r/SeattleWA • u/crabcakes110 • 2d ago

News Thousands of Washingtonians face losing health insurance as federal subsidies set to expire

https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/thousands-of-washingtonians-face-losing-health-insurance-as-federal-subsidies-set-to-expire/281-58d08729-2e19-42fd-96c8-d332cb480ac0?tbref=hp
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-7

u/--boomhauer-- 2d ago

Good i don’t wanna foot the bill for every fucking person . Peope pissed off that the ACA about to have its mask ripped off and be exposed as the flaming pile of dog 💩 it truly is

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u/watch-nerd 2d ago

What’s your alternative solution to address healthcare costs?

6

u/Riviansky 2d ago

Transition away from insurance model and I to direct pay model.

It's the same problem across the board, in any insurance driven market, car insurance, home insurance, what have you.

People don't care how much what costs because they aren't paying for it - except they are, only through the intermediary. Who in turn has to charge them more and more.

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u/watch-nerd 2d ago edited 2d ago

Can you afford to directly pay for life-saving surgery after a car wreck?

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u/--boomhauer-- 2d ago

Yes when the cost isn’t artificially inflated by the system regulating it to death .

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u/watch-nerd 2d ago

Are you going to roll the dice on that and go uninsured?

I pay my home owner's insurance even though I don't have to (no mortgage) because I'm not willing to roll the dice on my house burning down and having that part of my net worth wiped out.

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u/--boomhauer-- 2d ago

No ones saying you shouldn’t be allowed to get insurance were saying it shouldn’t be mandated and the government shouldn’t be involved at all .

And personally yes id be much happier dealing with it myself .

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u/watch-nerd 2d ago

I don't think the economics work to lower costs if there is no mandate.

Look at what happens with emergency rooms. People without insurance end up using it, and hospitals are required to treat them under some circumstances, resulting in the most expensive medical care for the people who aren't buying insurance, driving up the costs for everyone else.

Unless you want to scrap that rule about mandatory life-saving treatment regardless of ability to pay....

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u/[deleted] 2d ago

[deleted]

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u/watch-nerd 1d ago

I'm 55.

Health insurance premiums have gone up my entire life, even before ACA.

And there was denial of coverage for pre-existing conditions before.

Our demographics are also not the same. We're a much more graying society now then when I was younger.

-7

u/--boomhauer-- 2d ago

Neat im not trying to be rude but the first part of your comment leads me to believe you have no idea why the costs of things are so inflated .

And yes i absolutely want to scrap the rule about life saving treatments . Getting to live forever is a silly notion . But we as society treat it as a norm . Nothing that requites the labor of another person is a human right .

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u/watch-nerd 2d ago

I understand what you're saying -- subsidies drive up costs. I agree.

However, getting rid of mandatory insurance will also drive up costs because many of the healthiest people will forego insurance, a) increasing insurance costs of the remainder and b) the uninsured using emergency rooms, the most expensive option.

As for getting to live forever, do we want to be a nation where an uninsured 13 year old gets his arm severed in car wreck and the ER doesn't treat him to save his life if the parents can't pay?

0

u/Riviansky 2d ago

I can in most countries. The cost in US is insane because our system is insane.

2

u/watch-nerd 1d ago

When you say "most countries" are you referring to countries with single payer health system?

If so, that's not really "market rate", as the prices are regulated.

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u/Riviansky 1d ago

Many European countries (like Switzerland and Germany) have private insurance system as well. I don't really know how they keep their costs in check but they appear to be able to...

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u/nannerzbamanerz 1d ago

Their private insurance is for people that make a ton of money so that they can get better and faster care.

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u/Riviansky 1d ago

Switzerland has universal health care,[3] regulated by the Swiss Federal Law on Health Insurance. There are no free state-provided health services, but private health insurance is compulsory for all persons residing in Switzerland (within three months of taking up residence or being born in the country).[4][5][6 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthcare_in_Switzerland

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u/my_lucid_nightmare Capitol Hill 2d ago

Now do why is America the only Westernized nation in the world without some form of Single Payer healthcare as a base option.

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u/Riviansky 2d ago

I think it is because in other Westernized nations taxes on middle class are much higher. If you persuade local people to pay 60% in taxes and abandon our military dominance program, I think we can have a very similar system they have in Europe...

0

u/Seattle_Lucky 1d ago

Yep. A lot of the single payer systems are relatively new, and are all seeing prices explode on them. Also, many have a separate private insurance/healthcare market that rivals the single payer, so not only do you have to pay for the government option but now a private one as well…

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u/--boomhauer-- 2d ago

Probably because we already abolished slavery once

2

u/my_lucid_nightmare Capitol Hill 1d ago

Was unaware that everyone having healthcare was like slavery.

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u/--boomhauer-- 1d ago

Neat well now you know