Here’s some interesting health care math on Obamacare in Florida. 
Florida has over ~4.7 million residents enrolled in ACA exchange plans, 97% of whom are currently subsidized.
For discussion, please consider 2026 Obamacare Costs for Florida.
- A single 50-yr old earning $40,000/yr would see his premiums jump from $154/month to $298/month…nearly DOUBLE.
- A single parent earning $50,000/year would go from paying $146/month to $344/month…2.3x AS MUCH.
- A family of four earning $70,000/year would see their premiums jump from $152/month to $436/month…2.8x as much.
- A 64-yr old couple earning $90,000/yr would go from paying $637/mo to a jaw-dropping $3,176/mo…or FIVE TIMES AS MUCH FOR THE SAME POLICY. That’d be $38,000/YR IN PREMIUMS ALONE, or 42% OF THEIR GROSS INCOME.
I am not happy with the reporting style or rampant bolding of the article. And I suspect those brackets are hand-picked to make an example.
But the KFF foundation estimates an average 114 percent increase, so I don’t doubt the numbers presented, or the rationale that Florida will be worse than average.
Those hurt the most are moderate-income self-employed workers who do not have corporate health care benefits.
The final example above is a couple earning $90,000 in combined income whose premiums will rise to $38,112 per year, up from $7,644.
Senators Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Mike Crapo of Idaho have announce a plan to give those making up to 700 percent of the poverty level $1,500 annually for health care.
I will discuss that plan in detail tomorrow. Meanwhile, here’s some math.
How a Florida Couple Making $90,000 in Combined Income Fares
- 2025: $7,644
- 2026 as Exists Now (with expired subsidies): $38,112
- New Affordable Program: $38,112 – $1,500 = $36,612
You have to admit this affordability idea is nothing short of brilliant (assuming you are wearing a TWS or MAGA hat, and are not on Obamacare).
Mapping the Uneven Burden of Rising ACA Marketplace Premium Payments
Please consider Mapping the Uneven Burden of Rising ACA Marketplace Premium Payments due to Enhanced Tax Credit Expiration by KFF.
Enhanced premium tax credits expire at the end of this year. Enrollees currently receiving premium tax credits at any level of income will see their federal assistance decrease or disappear if enhanced premium tax credits expire, with an average increase of 114% to what enrollees pay in premiums net of tax credits. Since premium payments are capped based on income and family size, there is little geographic variation in the resulting increases in premium payments for enrollees with incomes below 400% of poverty. Out-of-pocket premiums for people with incomes below 400% of poverty will increase by hundreds of dollars to over $1,500 per person on average.
Health Care Inflation Bomb Makes the Fed’s 2 Percent Target Almost Impossible
Yesterday, I commented Health Care Inflation Bomb Makes the Fed’s 2 Percent Target Almost Impossible
Let’s discuss 2026 health care premiums and what they mean to the Fed’s preferred measure of inflation.
I expect a rise in the Health Care weight in the PCE. I also expect a net 1.5 percentage point increase in PCE inflation in 2026 due to health care.
These estimates stem from health care price hikes across the board (Medicare and corporate plans), not counting the huge ACA impacts.
The Fed’s PCE inflation target is 2.0 percent. If I am in the ballpark, health care alone rates to take up 1.5 percentage points of that target, again, not counting Obamacare!
Click above link for details and the math.
Reader Comments Addendum
Reader Karl: The numbers cited in the article are not cherrypicked. My son with a BS in Business earns $18.50 an hour because he can’t find an entry level job that pays any more than that. His Obamacare monthly premium jumped from $79 a month in 2025 to $189 a month for 2026.
I think the time has come for a full-blown rethink of health care in this country. Any system that is built around third party payments is doomed to failure because there will never be any meaningful cost controls in that type of system.
Reader Dan W: It is clearly obvious that healthcare in America at current prices is unaffordable. Subsidies only hide the unaffordability.
Alas, the Republicans don’t have a solution and neither do Democrats. Why? Because there is no healthcare solution that sustains the current level of spending, and industry refuses any plan that cuts spending.
The numbers cited in the article are not cherrypicked. My son with a BS in Business earns $18.50 an hour because he can’t find an entry level job that pays any more than that. His Obamacare monthly premium jumped from $79 a month in 2025 to $189 a month for 2026. I think the time has come for a full-blown rethink of health care in this country. Any system that is built around third party payments is doomed to failure because there will never be any meaningful cost controls in that type of system. Singapore has built a simple and effective health care system. Individuals pay most of their health care out-of-pocket with catastrophic coverage provided by the government. Health care subsidies are provided based on income level. Easy to implement and provides built-in cost controls because people are spending their own money. Too many people/companies benefiting from the current system to see anything that sensible to be adopted here.
Thanks!
You deserve a pinned post and got it.
