Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Yurovsky

(2,064 posts)
5. But then again, if your premiums are high...
Mon Jan 16, 2017, 07:47 AM
Jan 2017

Last edited Wed Jan 18, 2017, 04:49 PM - Edit history (1)

and your deductibles are high (my neighbor's premiums are $850/month and his deductible is $8,000), and you have a limited network of providers and hospitals, well, that's not really insurance either.

I still believe that programs like Medicare and Medicaid could have been expanded to provide care for those that were not insured (or as you allude to, underinsured) in a much simpler and straightforward way that would have proven much harder to sandbag when the political winds changed. I think we need to be honest with the shortcomings of the ACA, and as it was passed on a party line vote, we should be prepared to defend it and offer fixes that ensure the newly insured maintain coverage while easing the financial burden of those whose costs increased or benefits were scaled back.

I think we could have had single payer simply by expanding Medicare and Medicaid and letting private insurance "die on the vine", to co-opt the Right's terminology. As costs soar, more people (and employers) will realize that the government option is a better choice for them financially. And over time, I would guess 10-20 years, you will have de facto single payer. JMHO.

Latest Discussions»Retired Forums»2016 Postmortem»I think the "health care ...»Reply #5