If you watched the Democratic debates, you probably noticed
that there is a wide variety of opinions on how to handle health care in this
country. Bernie Sanders is still advocating “Medicare for all”, but other candidates
were advocating for a hybrid system that expands public health insurance, but
also allows people to keep their current coverage if they choose to do so.
Bernie may actually be correct that his plan would lower
insurance costs for everyone, but it’s going to be a hard sell if people think
that they’ll have to give up what they already have in order to get coverage If
the Democrats want to regain the Senate and the White House in 2020, the focus
should be on improving the existing Affordable Care Act, which offers the best
combination of public and private insurance.
Ever since it was passed in 2010, the Affordable Care Act has
been under attack by the Republican Party – and they are still at it this week. A
federal appeals court panel will hear arguments Tuesday on whether a federal
judge in Texas was correct in striking down the Affordable Care Act, a case with enormous stakes not only for millions of people
who gained health insurance through the law but for the political futures of
President Trump and other candidates in the 2020 elections.
Democrats are already running
ads against Mr. Trump and other Republicans over the case, including five state attorneys general who signed on as plaintiffs and will be up for re-election
next fall. Protect Our Care, an advocacy group that supports the law, will start running digital ads this week against Republican senators considered
vulnerable next year: Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Joni Ernst of Iowa, Cory
Gardner of Colorado and Martha McSally of Arizona.
If the appeals court agrees with the Republicans, the number
of uninsured people in America would increase by 20,000,000 people, an increase
of 65%. In addition, the Kaiser Foundation has estimated that 52 million adults
with pre-existing conditions would be rejected for individual coverage if the
Affordable Care Act were repealed altogether.
The Democratics achieved huge gains in the 2018 mid-term
elections by focusing on core issues like health care, and should continue to
do so in 2020. There is no question that our health care system needs improving,
but it won’t happen until the “adults in the room” (the Democrats) control both
houses of Congress and the White House.
You may have seen ads recently for Trumpcare Medicare, but don’t
be fooled. It actually does not exist. “Trumpcare” is the name given to the
American Health Care Act that was passed by the House of Representatives. Fortunately
for all of us, John McCain killed the bill in the Senate.
What “Trumpcare” actually is are a series of tweaks to the Affordable
Care Act – and not all the changes are good:
Which country has the best health insurance coverage? It’s the
same country that most people think of when your thoughts turn to tulips and windmills
– the Netherlands. It also happens to have one of the most expensive health
care systems in the world – but it is still a LOT cheaper than the coverage
available in the United States.
The United States has the most expensive health care in the
entire world, with a per capita expenditure of $8713 per person, which amounts
to 17.7% percent of our GDP. The Netherlands is #4 on the list, with per capita
spending of $5131, or 11.1% of GDP. Canada (which has been rated as the most respected
country in the world) had a per capita expenditure of $4351, or 10.2% of GDP.
If you were looking for the CHEAPEST health care coverage,
where would you go? If you live in southern states, like Florida or Georgia,
you might want to book a flight to Cuba while you can still get one. Not only
does Cuba have the cheapest health coverage, it also has some of the most
dedicated and best trained doctors.
Mexico also has some of the cheapest health coverage in the world,
which is why LOTS of people from Arizona cross the border for their health
care. Since replacing a single tooth in America can cost as much as $7000 (and
I know a guy who paid that) it’s not surprising that people go to Mexico for dental
coverage, usually at clinics that are owned and staffed by American citizens.
Holland may well have the best health care in the world. As of
this week, though, they have the SECOND BEST women’s soccer team.
The stupidity here is "medicare for all" (Warren wants that); in the Netherlands if you reach an certain income level then you have to get "private insurance"; why give "billionaires" free healthcare?
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