In the context of the Senate HSA bill, if insurance premiums went to an investment account instead of to insurers most people would grow accounts into hundreds of thousands of dollars by the time they reached 60.
But then what happens after that? A real percentage of the elderly population is chronically ill – my mother in law is one of these. I think many tens of thousands of dollars are wasted on her “healthcare” every year. But what politician is crazy enough to tell her and the millions of others that their dependency on the medical system is over?
And what happens to state economies who have built up empires of “health management” all paid for by this wasteful and unaffordable spending?
A massive restructuring of America’s healthcare economy is needed. Also necessary is a revolution in America’s healthcare culture.
you have a modest proposal
“stop healthcare for anyone chronically ill”
is that the “death panels” the Repubs have always moaned about?
ha ha ha.
If you have a system where a controlling person can get rich by denying healthcare to family members by not spending you’re going to have a very large number of humans beings significantly harmed by medical neglect.
Death panels. Somebody has to make that last call, or things just drag on.
Soylent Green is People!
Hospice is growing in popularity.
worth a try here. As it is, many have 3d party heathcare– the old, the poor. the middle classes pay for it which breeds resentment.
catastrophic coverage is attractive for many. In my state, you can’t buy a catastrophic only policy.
one issue for the US is we are so fat and chronically ill it’s not a good starting point for 3d party or any type of subsidized care. Singaporans aren’t 40% obese. And neither were Europeans when they started their nationalized healthcare decades ago.
The four horsemen-obesity, drugs, alcohol, stress
They are all interrelated
Come to NY.
I had a 28 year old healthy male on NYS Exchange paying 718.82 a month for a silver plan policy
Insane.
It’s my understanding your son can have essentially what Singapore has by using the cheapest bronze plan. The trick is to pay out of pocket and not allowing the health providers/pharmacy to bill anything through the insurance unless it’s a real big item (catastrophe). This is because providers bill insurance for about 3-5x the actual cost and that cost gets passed on to him through the insurance company. This extra cost is what pays for all the overhead/red tape. Then he can print off the claim form from the insurance website and fill it out and mail it in so that the cost will apply towards his deductible.
The U.S. health insurers are a racket and that is why every global insurance policy you purchase will exclude U.S. unless you add it on a major premium. They are a monopoly that have created regulation to prevent competitioin.
The are pluses and minuses with each system however healthcare is an essential, and if you need it an can not get it, you die. Which is why the freemarket has failed with health insurance. Necessities such as health care, food, housing etc… are essential and people will pay whatever they can to survive.
The U.S Insurance system has failed so time to move on and implement the most succesful system in the world – One Payer. Every single government that has succesfully provided healthcare at an affordable cost has One Payer.
The Hamilton Project did an interesting paper for a universal healthcare system that fully covers basic care, while allowing supplemental coverage from insurance companies (without duplicating basic coverage) for those that want and can afford more. This would go a long ways to managing health care costs, particularly if combined with some medical malpractice reforms. https://www.hamiltonproject.org/publication/policy-proposal/designing-us-health-insurance-from-scratch-a-proposal-for-universal-basic-coverage/
ehealth dot com can show you the retail price of any plan in any location and show you options. Healthcare insurance premiums have been an absolute shit show for years. The ONLY reason people are now hearing about it is because those who had been getting subsidized from ACA are seeing those subsidies sunset.
Fellas, this has been happening since 2010.
Welcome to the real world.
It’s my understanding a healthy person can save a lot by just using the cheapest bronze plan. The trick is to pay out of pocket for smaller stuff and not allowing the health providers/pharmacy to bill anything through the insurance unless it’s a real big item (catastrophe). This is because providers bill insurance for about 3-5x the actual cost and that cost gets passed on to you through the insurance company until the deductible is met. This extra cost is what pays for all the overhead/red tape. Then you can print off the claim form from the insurance website, fill it out and mail it in so that the cost will apply towards your deductible.
That’s a good idea as far as it goes. The big problem is that it still doesn’t address the overall high level of health care cost. On the bronze plan, the user may pay 3-5x less than what the big carriers pay, but the lack of competition within the overall system keeps prices much higher than they would otherwise be. To drop prices across the board, you would need to essentially have everyone on the equivalent of a bronze plan while eliminating the role of large insurance companies for anything other than “big ticket” expenses.
The same thing can be done for the more expensive plans as well. All they are really doing is allowing you to buy down your deductible amount. For someone who has a lot of health problems, or doesn’t have the cash lying around in case a catastrophe hits, that might be the better way to go.
Cheapest bronze plan for a family of 4 is $2200/month. Go see for yourself.
I realize that but $2200 is a lot less than the more expensive plans. If the family makes under about 85k it will be closer to zero.
