Millions are dropping coverage.

[d.anders]

I don't see how this ends well. Until universal coverage becomes the law of the land, many, many people are going to suffer like never before. I lost my life savings to the cost of caring for my sick parents. My dad had a stroke and my mother had cancer. No one should go bankrupt over the cost of healthcare. I do agree with those who say this is immoral. Sadly, so few in America agree with me.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/01/business/obamacare-enrollment-decline.html

[+ SidewaysDM]

@d.anders I agree 100 % that nobody should loose their life savings caring for their family members. It is morally and ethically wrong. Every citizen in the richest country in the world, deserves quality lifetime healthcare that everyone can afford. Canada and the UK provide universal healthcare for all of their citizens. Unfortunately, at this time we live in an environment where taking care of fundamental human rights is no longer the priority. 
 

I am truly sorry for the loss of your parents. And the huge, additional burden of loosing your life savings. That is heartbreaking. 

[TonyDown]

Even with our group health insurance plan at a leading research, design and manufacturing company, my coworker had to cash in a 401k as health care costs for her husbands debilitating illness ballooned.  It shocked me how quickly medical expenses can paint us into a corner, even with employer coverage.

A colleague from another company, ironically a medical device company, had to file for bankruptcy due to medical expenses wiping them out.

I recently needed a bone marrow biopsy.  That cost a crap load of money.  The bills were huge.  Without coverage, that would have wiped out a lot of reserves.

I count on never having to drop coverage but realize that is becoming a reality.

Such is life in the States.  

 

Edited Friday at 09:56 PM by TonyDown

[Nightowl]

1 hour ago, TonyDown said:

Even with our group health insurance plan at a leading research, design and manufacturing company, my coworker had to cash in a 401k as health care costs for her husbands debilitating illness ballooned.  It shocked me how quickly medical expenses can paint us into a corner, even with employer coverage.

A colleague from another company, ironically a medical device company, had to file for bankruptcy due to medical expenses wiping them out.

I recently needed a bone marrow biopsy.  That cost a crap load of money.  The bills were huge.  Without coverage, that would have wiped out a lot of reserves.

I count on never having to drop coverage but realize that is becoming a reality.

Such is life in the States.  

 

The US is a third world country when it comes to healthcare.

[+ Vegas_Millennial]

1 hour ago, Nightowl said:

The US is a third world country when it comes to healthcare.

This 2-minute documentary on Cuban vs US healthcare draws a similar conclusion in 2008😉:

 

 

Edited yesterday at 12:48 AM by Vegas_Millennial

[marylander1940]

 

 

 

15 hours ago, Nightowl said:

The US is a third world country when it comes to healthcare.

 

I agree with you and click like because there's a lot of room to improve things when it comes to health care, but your statement is a bit extreme. 

Many of the health issues are caused by our own lifestyle choices when it comes to food, sedentary habits, irresponsibility about alcohol, drugs, etc.

Back to subject:

I know a local escort whose insurance was going to jump from $519 per month to $860.... With insurance seeing his Dr. at Medics USA was $30 copay now without insurance is $150.  So far, he has saved money from not having insurance, but he's concern about anything major happening to him. 

[marylander1940]

On 5/1/2026 at 8:42 AM, d.anders said:

I don't see how this ends well. Until universal coverage becomes the law of the land, many, many people are going to suffer like never before. I lost my life savings to the cost of caring for my sick parents. My dad had a stroke and my mother had cancer. No one should go bankrupt over the cost of healthcare. I do agree with those who say this is immoral. Sadly, so few in America agree with me.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/01/business/obamacare-enrollment-decline.html

I'm sorry about it!

Nobody should be placed in that position having to chose between paying medical bills or keeping his savings! What if now or soon you're the one who needs special care. 

Here is a well-known example of madness:

A single oral Tylenol (acetaminophen) pill can appear on a hospital bill for $15 to over $50, with some extreme examples showing charges as high as $500 for a single dose. While the retail cost is mere cents, these exorbitant prices reflect hospital, insurance, and administrative fees (the chargemaster), rather than the cost of the medication itself. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

• Oral Pill: Often marked up over 500%, a single 325mg or 500mg tablet can cost $15-$50+

[+ KensingtonHomo]

For-profit health insurance companies should be illegal. All of them have recorded enormous profits while using AI to deny patients the care they're paying for. 

Then there's the Medicare Advantage scam. Advantage programs cost 120 percent of what standard Medicare does. And it now accounts for over half of Medicare spending, overspending by over $80 billion in 2024 and 2025. United Healthcare, Humana, Aetna, and Elevance made a combined $20 BILLION off of Medicare Advantage. 

It's a complete scam. 

MedPAC estimates that MA overpayments will drive up Part B premiums by roughly $11 billion in 2026 for all seniors, including those not enrolled in Advantage plans.

Benefit Expansion: Eliminating the overpayment could theoretically fund a significant portion of vision, dental, or hearing benefits for everyone in Traditional Medicare—benefits that are currently widely available only through private MA plans.