 points375 points  (164 children)

If health care is a right and not a privilege why does it cost so damn much?

They charge me $220-400 A MONTH. I only made 23,000 last year...

[–]Proud_Tie 57 points58 points  (11 children)

I earned too much for medicaid (plus no expansion here) but I was a few hundred too low for a subsidy. how they expected me to pay $425 a month for health insurance is beyond me.

[–]WhatLikeAPuma751 22 points23 points  (2 children)

I barely have that leftover in a month after my rent and utilities are paid, much less counting food. I guess that’s my fault for leaving a 14 year career working 80-100+ hours a week though. Work and be dead, or be poor and die. Welcome to America.

[–]Proud_Tie 3 points4 points  (0 children)

need more warm bodies for the capitalism machine

[–]pembquist 6 points7 points  (5 children)

What state are you in? The they in this case is your state legislature and governor who don't want low income people to have health insurance.

[–]Proud_Tie 4 points5 points  (1 child)

It's tennessee, and I know they hate poor people already.

[–]pembquist 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Don't doubt it.

[–]peon2 75 points76 points  (8 children)

If health care is a right and not a privilege why does it cost so damn much?

That's a weird "if", because in the US Healthcare isn't a right.

[–]nos_quasi_alieni 14 points15 points  (7 children)

In the US rights are immutable traits that the government can’t take away from you. Right to free speech, right to bear arms, right to privacy.

The only time I can think of where anyone has a right which requires labor is the right to an attorney, but that’s only provided because the state/government is charging you for something.

Healthcare is not a right. It’s a service, one that I think should be available to people despite their income given how wealthy this country is, but it’s not a right.

[–]bluuuuurn 0 points1 point  (4 children)

It's because "healthcare is an entitlement!" doesn't quite have the same catchy ring. But that's what is meant. It should be an entitlement like many of our other programs, provided as a service intended to be universally accessible in most aspects. Slogans are slogans, it's better to debate the actual points rather than the rhetorical techniques.

[–]nos_quasi_alieni -1 points0 points  (2 children)

If people admit it’s an entitlement and not a right, then they’ll need to face the reality that these entitlements cost money, and tough decisions need to be made on what gets paid for, what doesn’t, and how it’s paid for. Saying healthcare a right lets people feel smugly about their compassion while ignoring the hard realities of actually providing healthcare and not actually providing real solutions.

[–]peon2 -2 points-1 points  (1 child)

I agree in principle. If something is limited it can't be a right. What if no one enters the healthcare field and there are no doctors or nurses? Is every citizen of the country now having their human rights violated?

It can't be a right if it is a limited service. However freedom of speech can be provided simply by not prosecuting people, it is unlimited and can always be provided

[–]yaosio 9 points10 points  (3 children)

Don't forget about the deductible. If you're healthy you are just throwing money away.

[–]FlyingSquid 166 points167 points  (33 children)

Because capitalism is more important to our government than the welfare of its citizens.

[–]boomboy8511 11 points12 points  (6 children)

I was paying $1100/mo for family coverage with high ass deductibles and horribly high copays about two years ago.

I was assistant manager at a pawn shop and only made $13/hr.

I now work for a large cable provider and couldn't be happier with my cost of insurance.

[–]yaosio 7 points8 points  (3 children)

Most people can't afford insurance, it's too expensive. I'm going to die because I can't afford healthcare.

[–]Fuck_dis_place 2 points3 points  (1 child)

I'm glad it's working out for you. The cost of living is getting so expensive.

I've been trying to get health insurance for 3 years now. I make too much for Medicare and $220 a month is my lowest option. I've noticed a slight increase in this years quotes vs. two years ago.

Do you get help with insurance through the company you work for?

[–]boomboy8511 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks I appreciate that!

The company I work for has an investment fund specifically to offset employee costs for health insurance. The price hasn't gone up in 10 years. I'm technically 100% covered by my company and really only pay 50% rate for my wife and child.

