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‘It didn’t use to be like this’: woeful US healthcare system exposed by CEO killing (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 5 days ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Summary

The killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson has reignited debates over the U.S. healthcare system, with Americans sharing stories of denial, delays, and exorbitant costs despite having insurance.

Many report fighting insurers for coverage of essential treatments, facing hidden costs, and taking drastic steps like career changes to secure health insurance.

Critics blame corporate greed for worsening access and affordability, while others note the system’s complexity discourages seeking care.

Though some find employer-provided plans satisfactory, the overall system is described as profit-driven and increasingly inaccessible, leaving many financially strained or avoiding medical help altogether.

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[–] [email protected] 29 points 5 days ago (2 children)

Well yes and no. Healthcare has always been restricted in the US, especially through racism and sexism, but the dystopian insurance shit didn't really come into force until the mid 90s.

[–] [email protected] 31 points 5 days ago (1 children)

I had a "crazy aunt" who could never get off her soapbox about how HMOs were going to ruin healthcare in the US. Looking back, she was a true "walk the walk" sort of hippy and I wish everyone in the family had taken her more seriously about various things. We're out of touch these days, but I often remember how right she was.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 4 days ago

If you drop her a note telling her that, it’ll almost certainly be very appreciated.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 5 days ago

One of "Obamacare's" selling points was to outlaw effectively-fake health insurance plans that were written upfront not to cover any actual care. Those policies had been around a lot longer than the mid-90s, but most employers were smart enough to avoid them, so they were really only a problem for poorer people buying individual insurance, and who cares about them?

My guess is that the old fake-insurance providers are the ones who figured out how to get around the ACA coverage requirements in ways that aren't technically violations. Or figured out that no one was going to enforce penalties for those violations. Those practices have now crept into 'mainstream' providers, but it sure looks like no one cared until a CEO died.