Insurance companies are a symptom of the problem but the real solution is either single payer, something NHS like or something like the German model (which is probably the most similar of the major countries to what the US has now - though it’s still three quarters state funded).
The NHS was to an extent a statistical fluke (right politician in the right place, just post-WWII) that the right wing has been trying to dismantle for decades, without WW2 I’d be surprised if we had anything like the NHS.
Basically you need politicians to ignore the lobbyists and do their job of regulating this shit for a better society.
Sadly I don’t see it happening though there are some hopeful trends.
There is no single solution, the world isn’t that neat however the NHS problems and it does have them are a result in large part to it been a political football for decades.
Even with those problems we spend about half per capita on healthcare with about equal outcomes, also the US gov in one form or another already foots about 50% of the bill itself.
> Results The UK spent the least per capita on healthcare in 2017 compared with all other countries studied (UK $3825 (£2972; €3392); mean $5700), and spending was growing at slightly lower levels (0.02% of gross domestic product in the previous four years, compared with a mean of 0.07%). The UK had the lowest rates of unmet need and among the lowest numbers of doctors and nurses per capita.
They do more for less with less and mostly do it well.
Compare that to any other major country and it’s good, compared to the US system it’s very good.
Does the US have amazing doctors, hell yeah of course but do they have a fair system when on average everyone gets what they need if not always what they want, I’d argue no.
Ironically, the US Employer-Oriented health insurance also exists in large part because of the US response to WW2.
During the war the US froze wages in order to try and prevent skyrocketing salaries due to the extreme demand for labor.
To compete, most employers started offering generous benefit packages in lieu of the raises they were no longer able to offer.
After the war, the larger employers found that the generous benefit packages were more cost-effective at retaining employees compared to higher pay, so they became "fans" if you will, and have supported the employer-based benefit programs in the US ever since.
The German model is really quite interesting, even though some aspects are extremely strange (like high income earners opting out of the public system or public servants mostly using private insurance). I like that public insurance companies still need to compete with each other on customer service etc. America is probably beyond help but I could see a system where 5% of your income HAS to go to an insurance company that you can choose gaining acceptance.
The Australian private insurance system also works like that. Private insurers have to offer pre-defined tiers with pre-defined coverage.
The NHS was to an extent a statistical fluke (right politician in the right place, just post-WWII) that the right wing has been trying to dismantle for decades, without WW2 I’d be surprised if we had anything like the NHS.
Basically you need politicians to ignore the lobbyists and do their job of regulating this shit for a better society.
Sadly I don’t see it happening though there are some hopeful trends.