[kevmo]

I always scoff at all of the endless "How will we pay for it???" crap. We'll pay for it by cutting out massive inefficiencies like the insurance system (which is basically a giant RICO scam), which would introduce an incredible burst of innovation and efficiency, as Americans got unshackled from jobs they were only in for insurance benefits & were able to take more creative risks and move into jobs more suited for them. Also, the way we do healthcare straight up costs twice as much while also producing less care.

[keithnz]

yeah, I find it odd, just add up the revenue of the health insurance industry, that's how much you americans are paying, then see how much profit and overheads they have, that's how much health care money is directly not going to actual health outcomes, and then work out if you can do a better system. Should be a case that overall, everyone pays less and you get better outcomes. But, I can't see it ever happening for you guys. Americans are weird, they seem ok when americans let americans die and suffer, but if anyone else trys it, they spend whatever they have to show the world not to mess with America.

[rrrrrrrrrrrryan]

We were just one Senate vote away (Joe Lieberman) from getting a public option during the Obama administration. The law essentially needed a 60% supermajority to pass and it had 59% support of our legislature. Quite tragic - the next generation may get to try again.

[dbg31415]

Yup. The guy from Connecticut had to side with the insurance lobby. He had been on the ticket with Gore in 2000, so this was a total betrayal by a democrat. He didn’t even run for reelection after that vote, so he just burned everyone for no reason other than he wanted to keep the system we have today that hurts people and helps insurance companies. This guy is trash.

[dbg31415]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/dec/16/joe-lieberman-...

[kevmo]

You can try right now.

[rrrrrrrrrrrryan]

It will not stand a chance without a filibuster-proof majority. Time is better spent pursuing policy changes that actually stand a realistic chance of passing.

[hnbad]

Literally. What is called "profit" in a private industry is what would be called "waste" in a public service. It's literally money that runs through the system and accumulates rather than being used. Ironically when politicians want to run a public service more "like a business", they will try to squeeze the budget to cut costs to in turn justify further cuts until the service fails to do what it was originally meant to do and has to be replaced by a for-profit industry that generates an even larger overhead at even more cost to society once you factor in the fees, subsidies and other factors.

[dpkirchner]

Politicians claim they're in favor of small business and then refuse to enact the simplest changes (as in, reducing the age of eligibility for Medicare) that would reduce business overhead.