I was fortunate enough to have sufficient funds to retire from the corporate world early in 2019. But as someone with a pre-existing health condition, I was concerned that Trump was trying to kill Obamacare, because it was the ONLY show in town for people like me. My Republican friends would say “No - Donald said he would provide for that” and I challenged them to find that policy for me. Crickets. I mention this because the level of discourse on this important subject is very poor. Healthcare is currently very poor in the UK too, not because it is socialized, but in my view because it has been grossly underfunded by the conservative government.
The current UK government are running the National Health Service into the ground, seemingly with the intention of declaring it unfit for purpose so that they can profit from selling it off to US companies and ensure ordinary people cannot afford healthcare in the UK without going into debt that keeps them enslaved to the system. Sadly, it’s working as I frequently overhear people complaining that the NHS doesn’t work any more and should be replaced, when the only reason it is struggling is the deliberate long-term starvation of funds.
This is so to the point and 100% accurate. I've spent thousands on dental bills. It all went on credit cards. And yes, no insurance to help with dental. But too many will write you off as a misguided socialist rather than a realist speaking what is known by those without resources. Excellent article. Look forward to more on this topic!
Yelling "socialist" is the way some people shut down any conversation to make our economic system sane. Of course the most popular government programs that people freak out about if you suggest touching -- social security, medicare and the military-- are all government run aka "socialist."
Couldn’t agree more with your sentiments on healthcare. Our son has special needs and my wife has had a major illness. The only reason we haven’t become buried in medical debt is due to my Tricare insurance as a member of the Army Reserve. We pay a modest premium and the coverage is quite good as it’s designed to keep the service member (and family) healthy so that we’re ready to deploy (yes, going to war to ensure my family has healthcare isn’t lost on me). The insurance associated with my civilian job on the fire dept doesn’t come close. Funny how good something can be when profit isn’t the primary purpose.
Very well said! And considering your ties to CNN very heavy! I hope that they keep you on. When I was in college I read a book, "The Power Elite." Boy was it ever right. !!!
When I was serving a pastoral-vacancy in Yuma, AZ a few years back, folks told me they walk across the nearby Mexican border to get their dental care done in Mexico. They told me the dentist were excellent and they paid a small fraction of in the USA. I agree the system is broken beyond repair and needs a drastic reordering, likely a complete overhaul. The corporate interests will howl, but damn the torpedos, full speed ahead!
I'll go ahead and sound like an old man grousing (at age 51). It has gotten worse with the rise of the internet. There is almost no corner you can turn or internet site you can visit that is not an attempt to get your money. Funny how I'm now looking at the "Upgrade to paid" button on this page! (That's okay here - you do not get respected, honest journalism online without cost, plus I've been forgetting to subscribe.) $5 here, $13 a month there, and the next thing you know...
I had to pay a crazy amount for a root canal a few years ago. I also had a $20k hospital bill in my mid-20s that almost bankrupted me; without an attorney friend of the family, that certainly would have happened. I also know that most families do not have attorney friends sitting around willing to help.
This is one of those issues that requires a degree of knowledge before engaging fully. Like Kirsten, I simply do not have the economics chops required to come up with solutions myself. Of course today, that does not stop the prognosticators, pundits, and overall creeps from blabbering nonsense both online and on TV.
So, I'm the same way - I just know something is wrong. Life experience matters, too. I've recently pieced together why my White Christian Nationalist internal alarm has been going off more recently. It's because I survived a K-12 pseudo-fundamentalist private Christian education (it's complicated; luckily my parents were just normal people doing their duty going to church because that's what everyone did).
Education has to play a huge role in this, because while most people vote with the economy as their #1 issue, few really understand it. This is probably why I've made the economy a non-issue in my personal voting choices. For me, it has ALWAYS been social issues, specifically focused on equal rights and justice. While I sat in Christian Ethics class at 16 years old in high school and listened to the teacher explain the meaning of Steven Tyler's lyrics, "You can't catch me cuz the rabbit done died..." (I had no idea that rabbits were killed for pregnancy tests prior to my teacher telling me), I told myself that the entire issue of abortion was a personal one and a personal choice. I now frame this also as a healthcare issue - full stop.
Another problem is that I believe both Democrats and Republicans are to blame - perhaps one party more than the other due to onerous tax cuts and such, but both parties have not protected the citizenry from predatory lending and onerous business practices. Essentially, both parties worship at the altar of toxic capitalism. But I know that the solution does not necessarily mean torching capitalism.
I think you hit on the thing -- "I know something is wrong." everyone on some level except for the few that are benefitting from this knows this is not okay but too many have bought into the idea that this is the "cost of freedom" and all the propaganda about how terrible other countries--particularly in Europe--are.