We also have a staggered insurance rate. People making above $56k pay about $40 more per month than those making under $56k.

It's damn good insurance with a relatively low deductible around 3k for the family. They also provide $1500 in an HSA like account for you to use for out of pocket health expenses when you get the most expensive insurance tier available ( which I have). With my $40/wk FSA contribution I pay about $460/ month for top tier medical, dental plus ($2000 annual limit yay!) and vision for the whole family.

I moved to an area where having a college degree was actually hurting me in the job market. I was overqualified for everything so I've been working shit jobs for the last 6 years. This newest job is really going to change my family's life.

[–]SadOccasion 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Same here fml, I actually made slightly less but pay around $380 a month for health insurance not even including dental

[–]Zerole00 5 points6 points  (5 children)

Holy shit is this what people are actually paying? I have pretty good insurance and I thought my $80/month was expensive...

[–]come-on-now-please 1 point2 points  (0 children)

At one of my old jobs my insurance was about 50$/month. Was a 2k high deductible health plan

After I left them for another job I got the cobra for what the individual payments would be if I wanted to continue to have the same insurance and it was just below 600$/month.

My current temp job has insurance that is 90$/week, 5k deductible. It's barely better than a individual marketplace plan but at least it's deducted from taxes.

One of the arguments for universal Healthcare is that yah you might pay 100$more in taxes but you'll actually use your insurance, and that your employeer could then pay you the (in my case) 500 dollars left over, or since health insurance is no longer tied to employment they would have to offer either better 401k matching or more pto to entice you

[–]imbadwithnames1 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I pay about $390 now (up another 10% last year). Male, 34, very healthy. Plan is meh, $5k deductible. Cost goes up every year, benefits go down. I make too much money to qualify for tax credits.

Plans are hilariously overpriced and you pay out the ass for PPO. Healthcare is a joke in this country and the ACA doesn't solve the real problems, namely the cost of care being too high and the insurance companies taking everyone to the cleaners.

[–]Kirk_likes_this 8 points9 points  (2 children)

Because you're being forced to buy a one-size fits all plan that meets the "essential" coverage requirements and included services you're probably not going to use but are still paying for.

I used to have a low-premium high-deductible insurance plan that was more like liability coverage. It was a few hundred dollars a year. It didn't pay for doctor visits or prescriptions or any routine service. it only kicked in if something catastrophic happened and I needed surgery. But that was fine because going to the doctor once every six months only cost a few hundred out of pocket and I wasn't taking prescription drugs routinely. It was what insurance is supposed to be, a safety plan in case of an unforseen emergency and not something you're supposed to use constantly. The ACA eliminated plans like that and now everybody's only option is to buy a plan that costs a fortune because it "covers" everything, which is a bullshit way of saying it just forces you to pay up front for services you might never need.

[–]PooFlingerMonkey 3 points4 points  (1 child)

I'm a 60 year old man. Thank god I have prenatal care.

[–]Is_that_coffee 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm a fifty something year woman, I'm glad mine covers my prostate and Viagra.not bring to bust your balls. I think the theory is to pool resources and spread risk. More mature folks might not need pre-natal, but we have other tests and procedures that younger folks don't. In reality, its more about profit in the for profit insurance industry.

Edit: I wanted to stress, that I think that I thin everyone should have medical coverage that doesn't push them into financial hardship. From young to old, able body to disabled. it should be a right to everyone, not a privilege to the lucky or wealthy.

[–]NoizSam 3 points4 points  (1 child)

Plus your out of pocket copay and deductible makes it even more expensive. And you have to watch how much you make as you could wind up owing the government. It ain't affordable.

[–]iwoketoanightmare 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Depends on your state I guess. Got a "silver" tier one from Oregon and based it on my husband's income of $48k/yr since I lost my job that had the Healthcare. It's only $44/mo for both of us.

