For Tens of Millions, Obamacare Is Working
nytimes.com
nytimes.com
The worst part about healthcare is evident every time I need to select my insurance provider out of literally thousands of different private insurance companies/brokerages. What exactly are each of these private companies doing that can't be automated and consolidated?
Rent-seeking.
My view of Obamacare is that it solved one problem -- access -- by promising not to solve another problem -- cost. This was probably a necessary compromise, but the cost issue still looms large.
And the system depends on complexity to frustrate any attempt at understanding where the money is really going.
After dealing with government for various healthcare services I can think of absolutely nothing more horrific or dreadful.
Capitalism works, because people compete for customers. I've very happy to have lots of insurance companies competing.
I think it was Mitt Romney (not sure) that had the idea of just giving everyone a lump sum to buy insurance and let them buy it where ever they please.
A healthcare voucher system I guess.
But it's nothing like that. What the hell are open enrolment periods for? I get a 300 page contract, how the hell am I supposed to read and properly comprehend that in the 10 days allotted before committing to paying $$$/month for at least a year?
Having lived in single-payer countries for most of my life, it's definitely a step backwards for me, both cost wise, and "how much I have to think about it" wise. The intellectual capital drain due to the complexity of the system here cannot be insignificant.
> You can always count on Americans to do the right thing - after they've tried everything else. - Winston Churchill
That's to keep people from waiting till they are sick, and quickly buying insurance on the spot. They need it because they can no longer exclude pre-existing conditions. Even before that law they still needed it because they can't actually tell if someone has a pre-existing condition they did not tell a Dr about.
A one or two month waiting period would annoy people, and wouldn't help anyway - the really expensive things to treat can last for years.
> the 10 days allotted
Open enrollment lasts for 2-3 months, not 10 days.
We used to have coverage that would let you see a Dr. when you needed to -- now deductibles are so high and office visits so expensive I'm not going unless I'm desperate.
I bought insurance from an exchange. It's too expensive, deductibles are too high, and selection of providers is too limited.
But even though I don't qualify for subsidies, I'm still paying about 30% less than before Obamacare.
So as bad as it is, it's still been a pretty big net positive for my family. Just goes to show what a basket case the US healthcare system is, when a dreadful situation is a big step up.
Hope you're saving up for the bribes.