@romanianpentecostal Our system is intentionally designed for insurance to be tied to employment. It keeps workers subservient.
Once retired, that no longer works, so Medicare.
Insurers, even non profits are in it for the $$, not healthcare. Executives make millions. Even for Boomers, it's the only way to afford it.
It did used to be worse, but unfortunately, seems to be headed backward.
The Insurance/, healthcare profit motive must be protected. They can afford to pay political lobbyist well.
Healthcare should never have been a political issue, but it is. They made it one
I'm a Boomer, did well. We owned our own stores. About 40 employees. All had to be insured for us to even offer group coverage.
If someone got sick they couldn't get covered anywhere for any existing, or pre-existing condition.
So you definitely couldn't quit, despite how sick you were. Thankfully, a healthy crew.
I'm the one that blew it
I got sick in 97, age 41. Minor issue, Surgical error by Dr, drug resistant infection, etc. Attys said could not sue, state laws too complicated, Dr claimed I was aware of the risk, etc ( I wasn't, long story for another day)
My personal rate went to $2000 a month.
Our employees, all healthy young males, premiums quadrupled.
Insurance company wanted us gone.
The only "out" was to apply & pay for independent policies for our employees. That way they could prove "insured elsewhere"
For me, I had to pay the $2000 premiums, Applied for SSDI. Took 2 years for approval, another 2 to qualify for Medicare.
Went through all our savings, sold what we could. 30 days after we sold the stores ( longest time we could put in the contract) new owners fired all employees, hired new ones at lower pay and no benefits. 40 good jobs lost. Replaced now minimum wage dead ends.
Finally, Obamacare (which was really a negotiated Republican plan) was passed.
I was thrilled
But some people objected.
Took it to The Supreme Court.
Law changed, states could decline Enhanced Medicaid for Disabled persons under 65.
I was 67 by the time my State, NC, accepted Enhanced Medicaid. (This year)
Too late for me. Still sick, but now also broke.
I had left insurance when we built the 2nd store. Had an Associate in Claims law.
I knew the tricks, learned a lot more, but stll couldn't climb out.
Now "certain people" want to go back in time. They agree it's broken, but want to make it worse, not better.
We, as a people, should be better than this