Not without subsidizing the real cost. There is no magic here. $2200 is not affordable for health insurance that doesn’t cover anything until you’ve spent 50k in a year.
Not sure why this point is so difficult to understand.
The last time I looked, the bronze plan had a 14k deductible and 14k max out of pocket per family.
That was for 2 people.
What is the largest employer in your town, city or county? It’s probably the hospitals and the “healthcare” industry. Good paying jobs, produces nothing and subsidized by the government. If you’re in a college town, the same applies at the school. University Presidents making $1 million. Football coaches signing $50 million guaranteed contracts.
When it’s someone else’s money being spent, the incentive is to increase all costs in order to obtain more subsidy.
I think those figures could be a bit high, especially for the last one. I’m in the NE, single and close enough in age for there not to be a big difference. My bronze hdhp is going to be $845/mo unsubsidized. Pre-covid, IIRC it was low 600s. There is no reason to get more than bronze – you are just prepaying deductible/out of pocket you may never use. As to what ails our healthcare system, too long for any comment box and there are countless things/people/govs to share blame.
Working as planned. Obama is happy.
And so are Democrats apparently.
The wonderful combination of stupidity, greed, and rigid ideology is collapsing the Empire even as we have our morning coffee. So much more than the healthcare grift.
Insurance has to be very lucrative, otherwise I would not be receiving a bajillion calls to change my Medicare coverage. Ads are all over TV during the Medicare enrollment period. It’s all a scam.
I live in CT, insurance capital of the US. One health care lawyer I know put in an in-ground pool, a new wing on their house, and 2 horses and a horse barn and fenced field in the last 10 years. Another person I know who works in investigating claims is in the process of retiring at age 50. The downside is that it’s soul crushing work, but obviously many people don’t care about that. I personally wouldn’t trade places with them. I’m “lucky” to work in a creative field, although my trade-off is that I will never be wealthy.
The US should go single payer and the money that’s currently skimmed off by insurers should go towards expanding access to medical training. We need more medical schools and we should support bright young minds that want to go into medicine regardless of whether they can afford $1 million tuition etc. Medical work should be reasonably well-paid like any highly skilled work, but if access to training was expanded by lowering cost barriers, salaries would not need to be what they currently are due to enormous student loan debts.
Not single payer. But free market. It is not a free market but yes you are correct the insurance companies are the biggest problem here.
Just like we exclude our federal government from bargaining in our prescription costs. We exclude Medicare, VA.and the rest of of portions of government when they buy 30% of Rx
America subsidizes the worlds Rx costs and we Americans have to pay for it. And then they have the arrogance to lecture us on how morally superior they are to us.
Sorry, having a bad morning, I’m ranting away
We already have the example of dozens of other wealthy democracies around the world having far superior outcomes via single payer systems. What’s that quote about America always getting it right after trying every other possible solution first?
Do they really have far superior outcomes though? That seems a bit of a stretch
But I am not saying your wrong on how this has to change. Just I’m not sold on single payer just yet
Here’s my metric: life expectancy vs healthcare spending per capita
https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/life-expectancy-vs-health-expenditure
You can animate that chart. You can see the trend over time. It’s very telling.
Those countries that are putting us to shame? Single payer systems.
Did I say those countries are putting us to shame? That is not me saying that.
No, I pointed out the obvious fact that that chart shows. Countries with a fraction of our per capita healthcare spending have their citizens living 5+ years longer than ours.
We agree our health care system is fucked up.
I was shocked when I saw what big pharma pays out for advertising and how they are paying off our congressmen & women.
I love how RFK Jr pointed out the latter in his testimony in congress . Through it right in their face, media ignored it.
Nothing is going to change until Big Pharma and Ins companies get reigned in
Single payer is you. It comes out of your pocket. Denninger has said so many times that enforcing anti trust law will drop health care costs up to 80%.
Single payer doesn’t solve the corruption in the medical system itself. Single payer is government control, which is what Democrats want more than actual health care.
The major reason for the disparity in outcomes, to the extent that it exists, is not due to the single-payer system in these countries. It’s due to healthier lifestyles and the fact that our high prices subsidize drugs and medical devices that are developed here but sold overseas at much lower prices than what U.S. consumers pay. If these non-U.S. health systems footed the bill for drug and medical technology development, their cost of health care would be much higher.
You’re putting the cart before the horse.
For profit healthcare incentivizes disease and treatment, not health and prevention. There is no money to be made in keeping people healthy. We have incentivized ill health in 21st century America in a way no other democracy has.
Obesity in the US is terrible because our health system is broken. A for-profit system prioritizes treatment over prevention.
We overpay for medicine because our health system is broken. A for-profit system prioritizes treatment over prevention. And without the negotiating leverage provided by a single payer, drug companies get away with treating America as their cash cow.
