Why can't someone create a public alternative to health insurance in the USA? - eviltoast

Health insurance at its core is very simple. You put money in, you go to doctor, insurance pay doctor. But in the USA, the insurance denies everything they possibly can. Money put in doesn’t ever see a doctor or your health costs, it goes right to the stockholders…

So why doesn’t someone just make a non-profit health insurance company where there’s no stock, no executives, just public servants and aggressive price negotiation where your medical bills are actually paid with the money put in?

  • snooggums@lemmy.world
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    15 days ago

    The company (usually) pays the lion’s share of the premiums; otherwise, the plans would be completely out of reach to employees.

    Which is just smoke and mirrors because the insurance the company pays is part of the cost to employ, aka they are paying with money that would have gone on the paycheck. The company insurance scheme limits choice.

    • the_toast_is_gone@lemmy.world
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      16 days ago

      Very true. There’s some benefit where the business can get a “package deal” of sorts which makes it cheaper than buying individual policies, but it’s still a shell game.

      • snooggums@lemmy.world
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        16 days ago

        It is really about attracting and controlling employees. A ‘good’ package to draw them in and fear of being uninsured to keep them from leaving by choice.