Europe -30
Americas-8
Asia-21
Africa-7
These are the number of countries that have a universal health care coverage system and there are others.
They get it, they care, they pay for their coverage via taxes and premiums. No system is perfect, but they work and are supported by their citizens.
In the meantime the US is mired in myth and misinformation about a universal system. Suggest a single system covering all and you hear claims of socialized medicine and other nonsense.
Instead, the Trump administration is doing all it can to dismantle the modest system we have, by making enrollment more difficult and significantly raising premiums under the ACA and Medicaid and ignoring the coming insolvency of the Medicare hospital trust fund
All this and no effort to design something better – something Trump promised.
We are reducing coverage with no viable alternative, with no regard for the health care people will need.
AND THAT’S THE TRUTH‼️
We are not becoming GREAT, we are demonstrating our stupidity and disregard for our fellow citizens.
QUINNSCOMMENTARY 
“The Trump administration is doing all it can to dismantle the modest system we have”
No, as best as I can tell, the Trump Administration is attempting to return to the rules President Obama signed off on, or rules that Bill Clinton signed into law back in the 90’s.
First, with respect to the elimination of the subsidies that are scheduled to end later this year, all that does is return to the subsidy provisions that were approved as part of President Obama’s Health Reform law.
Second, with respect to work rules for Medicaid, that is right out of the Bill Clinton rule book – end welfare as we know it.
Third, with respect to an affirmative annual enrollment, that too was part of President Obama’s Health Reform design, where eligibility and taxpayer subsidies would vary from year to year, to ensure that individuals do not receive coverage or taxpayer subsidies to which they are not entitled.
In 2026:
There will still be sixty or seventy million or more enrolled in Medicaid, up substantially from 2010/Health Reform.
There will still be twenty million or so enrolled in Exchange coverage, or perhaps the twenty million who were in the exchange will be split between Exchange coverage and coverae under their employer’s plan.
And yes, those who don’t value health coverage, those who believe they should be free riders on the system, plus all of the illegal immigrants, will continue to drive up health care costs by using the hospital emergency room as their primary care. A universal system wouldn’t change that, in fact, a universal system would increase utilization – as there would be no point of purchase cost sharing, and everyone would think health care was free – no differentiation in patint paid costs between the convenince of a high cost emergency room treatment and having to schedule and wait to visit a general practitioner.
I too have quoted Gruber and Emanuel here, more than once. What Gruber said is still in effect – only today, the stupidity of the American voter continues to be fed by fear mongering, lying about the coming changes in taxpayer subsidies and Medicaid coverage. Before Health Reform, it was all the lying about so-called “medical bankruptcies” and “insurance company profits” – today, the same people who gave us Health Reform are still lying, just different lies.
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Sorry about the typoes. I have ordered a new keyboard for my laptop – hopefully it will soon arrive. BenefitJack
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So, you dispute the analysis that estimates the number who will lose coverage for whatever reason and see an alternative for coverage? And you disagree the Administration wants to undermine public programs to the extent possible and youn are waiting for the “great” Trump promised alternative?
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the key is “dispute the estimates” which of course are just that–who is estimating? CBO? Democrats? What is the argument for able bodied folks to work or give some hours a month to volunteer? What were the “estimates” for Obamacare? CBO I am told did no estimates as Obama told us no taxes would be involved–just premiums.
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“… So, you dispute the analysis that estimates the number who will lose coverage for whatever reason and see an alternative for coverage?”
You tell me. Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin and Wyoming did not expand Medicaid. For a household of 1, assuming income at 138% of the federal poverty level, $21,597, we’re talking about a bronze health option with a monthly premium of $250 – $350 or so (age 40, male).
You tell me why taxpayers should further subsidize the cost of coverage for a 40 year old male who earns $21,587 a year. Or maybe, you too believe that Health Reform’s singular goal was to reduce the number of uninsured at ANY COST TO OTHERS … as the former head of CMS once said, true health reform is, by definition, redistributive.
That is, the cost to insure the previously uninsured would be shifted to workers/taxpayers who were already shouldering 100% of the cost of their own employer-sponsored coverage … economists will confirm, including Gruber, that whatever is paid as an employer contribution towards the cost of premiums is nothing more than a reduction in wages.
“… And you disagree the Administration wants to undermine public programs to the extent possible and youn are waiting for the “great” Trump promised alternative?
No, not at all. Once these changes take full effect in 2027, once the Biden super subsidies end, and once the annual enrollment process is fully in place, what we will have is mostly the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, Health Reform, what some call Obamacare.
We don’t need no stinking Trump alternative. Whether or not you have access to employer-sponsored coverage, every “lawfully present” individual will have access to coverage through Medicaid, Medicare OR the public exchanges.
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Al Lindquist
Appreciate the facts and the perspective–good work and always a pleasure to read your thoughts.
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just had lunch with a couple employed (for the moment} by U.S. Dept. of State with U.S. embassy in Ottawa. –talked briefly about health care–they seem favorably disposed but mentioned what we always hear–one waits forever for hip/knee/joint replacement–and who knows what else
most Americans are probably skeptical about Medicare for all after being lied to by Obama and his supporters–you know the $2,500 premium and your doctor of choice. Politico (left wing rag) called that “promise” the “lie of the decade”–that and the lies told to us about illegal border crossings and other falsehoods just the last few years–we are not “stupid” but don’t trust people who lied to us and stupidly believed the lies themselves–I am glad you were openly skeptical about Obama’s lies.
Have some fun someday and google Johnathan Gruber one Obama’s architects of Obamacare, the professor at MIT who I believe is a Nobel Prize winner–one of 14 quotes:
“lack of transparency is a huge political advantage –call it the stupidly of the American voter or whatever, but basically, that was really, really critical for the thing to pass.”
now, again I am pleased you were not fooled and had more regard for your fellow citizen.
let’s not dump another big government program on our fellow citizens–all the ones you compare this to are basically broke–no doubt Medicare For All will be another financial catosphe
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Al Lindquist
“financial catastrophe”
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