The US is in a hole and digging and all these other countries are standing around the hole watching us. Out of all those countries, the US is the only one with this kind of health system. You don’t think that’s telling? Wouldn’t you rather stop digging?
“to the extent that it exists” Eye roll, the disparities are not subtle!
A single-payer system doesn’t solve the problem of not enough competition which is essential to keeping costs down. The rationing mechanism will end up being lower quality service and greater wait times (look at Canada). In the case of doctor shortages, you can thank the AMA monopoly for that.
Using savings from a single payer system to expand access to medical education will solve the problem of supply.
This is not rocket science. Other nations are already succeeding. Wait times in the US for care are nothing to brag about. My own experience has been 6+ months to see a specialist (dermatology, pediatric audiology.) Meanwhile clinics and hospitals are closing all across rural America.
Interesting point you make here
I am self-employed, wife and I are in the 60-65 age bracket on the right of the graphic. We have never qualified for support from government, always paid the full bill.
What the graphic, and story, fails to mention is the increase in the Silver Plan premium has been outrageous the last several years. Our silver plan premium per month was about $1,100 3 years ago, is now $3,400 per month. Tripled in four years. The increase this year alone is stunning.
Under temporary support, if one qualified, that entire increased was paid for by the government.
In our state as of this year the silver premium is now significantly more than the gold policy monthly premium. Makes no sense.
There is seems to be some sort of clear manipulations of the silver premiums occurring due to the subsidies only supporting those policies. My guess is that it revolves around the assumption of people expected to drop in 2025.
The explanation we were given on our rate increase is that health insurers in our state were allowed to estimate the number of healthy people who would drop from the program and go cash. Due to increased rates. Then estimate the cost of the remaining pool per capita and raise rates according. That is an iterative calculation easily subject to abuse.
Of course if I one is an insurer, one would make the scenario as pessimistic as possible. Every healthy and semi-healthy person goes cash, leaving only the sickest people in the insurance pool. Raise rates to a level that makes a profit even in that worst case scenario. Leaves insurer only upside if people going cash are less than the calculation estimated.
What was your increase for 2026?
From what to what?
In what state?
Thanks!
health sharing ministries. They are your friend.
“They are [not] your friend”
Floridas governance has been a sellout to the insurance companies.
Between increased homeowners, auto and health insurance, the insurance burden is resulting in tens of thousands of bankruptcies.
Many boomers are awash in debt after living beyond their means for decades.
Now, with long interest rates rising (slightly) against a backdrop of Fed easing, and stagnant home price appreciation, the good old cash out re-financing is a thing of the past???
Rule of F’s
If it Flys, Floats, Fucks or is in Florida? Rent it!
Have a look at the prices in CA. This isn’t a state to state issue. Wake up.
Can we assign DOGE to audit the health insurance and health care industry ?
Track every nickel and dime to see where they go ?
Evaluate such as total compensation for each health care worker category, versus metrics like number of patients treated, etc ?
For example even though they are non profits like Blue Cross Blue Shield, how much do their executives and managers make ?
Aren’t we done with DOGE recklessly wasting money in a failed effort to curtail money wasting?
That people are angry at DOGE shows how retarded some people are committed to being.
Ideology trumps all.
Insurance is the predator, healthcare is the prey.
Introduction
The state of healthcare in the United States has long been a subject of debate and concern. Despite being one of the wealthiest nations in the world, the U.S. faces significant challenges in providing accessible, affordable, and high-quality healthcare to all its citizens. One potential solution that has garnered attention in recent years is the idea of the government taking over the healthcare system, including addressing issues such as malpractice insurance for healthcare providers, their training, and operational expenses. This essay explores the reasoning behind this proposal, focusing on the need for universal healthcare, cost control, and improved patient outcomes.
One of the primary reasons for the U.S. government to take over the healthcare system is to ensure universal access to healthcare services. Currently, millions of Americans are either uninsured or underinsured, leaving them vulnerable to financial ruin in the event of a medical emergency. By implementing a government-run healthcare system, the U.S. could join the ranks of countries like Canada, the United Kingdom, and many European nations, where access to healthcare is considered a fundamental right. Universal healthcare would guarantee that all Americans have equal access to essential medical services, regardless of their income or employment status.
The cost of healthcare in the United States is significantly higher than in other developed countries, and it continues to rise at an unsustainable rate. A government takeover of healthcare could help control these costs through various means:
a) Single-Payer System: One potential approach is the establishment of a single-payer system, where the government is the sole payer for healthcare services. This system can negotiate lower prices for drugs, medical procedures, and equipment due to its bargaining power, resulting in cost savings that can be passed on to patients.
b) Administrative Efficiency: A government-run system can streamline administrative processes by reducing the complexity of billing and insurance claims. This would lead to significant cost savings, as the current multi-payer system is notorious for its administrative overhead.
c) Bulk Purchasing of Pharmaceuticals: The government can negotiate lower drug prices by purchasing pharmaceuticals in bulk, which would help alleviate the financial burden on patients and the healthcare system.
