Health, Wealth, and Death in America
Here we are beginning 2024. 51 countries provide universal healthcare. The costs of course vary as well as coverage. Here is the leader of freedoms (as well as war, sanctions, invasions and direct interference with elections and sovereign nation policies) we somehow have been convinced that having universal healthcare is akin to communism and socialism.
My guess is that decades ago our prior generations had access to very reasonable private healthcare via employment. As time progressed and USA capitalism marched on to the great divide this changed. Dramatically.
Look at the below countries. I am aghast to know that Denmark and Ireland are communist countries. It appears I failed in my political science research. Omitted from that list is Russia which has a national health plan for free with providers even going to apartments if needed.
1
Algeria
1975
2
Argentina
2016
3
Australia
1975
4
Austria
1967
5
Bahrain
1957
6
Belgium
1945
7
Brazil
1988
8
Brunei
1958
9
Bulgaria
N/A
10
Canada
1966
11
Colombia
1993
12
Costa Rica
N/A
13
Cuba
1960s
14
Cyprus
1980
15
Denmark
1973
16
El Salvador
N/A
17
Estonia
N/A
18
Finland
1972
19
France
1974
20
Germany
1941
21
Greece
1983
22
Hong Kong
1993
23
Iceland
1990
24
Ireland
1977
25
Israel
1995
26
Italy
1978
27
Japan
1938
28
Kuwait
1950
29
Luxembourg
1973
30
Mexico
2012
31
New Zealand
1938
32
New Zealand
1938
33
North Korea
1955
34
Norway
1912
35
Oman
N/A
36
Poland
N/A
37
Portugal
1979
38
Romania
N/A
39
Singapore
1993
40
Slovenia
1972
41
South Korea
1988
42
Spain
1986
43
Sweden
1955
44
Switzerland
1994
45
Thailand
2002
46
The Netherlands
1966
47
Trinidad and Tobago
N/A
48
United Arab Emirates
1971
49
United Kingdom
1948
50
Venezuela
1999
51
Vietnam
1954
https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/countries-with-universal-health-care.html
The rising costs and reason appear to be falling on blind eyes and ears, otherwise, there would have been pushback and the USA would have stepped in to prevent this from happening. (If you are still reading you likely know that is complete bullshit). Our system has major flaws when it comes to helping each other on a level field when it comes to basic needs. Maslow provided the simple triangle showing us briefly.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs.png
Yeah, Wikimedia is not one to do research from. I am not researching or looking for some sort of gotcha from someone who somehow believes that USA health care is something to be proud of.
In 2023 the hhs.gov website tells us this
Uninsured rates among adults ages 18-64 declined from 14.5 percent in late 2020 to 11.0 percent in early 2023. The uninsured rate among children ages 0-17, which had increased during 2019 and 2020, fell from 6.4 percent in late 2020 to 4.2 percent in early 2023.
So according to the above statement which is painted as a win, there remain 36,850,000 USA residents without any health insurance. I am thinking if I were running for office or running a business, I would not be touting this as a win especially considering the cost for those insured.
According to Forbes the average monthly cost for a bronze insurance plan at $420 and up to $713 for a gold plan. A quick rundown will show anyone that a bronze plan is not a plan but a disaster scenario insurance. The normal deductible is about $10,000. This is an insulting package to any human. The silver is more money and has slightly lower deductibles and the gold is much more money for a deductible that may range from $3000 to $5000. The gold plans are typically for those with more money and or more illnesses. This is also a slap in the face to all our brothers and sisters who somehow are expected to have more money despite having more illnesses. There is an evil in this.
https://www.forbes.com/advisor/health-insurance/how-much-does-health-insurance-cost/
The statement from Statista is only up to 2021. The costs have continued to rise.
“This statistic shows the U.S. government health administration and net cost of private health insurance in select years between 1960 and 2018. In 2000, these costs came to 81.3 billion U.S. dollars. Eighteen years later, costs stood at approximately 306 billion U.S. dollars.”