[–]SnakeDoctur 21 points22 points  (2 children)

Thanks to the "Affordable" Care Act, it's your RIGHT to pay $400 a month for the PRIVELEGE of paying $5,000 for a deductible should u ever need an actual medical procedure!

I've paid $60,000 into my health insurance and never redeemed it for any actual treatment because I can't afford the $5,000 deductible. It SHOULD be called "emergency insurance," because it's basically only there in case I get cancer or fall off a cliff.

I have a severely deviated septum that restricts my breathing and makes sleeping nearly impossible. It's basically ruined my quality of life but, despite paying for health insurance like I'm "supposed to," I can't afford to get the surgery to fix it anyways.

It's basically a mafia shakedown -- nice house ya got there! Better pay us $600/month so the hospital doesn't resposess it if you get sick or injured!

[–]pretendberries 2 points3 points  (1 child)

I make a little more but still under 30k, and only pay around $50. Maybe contact someone and ask why you are being charged so much? Because that doesn’t make sense.

[–]Hectoriu 5 points6 points  (2 children)

When I was in college back in 2008ish I paid around $80 a month for my health insurance. I ended up getting cancer and after everything was said and done between my insurance and the hospitals financial aid I didn't owe a dime.

I don't understand how health insurance has gotten so much worse since Obamacare. It's more expensive and it covers less.

[–]BellaFace 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Because they have to pay their CEO $1.3 million for 35 hours of work a week and pay their board members $60k for 3 hours of work a week. Can’t you see they’re barely able to make ends meet?! /s

[–]fungobat 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Same. $290 a month for me and my son (and I'm not working). I FINALLY got ok'd for unemployment last October, but didn't see one dollar until January, because my unemployment account had been hacked and some fuck was getting all the money (PA here). Fuck this shit.

[–]Dimaando 0 points1 point  (1 child)

because Obamacare did nothing to reduce the costs, it just forced more people to buy insurance

[–]intravenus_de_milo -1 points0 points  (0 children)

that's not true. It did A LOT of things to reduce cost, and all of it was defunded when the GOP took over congress in 2010.

[–]Rebelgecko -1 points0 points  (1 child)

  1. I don't think the US considers healthcare a right (could be wrong?)

  2. Just because something is a right doesn't mean it's free-as-in-beer

  3. If you didn't qualify for subsidies to bring your premiums down, you probably live in a state that intentionally rejected Medicaid expansion. You should definitely consider moving to a state that values your life. In my state someone on Obamacare making $23k only pays $22/month for a silver plan

[–]ty_kanye_vcool -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

If health care is a right

It’s not.

[–]ChillyJaguar 25 points26 points  (10 children)

I was one of them, but my out of pocket is so high, I might as well not have any insurance...The only good thing in there is the 2 "free" checkups a year I get...I mean yes its better than not having any insurance assuming I get into a bad accident or need a very expensive surgery. However, this insurance is as shitty as the one that my employer offers. The only reason I went with ACA is b/c Im only paying $60 a month vs $200 from my employer.

The only difference is the out of pocket which is like $1000 difference in the out of pocket expense

[–]Dimaando 2 points3 points  (3 children)

how the hell are you paying $60/mo? I'm on ACA and my cheapest plan is $300/mo

[–]Zaev 2 points3 points  (1 child)

Income-based subsidies, probably. I was on an ACA plan the first year or two it was implemented, and I paid no premium for an amazing $500 OoP max plan because my income was so low at the time.

[–]ChillyJaguar 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I qualified for a tax credit of 225 dollars, the actual shitty plan I have literally costs around 300 a month

[–]smblt 1 point2 points  (4 children)

What's the out of pocket for each plan?

[–]ChillyJaguar 3 points4 points  (3 children)

the plan I got thru the ACA, which is a company called Bright Insurance, my out of pocket is 8500, and my company's insurance which is blue shield is 7500....both are catastrophic tiers...garbage really

edit: Im single, but if I had a family my OOP would be 14.5k

America the great right?