A government takeover of healthcare also presents an opportunity to improve the training and accountability of healthcare providers, which can lead to better patient outcomes.
a) Standardized Training: The government can establish and enforce standardized training and certification requirements for healthcare professionals. This would ensure that all providers meet a certain level of competency and expertise, reducing the likelihood of medical errors and malpractice.
b) Malpractice Insurance: To address the issue of malpractice insurance, the government could create a unified system that provides affordable coverage for all healthcare providers. This would protect both patients and healthcare professionals while reducing the burden of exorbitant malpractice premiums.
c) Quality Assurance: Government oversight can focus on maintaining high-quality care and patient safety. Regular evaluations and assessments can identify areas of improvement and ensure that healthcare providers meet stringent quality standards.
Conclusion
The United States faces numerous challenges in its current healthcare system, including lack of universal access, skyrocketing costs, and inconsistent quality of care. A government takeover of healthcare presents a compelling solution to address these issues by providing universal access, controlling costs, and enhancing provider training and accountability. While implementing such a system would undoubtedly be a complex and challenging endeavor, it has the potential to transform the U.S. healthcare system into one that is more equitable, efficient, and effective, ultimately benefiting all Americans. By addressing malpractice insurance, healthcare provider training, and operational expenses within this framework, the U.S. can move closer to a healthcare system that prioritizes the well-being of its citizens.
Sadly, this is another case of voters getting what they voted for. Americans have been duoed into thinking that ‘free market’ solutions are the best and that anything community based is ‘socialist’. Too bad they free markets are really big private rackets called health insurers.
Almost no one understands that there are no pure voters or disinterested parties in this debate. Everyone is either a stakeholder or a victim.
In healthcare, do you really think that the people who benefit from the current system want change? Employees with stable, well paying jobs and their executives/shareholders who profit from the status quo, have no incentive to support reforms that might threaten their benefit or income, even if those reforms would help the large majority.
Sadly, human nature is not on the side of major change here!
IMO, the people who shout “socialism” when Medicare for All is discussed are probably people who have good employer sponsored health insurance plans. They are well taken care of, have good jobs working the system as it now exists and therefore have little to no reason to risk change.
But as they also do not want to appear churlish, they repeat standard talking points about how universal coverage will lead to worse care, long waits, or the loss of their preferred doctors, as they attempt to seed dissension and turn people away from demanding change.
As I have said before, the core problem in the United States is the link between health insurance and employment. Until that connection is broken, meaningful health insurance reform will remain elusive.
Increasingly corp employees are having to pay a portion of medical. Even if they do not, health insurance, at least on paper, reduces what they could otherwise be paid so its not like a free lunch. Just one that they don’t realize is taking out of their back pocket.
Companies get a tax deduction for the health insurance benefit they provide.
BUT employees don’t get charged for the benefit of the health insurance that companies provide them.
Another change that might be made in this dynamic is for the healthcare benefit be added to the income the employee receives and then make the employees pay taxes on the value of that benefit.
I don’t support a single payer system and I don’t even have health insurance.
So why are you interested in the subject?
Voters have no idea what they’re voting for, so no, they didn’t vote for this.
Your new doctor is Mr./Ms. AI. Very patient! Never rushes you out of the office. Answers all my questions and points me to various resources that you can refer to after the consult.
There are just 3 weeks left until those ENHANCED ACA subsidies finally expire, as they should be allowed to do.
Congress goes on holiday recess Dec 22-31. So they have just 2 weeks left to decide to extend these subsidies or not.
I’ll be surprised if they get anything done.
Let the WHINING continue!
These are not bad numbers in our inflationary economy that the FED encourages by lowering interest rates when it should be increasing them.
As for the 64 year old couple, $90k is above the median income line. No tears for them.
Eh, regarding the 64-yr old couple, 1/3 of their pre-tax income is a LOT for just healthcare every year.
That amount, deducted from their income, boots them below the median.
Their increase is also way, way higher than anyone else’s.
Because they are old and offer more risk of serious and expensive medical interventions required.
Must be a Trump voter to claim a 100% increase in the numbers you are citing as “good” numbers.
Huh, do you feel the same way for retirees who own their home but can’t afford the property tax?
Yes. Dip into savings or take a reverse mortgage or sell and downsize to somewhere you can afford.
“shopping around” for care
…Researchers at the nonprofit Health Care Cost Institute, for example, estimated that just 7% of total health care spending for Americans with job-based coverage was for services that realistically could be shopped for….
