Dangerous Risks of Health Insurance Shopping
- The article criticizes the American healthcare system, particularly Obamacare, for its reliance on private insurers, which the author equates to “legalized extortion from policyholders and from the government.” It also touches on the challenges people face when trying to choose a suitable insurance plan, and the problems that arise when one’s health changes.
- The author highlights the issue of employer-subsidized health insurance, noting that the government’s subsidies for private employers’ health insurance amount to $345 billion, almost five times the subsidy going to people enrolled in Obamacare. They also mention the lack of choice in doctors for many insured Americans, and the lack of practicality in the notion of “shopping around” for healthcare services.
- Lastly, the piece brings to light the dilemma of staying healthy and paying thousands of dollars in premiums towards nothing, or getting sick and potentially facing bankruptcy due to healthcare costs. The author suggests that a system similar to Medicare, which combines government insurance with private providers, should apply to all Americans from birth to death, but obstacles exist in the form of insurance companies and Medicare recipients against expansion.
Unresolved Issues of American Health Insurance System
As the festive season dawns, millions of Americans who are independent of employer or government health insurance face the annual hassle of open enrollment. They laboriously weigh their health risks and find the least potentially bankrupting insurance plan, despite its limited access to what overly optimistic individuals still consider the world’s leading health care system.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) or “Obamacare” was supposed to simplify this process, but was flawed from its inception by relying heavily on private insurers. This setup is akin to erecting a cancer center atop a nuclear waste site. The ACA is a goldmine for insurers, who extort money from policyholders and the government in exchange for minimal coverage, leading to record profits likened to oil companies’ revenue.
The ACA has also been battered by a decade of lawsuits from Republicans opposing its subsidies and mandates. This has resulted in a labyrinthine system requiring expert skills to navigate. Additionally, the government’s subsidies for private employers’ health insurance totals $345 billion—almost five times the $71 billion subsidy designated to individuals enrolled in Obamacare. This massive cost-shift to the government inflates health care prices while perpetuating the illusion of employer-provided insurance.
Many American insurance holders, including my wife, are restricted to health providers selected by their insurer, debunking the myth of “choosing your own doctor”. This lack of choice increases out-of-pocket expenses and the absurdity of shopping around for health care services, particularly during health emergencies.
Switching jobs can disrupt long-standing relationships with doctors and impose on patients the burden of betting on the quality of care they will receive. Adding family members to such plans is often priced beyond reach, leading many back to the marketplace despite its soaring costs. The current system is perverse; either stay healthy and lose thousands of dollars on unused coverage or fall ill without sufficient coverage and risk bankruptcy. This dilemma contributes to the fact that 100 million Americans are in health care debt and explains why the U.S. has the most expensive yet least effective health care system of any industrialized country.
Medicare recipients are the lucky ones, enjoying a blend of universal government insurance and private providers. This grants them a broad choice of doctors, clinics, and hospitals. However, insurance companies and Medicare recipients, who often vote against expansion, block the extension of this model to all Americans. These obstacles to universal health care coverage need to be overcome to ensure a fairer health care system for future generations.
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