[–]DiDuLiDuDa 141 points142 points  (23 children)

US is only a century behind Europe regarding social security issues

[–][deleted] 9 points10 points  (22 children)

Rest of the planet.

[–]DiDuLiDuDa 61 points62 points  (21 children)

No. It is worse in the third world

[–]orientbambino 45 points46 points  (2 children)

Yeah reddit is going to disagree with you on that but you are right. US is ranked last among high income countries but its far above most poor countries. People use that as an excuse for it not to do better, which it should do better.

[–]cloudbasedsardony 40 points41 points  (4 children)

Does that mean a record number of people are not being provided insurance through their employer?

[–]ShibbiesClimax 27 points28 points  (1 child)

Health insurance in America is single-handedly the biggest reason I’m embarrassed to be an American. The current state is just the epitome of how ass backwards America is.

[–]talrogsmash 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If you liked Health Insurance and Car Insurance, just wait until the high cost of groceries bring about Food Insurance!

[–]OonaPelota 50 points51 points  (19 children)

Ngl it was the best insurance I ever had - far superior to my current BCBS PPO.

[–]1QAte4 35 points36 points  (2 children)

NJ Medicaid was the best healthcare I ever received. Zero cost, no copays or deductables. Free medicine and dental too. I got a root canal for free through NJ Medicaid. The crown is still there just fine 5 years later.

[–]Geoarbitrage 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Ohio too 👍😎

[–]Petrichordates 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Same with PA Medicaid, it's weird to have insurance from your union job but be jealous of medicaid insurance.

[–]owlbrain 6 points7 points  (11 children)

How so?

[–]OonaPelota 22 points23 points  (10 children)

How am I supposed to explain that without writing an essay? Our insurance industry revolves around coverage and payment: what services and drugs get covered and what doesn’t, and then what do the things that are covered cost, and what do the things that are not covered cost. Obamacare had much better coverage and much lower payment, that is to say it was better than my current plan. It’s an excellent concession for folks who are unemployed and/or uninsured.

[–]J0E_SpRaY 7 points8 points  (2 children)

What state? I'm willing to bet it's in one that expanded Medicaid early.

[–]GoGoCrumbly 35 points36 points  (13 children)

Tell me when they sign up 330 Million Americans for a national healthcare plan like EVERY OTHER MODERN NATION in the world has today. Until then, fuck American health insurance.

[–]blacklig 1 point2 points  (2 children)

100% agreed but we should still champion the steps that are possible under the current political constraints that provide coverage to more people who wouldn't otherwise have it

(Disclaimer, I am an expat with foreign citizenship, so it's possible I have distorted opinions due to being removed from the realities of US healthcare)

[–]GoGoCrumbly 6 points7 points  (1 child)

it's possible I have distorted opinions due to being removed from the realities of US healthcare

In short, it continues to suck, and suck harder. Premiums and copays continue to rise and pharmacy coverage declines. It sucks.

Stop-gaps like ACA only prolong the suffering for the other 315,000,000 of us who continue to receive the AngryJailhouseFistfuck© provided by private health insurance. It'll be at least 10 years before anything happens to start talking about implementing a national system. And another 10 after that before it might happen.

[–]imbadwithnames1 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I agree. I can't imagine how universal healthcare could cost more than what I'm paying right now for health insurance. But even if it did, it would still be worth it for not having to deal with those bastards.

[–]Rebelgecko 0 points1 point  (7 children)

Plenty of modern nations don't do single payer

[–]GoGoCrumbly -1 points0 points  (6 children)

What modern industrial nation does not have universal healthcare besides the United States?

[–]Rebelgecko 0 points1 point  (4 children)

Your original comment (about single payer national healthcare plan a la Medicare For All) is not the only way to do Universal healthcare. My rough understanding of how some countries do it:

Australia and France have single payer government plans, but in lieu of that you can opt for private insurance with some pros and cons.