I’ll make it real simple. You own apartments, stocks, gold, any asset. Then vote dem because they live to spend. Even though the dem policies will eventually cause Satan to return to earth, if you wanna make money, vote dem. Conservatives out a vacume in the system by trying to balance the budget. There you go. End of discussion
Voting is a waste of time. Forget politics. Just focus on your health and wealth, because no government will.
· Jean-Claude Juncker – Former prime minister of Luxembourg and president of the European Commission – ‘We all know what to do, but we don’t know how to get re-elected once we have done it.’
The best advice I’ve heard on this forum. Anyone depending on politicians to make themselves whole will be sorry.
I’m beginning to come around to this. Reluctantly.
See the rebuilding effort post-Palisades and Altadena fires. That is how much government does for people.
Homeowners and business owners are kicked in the teeth and then told to hold still and not complain too much about it. Courtesy of local government.
Oddy enough, paying an extra 1/3 on every bill for the “convenience” of having an insurance company works out well for the insurer and not so well for everyone else
From the American Enterprose Institute….
“The new National Security Strategy places a priority on the threat of drug cartels as part of protecting the homeland. The question is whether spending nearly $1 billion to date on striking individual drug boats is the cost-effective, strategic way to attack this threat?”
https://www.aei.org/foreign-and-defense-policy/the-strategy-and-costs-of-boat-strikes/
I remember when Obama got elected and waited to see if the media would review successful plans from other countries that were paying far less than we pay with better longevity. It didn’t happen. There was almost no discussion of other healthcare insurance in other countries. So we got what thousands of lobbyists told Congress to pass. Healthcare and health insurance is now a racket in America. It cries out for regulation and honest, visible pricing, but I don’t expect much from Congress. Our democracy has basically failed. What we get from Congress and Presidents is war and unpayable debt. Interest this year on our federal debt will be $1.2 trillion…and we’ll borrow every dime to pay it.
Reviewing other countries health care plans is not the job of the media. Or social media. Or the average American.
It’s the government’s job. The Dems tried and gave us Obamacare; such as it is. Trump and the Republicans have been saying they have a plan for 10 years now. The reality is they have no plan other than to scrap whatever the Dems did.
Look after yourself, because the government won’t.
Remember this?
During a September 2024 presidential debate, Trump was asked about his plan to replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA). He stated that he has “concepts of a plan” and would only reveal details if his proposed solutions were better and less expensive than the current system.
Definitely has a better plan for his next “Truth Social Post” than for healthcare.
Yes. There is no plan. Other than to cut subsidies and raise prices.
There’s a plan alright. Maybe as soon as today they tell us money printer go BRRRRRRRRrrr again. Based on the explosion in IV in many of the names that will benefit from QE resuming, it’s high on my list of likely outcomes in the next 1-2 months if not today.
A big issue is that there are 50 different states regulating not just the insurers themselves, but the plans offered. There are many other factors at play as well.
Countries like Luxembourg (5.46% of GDP), Ireland (6.07%), Estonia (6.94%), Lithuania (7.46%), and Poland (6.68%) manage to deliver relatively strong healthcare systems while keeping spending as a share of GDP lower than the global average of ~10%.
The US spends 18% of GDP on healthcare and we don’t even cover everyone. We could pick any other system in the world and it would likely be better than what we have now. But we won’t.
Debating it is fine. But don’t expect your debate to have an impact. Best to focus on improving your health and wealth on your own while you still can.
PapaDave,
What are you investing in these days? Still sticking with O&G stocks? I spent the last two hours looking at options market for all of 2026 and it’s total trash. I don’t know what the Fed is going to do tomorrow but it sure looks like this market is going to correct badly in 2026. The degenerate options gamblers are running out of steam and probably cash.
I’m probably going to load up on T-bills and maybe some TLT for the interest.
I can’t find any juice out there.
My largest exposure is still Canadian Oil and Gas stocks. Been trimming more the last few weeks as some were up significantly; Whitecap, Tamarack, Headwater, Suncor, Canadian Natural, Freehold, Arc, Baytex, Cardinal, Peyto, Topaz, Athabasca. Still hold a position in all of those. Several of my other positions were closed due to takeovers.
Up to 45% cash now compared to a more normal 10-20% cash. Patiently waiting for opportunities.
What do all those countries have in common?
Statutory Health Insurance. A modified form of Single Payer.
Some of the best Single Payer systems include Taiwan (6%), S Korea (8%), Norway (10%), Denmark 10%), Sweden (11%).
There is no perfect system. Some are better in quality. Some in outcomes. Some in cost control.
Unfortunately, ours is the worst in all 3. But we won’t replace it.
We as a nation love to pay twice as much for half the value.
If i recall right years ago the republicans got rid of the agency that writes the actual laws/rules etc after a bill is passed by congress. Now the lobbyist( pick any industry ) get to write the regulations then give them to congress who approves them.
