To be clear. American health care costs are because American healthcare costs are high. The prices (reasonable or otherwise) charged by doctors and hospitals here (for doctor salaries, fancy machines, real estate etc.) are the highest in the world.
Changing the insurance mechanism (from private to public, from employer paid ti single-payer etc.) will not solve the problem because the problem is not with the insurance mechanism it is with the underlying medical costs.
As the chart below shows, the US government already pays out the same amount for healthcare the same amount as Euro governments with single payer and universal coverage.
In the US healthcare is so expensive that paying doctors, hospitals etc. ONLY for medicaid, medicare VA health etc. costs the same as Euro governments pay to cover 100% of all citizens.
What the US gov pays out to US doctors and hospitals etc. to provide healthcare to the portion of our population on medicaid, medicare etc. is the same as Euro governments pay for healthcare for their entire population.
If all private insurance disappeared tomorrow we would still be paying the same, to cover a portion of Americans, as Euro governments pay for 100% coverage for 100% of their population.
Insurance companies are not the problem.
What doctors here and hospitals here charge IS.
States are responsible tort reform and essentially everyone has done it. It didn’t bend the curve. You’re living with talking points from the 90s still.
Medical malpractice caps were instituted in just about every state during GWB terms. It was supposed to reduce the premiums for malpractice insurance.
The result is that fewer lawyers handle medical malpractice cases anymore.
I don’t think you have a full understanding of the costs vs pay. Doctors and hospitals are not swimming in profits yet Dem’s frequently try to make them the scapegoats while crushing every attempt at curbing the malpractice lawsuit industry. Maybe because Dem’s are in bed with trial lawyers.
is right. I’m still seeing a lot of billing information on patients who lack even Medicaid, are in “self pay” category. And some of ‘em are pregnant. I wonder how the ol’ “self pay” will work when the baby comes. And one guy in the group was actually naive enough to believe “Everybody has some kind of insurance.”
I fail to see what “Federal tort reform” would add. Right now there are 33 states that have instituted Medical Malpractice caps. These programs are based on the caps California put in place in 1975. Keep in mind that the figure of $250,000 was agreed upon in 1975. The number has not increased in over 40 years. Most other sates used the same figure for non economic damages, a figure that was more than 30 years old at the time.
It may be the difference between us, but don’t try to categorize it between party lines. I work for a state union. Guess what party 90% of my coworkers belong to? You’d be surprised at how little they give a damn about anyone else as long as they get theirs, paid for by guess who?
What are the costs for the schooling to become a doctor here in the states? How much less should they make?
Aren’t nurses usually in high demand? Every now and then I am hearing about a nursing shortage. Paying them less doesn’t sound like the proper incentive.
is right. I’m still seeing a lot of billing information on patients who lack even Medicaid, are in “self pay” category. And some of ‘em are pregnant. I wonder how the ol’ “self pay” will work when the baby comes. And one guy in the group was actually naive enough to believe “Everybody has some kind of insurance.”