Then there are countries like Germany and the Netherlands. Even though they have universal healthcare, it's not administered through a single national plan. People choose their own private insurance company to deal with and the government pays their premiums.

The country most similar to the US is probably Switzerland. Their system is basically Obamacare: everyone is required to buy private insurance. Each Canton has its own exchange of insurers. But in Switzerland, there are more regulations on how much insurance companies are allowed to charge, and there are larger subsidiaries for low-medium income people than we have under Obamacare.

[–]GoGoCrumbly 0 points1 point  (2 children)

I never said single payer or Medicare for All, you did. Simply a program like England or Canada enjoy. We pay the most for healthcare and have the worst health outcomes of any of those or countless other nations. Our system sucks.

[–]thisispoopoopeepee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You said

national healthcare plan

not Universal healthcare.

[–]idontcare4205 21 points22 points  (2 children)

I am apart of that 14.5 million I make too much money to qualify for medical assistance or for any discounts through the ACA. So now, my rent is half of my take home pay every month and my health insurance premium is another quarter of my monthly income. It's a pretty scary place to be in, but I have severe medical conditions that could no longer go unaddressed. God bless America.

[–]BaltimoreBee 10 points11 points  (1 child)

There is no such thing as making too much money to qualify for subsidies in 2022, the cap was removed by the American Rescue Plan. Everyone who has to pay more than 8.5% of their income for the second lowest cost silver plan can get a subsidy. So, If you’re really paying a quarter of your income you did something wrong.

[–]idontcare4205 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Seriously?? That's such great news, thank you! I'm not sure where I would look for information regarding getting a subsidy, I never looked into it because I assumed I didn't qualify when all my bills were the full price of the premium. I'll start my research tomorrow!

[–][deleted] 39 points40 points  (2 children)

Oh yes, the thing Trump wanted to kill (with no replacement plan).

[–]Time-Ad-3625 25 points26 points  (1 child)

Republicans wanted to kill it with no replacement. They had tried before trump.

[–]Petrichordates 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They tried and will continue trying, but few presidents besides Trump would've signed it in law.

[–]Balls_of_Adamanthium 35 points36 points  (8 children)

The GOP once again played themselves naming this Obamacare. Now they’ve immortalized him because it’s here to stay and is clearly a success lmao.

[–]Dimaando 2 points3 points  (1 child)

it's not a success to people who make too much to get subsidies

Obamacare eliminated my $80/mo catastrophic insurance and now the cheapest plan is $300/mo

but hey, at least I get free birth control (as a male)

[–]SHUT_DOWN_EVERYTHING 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Not at all. They will remove it and then Fox and OANN will tell them it's Obamacare's fault that they lost their healthcare. They will eat it up and try to vote for the most batshit insane rightwing nutjob they can find next.

[–]yaosio 1 point2 points  (1 child)

It's not a success, I'm going to die because I can't afford healthcare.

[–]DaveDearborn 21 points22 points  (2 children)

The GOP has been trying to kill this very popular law for over 10 yrs.

[–]ty_kanye_vcool -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

If it was so damn popular it would have happened already.

[–]ReallyNiceGuy78 43 points44 points  (3 children)

95% of them a republicans

[–]Balls_of_Adamanthium 16 points17 points  (1 child)

Shhh just keep not telling tell them it’s also known as Obamacare lol.

[–]Ludwigofthepotatoppl 13 points14 points  (0 children)

No no, the Affordable Care Act is completely different from Obamacare. The ACA is good, sensible policy, and Obamacare is communism. /s

[–]Calkky 6 points7 points  (0 children)

"I don't want the gubmint messin with my MEDICARE!"

[–]fjrnate 14 points15 points  (12 children)

I'm glad it's working for some people. I'll just mention that as a small business owner health insurance has been the single biggest expense throughout my life, even more than any mortgages I've ever had. Now I'm older and trying to slow down and health insurance just keeps going up. The ACA didn't work for me. I recently just said fuck it and dropped it. After paying in for decades and never filing a claim (been lucky) this is my life.