Extreme cost is what you get with an insurance industry preying on a society that is fed by a food industry that pays no attention to health and a health industry that pays no attention to food,
A hyper sedentary population does not help.
the answer is simple. we pay 2x to 3x the rest of the rich world. we should just adopt one of their models. the EU and OZ……..have many different strategies to provide doctoring to their people. this ain’t difficult. of course amerikans do NOT seem to be able to face reality. they are nihilist and world wide warmongering assholes. so providing medical care for themselves at a reasonable price escapes them. sell off the empire and start thinking like a free country. democracy works. plato and socrates in “the republic” explained this very well thousands of years ago. assholes will elect themselves. assholes.
The answer may be simple but it’s not easy. If single payor ever happens, it would require the insurance companies and their powerful lobbyists to be overcome. I do not see that happening anytime soon.
Does it matter in the funny money era? The stuff just falls from the sky now.
Screw them. They live in Florida so they deserve to be bent over. I hope every one of them ends up living in a cardboard box under a highway overpass.
I don’t think cardboard holds up well in the Florida humidity.
some meth will turn a grandma into a tweeker and the soggy cardboard box won’t bother her.
They are getting what they voted for, apparently that’s what they wanted.
It’s not just Fla. Leave your ignorance at the door. Then check out what it costs in CA! Yipee!
It is clearly obvious that healthcare in America at current prices is unaffordable. Subsidies only hide the unaffordability.
Any measure that sustains the unaffordability of the current health care system and laws is fraudulent.
Alas, the Republicans don’t have a solution and neither do Democrats. Why? Because there is no healthcare solution that sustains the current level of spending, and industry refuses any plan that cuts spending .
I like this one too. Will add to my post as an addendum.
the rest of the world that has nationalized healthcare doesn’t have our health issues.
40% of Americans are obese. more than 60% overweight. the UK is getting equally bad but their scheme had decades of pay-in when obesity was far lower. This is why it’s unaffordable chronic illness caused by obesity and other self inflicted harms.
the solution is to subsidize drugs like Wegovy and incentivize the obese to take it, or to otherwise lose weight. An to spend less on other stupid things. we have the money, we just put too much of it into defense and other things like farmer subsidies and ag subsidies.
one of many factors but often unspoke. The average American is overweight, severely so if you compare to 1960s. Food and sedentary lifestyle are largely to blame but god forbid you tell that to their face.
I think the general theme here is, if you think that a politician or party cares about you and your retirement or wellbeing I have a bridge to sell you. Trump is so enamored with the ringkissing by tech, big companies etc. he thinks he will actually be invited to the illuminati . This happens over and over and over again. He has such a shallow brain pan thats his main goal. We are so hosed
Watch them a start awarding him peace prizes, each more gaudy than the last. I bet Tim Apple is kicking himself for not thinking of it before FIFA.
Move to NYC. Mandami is going to retrieve that pot of gold sitting at the end of the rainbow and share it with all!
And if does, if his administration makes life better in general and easier for NYers will you finally open your mind to ideas other than hate? Or will you just find other reasons to hate those that are not like you, that don’t share your sick world view?
lol, because socialism always works… especially when the first thing he does is institute a fat pay raise for himself and his cronies.
You’ll believe everything you’re told despite the facts. Just stay obedient, line up for your booster shots and don’t question what you’re told. You’ll be fine.
Sounds like paradise.
You know nothing, you have a closed mind. When you can admit Dems, Repub and Independents all have some good, some bad, ideas maybe you will have become an adult. Now you are just a child.
Dems and Reps are fundraising apparatuses that are great at one thing – consolidating power. That’s it. I’m not going to enable your delusion that they are anything other than that. Sorry.
Try to focus.
Well you just stand there with your arms crossed, fists clenched hating everyone and wonder why life is hell for you.
Miami just elected first democrat mayor ending 28 years of GOP control on the heels of repubs getting stomped in recent elections. Midterms coming right up next and I’m sure this health care fiasco will land right on GOP’s lap. GOP owns this 100%.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/12/09/miami-elects-first-woman-mayor-ends-gops-28-year-control-of-city-hall-00683878
I read that only 37,000 votes were cast. That seems bizarrely low, as if very few in Miami care who leads the government. And frankly, why should they care? What pressing problems does Miami have?
mayor of miami has many problems to attend to. like too many thong bikinis and mankinis, worn in public does seem a health concern. could cause elderly men in their 40s and 60s to have heart attacks and cause the health care costs of everyone to spike even higher.
It means republicans aren’t showing up at the booth. I suspect the same will happen during midterms or they may be so broke and angry by then that they do show up and vote for dems.
If you are correct it may be America’s final grasp at freedom.
Won’t matter if you have a good exit strategy otherwise deal with the communists republican or democrat.
