this post was submitted on 19 Apr 2026
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I’ll never understand how people were OK with putting middlemen with an interest in denying care between them and lifesaving treatment.
because apparently, the alternative is communism, and it will have death panels that will decide if you get to live in order to save costs...
Insurance companies are deathpanels though...
I believe that was their point...
Well maybe they are private enterprise death panels, but they trust them more than theoretical government death panels because the private sector is more efficient than government at cutting costs, such as, um, actually paying for needed care and oh shit they did not think that through.
edit: I meant to reply that to the comment above, but oh well. It's here now.
that was my point.
they prefer real material death panels, than the alternative, because it might have theoretical death panels. that no country with public healthcare has.
The danger of commenting first thing after waking up!
same, haven't got my coffee yet, how do you take yours?
Sugar and two creams usually. Sometimes black. Black and sugar today
here you go.
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Insurance is worse than communism in this case.
Tax paid universal healthcare and healthcare insurance both work on the idea of socializing the cost.
The difference is that insurance companies also need to make a profit too feed the owners. Since they don't actually produce anything that can make a profit, the only place they can grab the "profit" is by denying cover.
American healthcare insurance is exactly the same picture that is shown when people try to explain why communism doesn't work.
Nearly everything is better than the US&A’s take on capitalism.
I think if we used their language it might help: we should outsource healthcare costs.
The Acquired podcast went over this history very briefly in their Epic episode and it's so crazy how close we were to having universal healthcare.
Tl;dl:
So blame wage controls during WW2.
I prefer to blame the people who take advantage of the sick
Universal healthcare is one of those things that's not only tricky to set up but also to keep going. Here in the UK, yep the NHS is amazing. But it's also terribly underfunded - despite taking over 10% of GDP (IIRC) we still have long waiting lists, and healthcare staff are overworked and underpaid. Greedy vermin are constantly looking for opportunities to privatise it, the only reason this hasn't already happened is that it would be hugely unpopular. I'm pretty sure almost everyone in the country would prefer more taxes be spent on the NHS and maybe a bit less on, say, fossil fuel subsidies - but here we are.
the only reason long waiting lists don't exist in the us is because some people just are not getting the things they need done at all. Even people with insurance you often can't find a specialist who takes it and the insurance denies things like in the article. The wait is very long when its impossible to get the treatment at all.
I wouldn't say it's tricky to keep going. Keeping it going is simply a case of funding it.
Now, repairing the damage of years of underfunding? That's tricky
Sir you are being shareholder-phobic
/s
God hates shareholders
Well, capitalists own the government that made this possible and they know a gap in the market when they see one...
thanks Reagan