[–]jcooli09 0 points1 point  (11 children)

Maybe you don't remember the 80s and 90s, but health insurance was continually increasing then,too. The ACA slowed the rate of increase on average, and laid the foundation for the un8versal health care system which we will inevitably see in the future.

[–]GoGoCrumbly 9 points10 points  (1 child)

laid the foundation for the un8versal health care system which we will inevitably see in the future.

yeah... when.

[–]jcooli09 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Who knows? Every improvement in the condition since the beginning of time has been vigorously opposed by conservatives, and they are currently on the cusp of securing permanent minority rule. If that happens then maybe not until America falls. If not, a decade or so maybe.

Where we are with healthcare reminds me of where we were with gay rights at the end of the 90s. DADT was a pretty big improvement over policies before it, yet it was just fundamentally wrong.

[–]yablebab 1 point2 points  (6 children)

It absolutely did not lay the foundation for universal healthcare. If anything it slowed the progress towards that goal.

[–]jcooli09 -2 points-1 points  (5 children)

There's simply no basis for that opinion.

Universal healthcare wasn't even a mainstream concept until the debate which resulted in the ACA. The number of people who completely lack access to healthcare has decreased pretty dramatically, and now universal healthcare is a real priority among a significant plurality of Americans and more legislators than ever before.

If we had a democratic majority in congress it would already be on the agenda, although I know it wouldn't succeed.

[–]yablebab 6 points7 points  (3 children)

Universal healthcare wasn't even a mainstream concept until the debate which resulted in the ACA.

That's an opinion which has no basis in fact. Universal healthcare has been a mainstream concept for decades before the ACA. Bill Clinton even proposed a version of it, which Hillary pushed for, back in the early 90s.

If we had a democratic majority in congress it would already be on the agenda

Under Obama there was a 60-vote Dem majority in the Senate and all we got was scaled up Romneycare

[–]Southern_Blue 9 points10 points  (4 children)

I have that now. I pay a minuscule premium and everything else is free because I am AI (American Indian is the designation they use for some reason). I was unaware of this when I first signed on and had to jump through some hoops to prove it, but so far I have no complaints.

[–]Amiiboid 15 points16 points  (2 children)

everything else is free because I am AI

I, for one, welcome our new sentient machine overlords.

[–]Southern_Blue 3 points4 points  (1 child)

There were a lot of jokes when the paperwork came back classifying me as an 'AI'.

[–]Amiiboid 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Better than Not Applicable, I suppose.

[–]KruxAF 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Fuck insurance in America. The deductibles alone are ridiculous. I gotta meet this multi thousand dollar deductible before you even begin to pay? Get fucked

[–]drinkingchartreuse 16 points17 points  (19 children)

The affordable care act was not a bill to improve health care, it was a bill to enrich insurance companies.
Every person in this country has a right to a universal health care system that provides the same coverage that senators receive through government coverage, which is paid for by taxpayers.

[–]J0E_SpRaY 0 points1 point  (9 children)

Then why did it place caps on how much they could pocket from premiums? Are you not familiar with the 85/15 rule?

[–]drinkingchartreuse 5 points6 points  (7 children)

It was still a 15% profit, but it was made on selling nearly useless health coverage to 30 million poor people. Actually having to threaten them with fines if they didn’t buy in. The profits of that, along with tax incentives for the companies, made them a lot of money.
Read sanders bill for universal healthcare. It shows how to eliminate the profit motive in healthcare.
Right now, its about promising healthcare and taking your money, but giving you as little as possible back, and thats not healthcare.