To top it off it was a “run-off” election. But that the Repubs couldn’t get out more than half of 37K votes does say something. Trump won Miami by 11 points in 2024!
That mean crime going higher? Bail reform?
I’ve heard horror stories about the health care system in Florida. Not enough access to go around and poor quality.
One of the big reasons is they don’t pay nurses or other health workers decently. Florida has always had low wages and they haven’t kept up with the reality of how expensive it is to live there now.
My health insurance premiums went up 10% this year. The MSM tells me inflation is not bad and the economy is just fine, so I have nothing to complain about. I just need to wear rose-colored glasses, that’s all.
The president just declared nursing is not a “professional” degree which will cause havoc with financial aid for those seeking to get a nursing degree at a time America is aging and needs more healthcare workers. The stats are depressing for anyone without an exit strategy and Florida, with top heavy boomers, will get hit first and they deserve every bit of what’s coming, every little bit.
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/not-professional-degree-new-federal-policy-could-exacerbate-2025a1000y9a?form=fpf
This is what happens when morons run the country but have at it, people reap what they sow and it’s gonna be a very bitter harvest down the line.
Good nursing, like good teaching is a craft. The vast majority of nursing, as with education, does not demand a degree. In fact the degree often masks how little the candidate actually knows.
you can say the same about a lot of things. surgery. why can’t you just learn a certain procedure and everything that goes with it, all that can go wrong etc.. can do it on an apprenticeship. you need good hands and know how and experience, all the book learning doesn’t matter.
DIY nursing by us salt of the earth types. what are you worried about.
The challenge is how do you weed out “les incompetent” from nursing before they kill people. An academic program helps in this regard.
i agree. i was joking. thought that was obvious.
I live in Florida, and the health care situation varies widely across the state. In south Florida, which is dominated by Cleveland Clinic, health care quality is decent but wait times for appointments are horrendous. Friends in central and northern Florida, which are dominated by Adventist and Mayo, describe the health care there as excellent.
Just like real estate, health care is “local”. I live in a federally-designated “medically underserved” area in Massachusetts and the quality and access is poor whereas quality and access is much better in the Boston area.
https://data.hrsa.gov/topics/health-workforce/shortage-areas/mua-find
I live in central Florida. It seems as if the health-care industry is booming. New hospitals, new wings, new clinics popping up everywhere. I just had to have arthroscopic knee surgery in a humongous, stand-alone orthopedic surgery center in Orlando. The place is 7 stories high, has a dedicated 800-spot parking garage. The inside is like the Taj Mahal. No doubt impressive, but had to cost a fortune to build & equip. Like Star-Trek in the operating rooms.
Yeah Medical buildings are the only thing keeping commerical real estate alive, at least in NY
But if and when we finally fix our system, all that glitter is going away
For many people it will make sense to work minimally to qualify for Medicaid. I guess we’ll get single payer through the back door at this rate.
obamacare without the public option, ended up becoming medicaide for all. in my state, medicaide is excellent care and the price cannot be beat. haven’t paid a dime for healtcare in years. with tons of tax loss carryforwards and a few businesses i owned for decades, the game was easy to make tax return be less than zero. it’s a game. best to read the rules and make your moves accordingly. like playing baseball without understanding first to third is counter clockwise.
You can have at best 138% of FPL. In most states that is about $1,800/mo income or 21.6K/yr. ACA subsidies go up to 400% and are phased out near that 400%. Even at $400/mo* for ACA plan a less well off person is better making more money than medicaid limit.
*I helped a young person in NY area get a basic bronze plan for $240/mo w/ subsidy. They make order 50K/yr.
Much of this also highlights how ridiculously low some of the rates are. Good luck to anyone with a ‘fix’.
We need to spend more time controlling the price of health care services instead of the price of health insurance. We just need some brave politicians willing to fight the AMA.
Sadly, Trump is spending his time sending $45 million to the Taliban in Afghanistan. Israel is going to get jealous so a few billion will need to head that way too.
https://www.newsweek.com/trump-admin-criticized-funding-taliban-afghanistan-11182133
Plenty of money for everybody except Americans.
i can picture donald with a turban and ass fucking some goats and little boys like the taliban students
there should be 10x the medical schools. it is a guild. doctors are glorified mechanics. ask a libertarian honest doctor. i know many.
Insurance profits are the problem, not the solution…
the greed and grifting of the amerikan people are the problem. it’s and empire of self absorbed nihilist world wide warmongers. i’m dual citizen. the difference with amerikans and italians is night and day. i’m born and raised in this shithole of greedy fucks. worked on wall street too. from wall street to farmers. greedy assholes. it’s what we do.
That needed to be said. Doctors average 400-500k per year. costs are not controlled by a real free market or a single payer. Under a true free market, some people would not be covered, that leaves one alternative for fans of universal coverage.