Let us look at what in my view is a leading evil. Cigna. Here is a Forbes report showing that profits in 1 year were $1,000,000,000.00. + Yep 1 billion+ profits off the sick and dying.
How can anyone in USA can accept that a 1 billion profit is an acceptable, legal, ethical, and moral business practice? The government not only accepts this it has wrapped the narrative that healthcare insurance companies are part of a vital economy. Millions are marching along with this mindset. Obviously, I do not. While I picked CIGNA the others are as guilty (BCBS, Aetna …)
Statnews shows some hard numbers of 7 CEO wages for 2021. The CEO of CIGNA David the Leach Cordani took home $91,000,000 in 2021.
“Roughly 87% of insurance executives’ pay last year came from exercised and vested stock, the analysis shows. Cigna CEO David Cordani took home more than $91 million in 2021, the most of any insurance executive. He’s registered $366 million since 2012. Cigna did not respond to requests for comment.”
https://www.statnews.com/2022/05/12/health-insurance-ceos-raked-in-record-pay-during-covid/
How the fuck does our government allow, endorse and support this? The short and long answer is our government truly does not give two fucks. There it is some good old-fashioned swearing.
I did not get into Obama. Yet. Even Yahoo which is basically a soft arm of Smith Mundt Act (Yeah, our guy Obama or as I warmly call him Obombya). https://finance.yahoo.com/news/health-care-costs-americans-obamacare-134431939.html
Below is a link from The Commonwealth Fund. It seems that they fail to add that the policies being sold are shit for giggle ones.
“Premium contributions and deductibles represented 10 percent or more of median household income in 37 states in 2020, up from 10 states in 2010 (Table 1). In Mississippi and New Mexico, workers in the middle of the income distribution faced the highest potential costs relative to income (19.0% and 18.1%, respectively).”
Moving on from the obvious grotesque and inhumane profiteering a little bit. Most younger Americans have tossed aside the dreams that some boomers had and were able to obtain. The basic needs being met are housing, income, security, and food.
Below is a link that shows how that has been shattered. Over 66% of all bankruptcies are medical debt related. Over 40% of Americans per Retire Guide have fears related to healthcare access.
https://www.retireguide.com/retirement-planning/risks/medical-bankruptcy-statistics/
Reuters showed us that the have been over 450,000 bankruptcies in 2023. Honestly, this number is likely low due to fears of bankruptcy having such a negative impact on credit and housing.
Our system is broken. Severely broke yet not one politician has submitted a successful bill in the House or in Congress. Sure, there have been a few who were chatting it up and sponsoring the Medicare 4 All Act, but it ran out of steam. John Conyers a Democrat had been the most consistent voice in pushing a national plan. Bernie Sanders and Primila Jayapal have also submitted plans. All have been shot down. We have plenty of money to bomb others, kill others, build prisons, and provide oil subsidies as well as protection to big pharma during the COVID crisis. (shot show). We seem to not grasp that a population that is given better access to care will likely be less worried about nutrition and prevention methods. If you think that there is fraud, then you are right.
Think Ukraine for most recent laundering scheme https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-weapons-audit-watchdog-us-congress-biden-9abecd14528b9551ff4ddb6786ad7fda
Somehow, they finally admitted that 1 billion in weapons have gone missing. My reason for pointing this out is the immense fraud related to war where nobody but the military complex benefits. The Pentagon lost over $6,000,000,000,000.00 trillion and nobody gets fired or executed. Sorry, but I am impressed at some deterrence methods being used abroad.
I do not have any solutions other than Term limits at all levels of government, cap profits for all health care insurance executives and the company, M4A bill be passed, jail those who continue to harm the buyers, put an end to the endless military bases overseas and mandated exclusions for government to private crossover jobs. (so much more but hey it is a Saturday, and my dog needs some love). I did start this with the fact that 51 other nations have a universal plan and ….. we fail to see the value.