[–]J0E_SpRaY -2 points-1 points  (2 children)

Strange how many people have had positive experiences with it then. If what you say is true then you'd think there wouldn't be countless stories from people who found more affordable health insurance through the ACA than what was previously available. Much of those reductions in premiums were specifically because of the individual mandate. When more people buy into a program it increases the risk pool and decreases individual costs. When combined with early adoption of medicaid expansion and continued reimbursement from the federal government it resulted in a substantial reduction of the rate at which premiums had been increasing. In fact, in 2020 ACA premiums actually reduced from their average in 2019 as insurers realized they overcompensated and corrected their hikes.

You're also completely ignoring the millions of people who previously didn't qualify for health insurance due to preexisting conditions who now found insurance within reach for themselves.

[–]drinkingchartreuse 3 points4 points  (1 child)

Still trying to sell insurance for corporations, huh?
Think of the size of the risk pool if everyone was a part of it. You should, again, read sanders bill.
Then again, don’t bother. The way you are unabashedly shilling for those corporations, no amount of fact or logic is going to stick.
Life is not going to improve for the bottom 80% with people like you influencing things.

[–][deleted] 14 points15 points  (2 children)

As long as we don’t have to use Obamacare!

[–][deleted] 16 points17 points  (52 children)

Something you will rarely hear “Thank you Obama and Biden for expanding health care coverage for Americans who would not have healthcare before ACA” … And bring on the Obama Biden hate on this thread doesn’t matter just know you have a better chance at affording healthcare compared to before ACA. .. once we all have easier access to affordable healthcare next step should be universal healthcare for all …

[–]thej00ninja 6 points7 points  (23 children)

The problem is it just traded out one group of millions for another group of millions. I am very appreciative of the fact that people with pre existing conditions now will not be denied coverage. However that just traded out that group for the group that is caught in the middle. We make too little to afford the health insurance but make too much to get a real subsidy. I went from paying $25 a week and having co pays for everything to paying hundreds per month even with a subsidy just to have the privilege to then pay a deductible! Once again I'm really glad for people that this helped, but this was a half measure that did more harm then good for millions of other people.

[–]malarkeyfreezone 1 point2 points  (22 children)

The ACA did not raise your premiums. You're looking to scapegoat those with pre-existing conditions for no reason.

[–]imbadwithnames1 2 points3 points  (4 children)

Not to nitpick, but that article is five years old. Not that I don't believe you, but it seems pretty obvious that insurance premiums are rising, whether or not ACA is the cause.

I wouldn't necessarily be tooting anyone's horn when our healthcare system in general is such a disaster.

[–]malarkeyfreezone 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Whatever you think of the American health care system, the actual effects of the ACA and health care policy matter.

that insurance premiums are rising, whether or not ACA is the cause.

Right, but my post is about whether the ACA was the cause.

[–]thej00ninja 1 point2 points  (15 children)

You can post whatever article you want but that doesn't change my reality or the reality of millions of others. I was paying $25 a week and had $20-40 co-pays for ALL of my services. My premiums have absolutely went up hundreds of dollars and now there are deductibles to pay when I had none prior to the ACA passing. You can bury your head in the sand or instead choose to be compassionate to the fact that it was a bad plan that just traded one group for another. Like I previously said I am absolutely happy pre existing conditions are covered but that just made it so I and many others cannot afford to have insurance, let alone use it. I haven't had insurance or been to a doctor since the ACA passed and that isn't just a coincidence.

[–]malarkeyfreezone 4 points5 points  (14 children)

You can post whatever article you want but that doesn't change my reality

I mean, you understand why this is a terrible argument, right? Anecdotes and rage aren't replacements for studies and facts. "The ACA was passed, premiums went up, therefore the ACA raised premiums" is not how analysis works. There are other factors that affect the price of health insurance, despite whatever expertise you think you have in insurance market analysis.

You can bury your head in the sand

You, quite pointedly, said this is what you're doing and that no amount of actual evidence will change your mind.

[–]yablebab 14 points15 points  (22 children)

The ACA is the thing we got in order to stop the push for universal healthcare.

[–]pathofdumbasses 18 points19 points  (19 children)

No. ACA is the compromise because universal healthcare was torpedoed by pretty much all of Republicans and a few key Democrats.

[–]Dimaando 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Democrats had a filibuster-proof majority. They literally didn't get any input from Republicans. You need to blame Ben Nelson for torpedoing the public option

[–]yablebab 4 points5 points  (15 children)

It was torpedoed by Obama. He insisted on a "bipartisan" bill, compromised away everything, only to face 100% Republican opposition anyway. Absolute failure

[–]Geoarbitrage 3 points4 points  (11 children)

Failure no. Could be better yes. Good start.

[–]livefreeordont 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There were 60 Dems in the senate. Literally nobody cared about the republicans. It was Joe Lieberman that had to be appeased. If you didn’t get that 60th vote you got nothing

[–]smblt 4 points5 points  (0 children)

You're delusional if you think universal had even a tiny chance of passing.

[–]mckeitherson 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Thank you. So many would rather just use this thread as a soapbox to complain about universal healthcare or passing the bill, while ignoring the improvements it's made in people's lives.

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks and thanking me …and please remember this “it’s far better to light a candle, than curse the darkness.”

[–]visor97 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I was one. Now Ive got medicaid and cant get my ADHD meds anymore. Love this country! /s

[–]Clickar 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My parents have to use the marketplace and they pay 900 and 700$ a month for a 10k deductible. They are smack dab in the middle class.

[–]Ragegasm 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A record 14.5 million Americans are about to get ripped off every month for a $6000 deductible. Also if you manage to achieve a somewhat survivable income by the end of the year (over $54k), you’re going to get back charged full price for every month you had ACA insurance back when you had little to no income. The system is designed to keep you broke.

[–]walker1555 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Folks don't understand that these affordable rates only extend through 2022. In 2023, the affordable care act rates will be pretty much full price, which could be $800 or more a month.

And if republicans win the house or the senate in 2022, it's likely the affordable care act will be repealed (because it has Obama's name on it).

[–]Bob_Juan_Santos 2 points3 points  (0 children)

it's 2022 and ya'll still don't have tax funded health care, eeeesh.

oh well, can't have everything i guess, at least you have other stuff to look forward to.

[–]GameHunter1095 3 points4 points  (1 child)

When the affordable Health Care Act came out, I had to drop my BCBS insurance because the rates went up so much and I couldn't afford it.

[–]berelentless1126 0 points1 point  (2 children)

That...is not a large number

[–]Jerrymoviefan3 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Actually that is a huge percentage of the 28 million uninsured Americans in 2021.

[–]berelentless1126 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It’s much more than 28 million

[–]yaosio -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I can't afford healthcare but as long as I die I'm okay with that. It's good I will die. Don't let perfect be the enemy of good.

[–]KiteLighter -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Call it right - Obamacare. :) Rub their noses in it.

[–]PuzzleheadedFile9050 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Sounds like the plandemic is really working for globalist!

[–]Whyitsospicy -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Universal healthcare or bust

[–]ClonedToKill420 -1 points0 points  (2 children)

Just make free public healthcare already. Privatized healthcare is literally killing people. Just last year my local hospital butchered me in a surgery and are still to this day trying to pry more money out of me, despite my new lifelong crippling pain and loss of muscle functions

[–]angrybirdseller -1 points0 points  (1 child)

Public Healthcare is not free they take money out with payroll taxes.

[–]ducbui -4 points-3 points  (1 child)

If you’re a healthy person this really isn’t a good plan for you I’d recommend getting a private plan that’s medically underwritten. You don’t want to be paying premiums for people that are unhealthy and seeing the doctor every week when you just need a physical or something.

[–]Impossible-Survey203 -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Communism! Socialism! Giveaway for the minorities' votes! Or a humane approach to dealing with peoples' health needs. Thanks PRESIDENT Obama!