Well said. I think the biggest problem we have is that the story the right tell people is one they want to believe. They want to believe the problem is that someone beneath them in the social ladder is sucking the juice out of the system because otherwise they would have to face their own powerlessness and lack of agency. Oppressed people find relief in oppressing those lower than them in the pecking order. Until we can convince the white working man that he’s as much a “slave” to the system as those he feels safe to oppress, then the right wing media will keep selling authoritarianism in the name of security, and trickle up economics as fairness. I’m not even convinced the billionaires and CEOs feel free, and think that they are in some way slaves to the system too.
Ms. Powers, many of the reforms you and I would like to see need to be initiated thru our political system. I encourage like-minded people to always vote Democratic but I wonder if the deep and broad systemic change we want can happen without first passing fundamental campaign finance reform that decouples the vast majority of our elected representatives, including all Democrats, at every level of government, from the special interests who benefit from the status quo. How do we get more Bernie's? Sorry about your root canal. I had a similar dental dollar shock about 4 years ago but had the luxury to be able to put off the work . . . for now.
As a Naturalized US citizen who moved here mid-career from Canada 20+ years ago I remain perplexed by two aspects of US society (1) healthcare and (2) gun control. The reflective fear response to “Socialism” is inane and generates a mountain of mis-information in my view. Coming from Canada I found it surprising that the ability to receive good quality basic healthcare was not only unattainable for many Americans but also the single biggest cause of personal bankruptcies. As a user of the US system I could not believe the complexity, cost and seemingly arbitrary nature of the healthcare system. While there is lots of room for debate about the role and scope of government it seems hard to argue that the capability of to ensure that basic needs such as health, security and education can be met for all citizens is a hallmark of any advanced society.
I should note that I do not consider myself some radical socialist from Canada. I retired from a senior level position in a large multinational corporation and frankly have been a beneficiary of many of the inequities in our systems. While I remain a strong proponent of a properly regulated capitalist system as the best mechanism to drive productivity and wealth in a society it is essential that any system reflects the needs of all members. There is little doubt in my opinion that our current system falls significantly short in terms of providing a reasonable safety net that allows all citizens to have very basic needs met. Distribution of income is more complex is my view, however streamlining tax systems to support a more equitable sharing of tax burdens would seem a good start point.
I look forward to reading your conclusions from your continued assessment of Capitalism and Socialism !
Thank you from sharing your perspective. Americans really have been fed a lot of propaganda about socialism, so much so that it is treated as being basically interchangeable with communism. It's not an accident that people think that. I don't know where I will end up-- I do know that capitalism in the United States wasn't as out of control when i was growing up in the pre-Reagan era. It has become an entirely different animal and that also was not an accident.
Dr’s claim ins companies want to control their practice. It’s a good thing. Try comparing what Medicare allows to what’s billed. The uninsured are gouged.
As the father of a special needs adult daughter, I can tell you that medical bills pile up fast. How fast? I usually meet my maximum out-of-pocket (currently at $10,000/year) in the first two to three months of each year. However, the maximum out-of-pocket has climbed in the last three years from $4500 to $10,000. Full transparency, my daughter has disability coverage, so her Medicaid covers any deductible she incurs. However, it never works out that my daughter's medical bills cover all of the $10,000 maximum out of pocket. Usually, I am hit with a little more than half of the amount I pay for my wife, my younger daughter, and myself. I am fortunate to make a decent income to cover these amounts. My medical insurance is through my job; comparing my coverage with other family and friends is pretty good. Yet, I cannot help but think of my family members and friends who also have exceptional medical circumstances and get hit with massive deductibles and maximum out-of-pockets greater than mine. To your point, they charge it to their credit cards. It rolls over year after year.
So, back to the topic of capitalism, I believe in a genuinely free competitive market. Yes, we are not necessarily 100% pure capitalists but close. However, I do have one exception to a free market, medical coverage, and associated benefits. Making decisions to buy food or medicine is barbaric. Making decisions to postpone medically necessary surgeries because we cannot afford the upfront deductible, let alone hitting the maximum out-of-pocket amount, is infuriating. I argue that medical insurance companies should be converted to non-profits. Whatever profits are made should go back into reducing the costs of deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses. I am no expert in this field, even less of an economic guru. Still, making billions in profits for CEO and C-Level executives in the insurance industry does not make sense while the average person struggles to pay their bills. I understand the argument about how a one-payer system could fix these issues, but I also worked nine years in the public sector and know how badly some government agencies manage programs.
Let's just say the solution has to be somewhere in the middle. By the way, Bernie is far more left than I would ever like, but when it comes to medical benefits, I say, "Go, Bernie, Go!"
Well said - thank you! Health care is a mess from all angles. Those that need the help the most, who suffer from a debilitating chronic disease or need expensive treatments or our elderly who are routinely put in awful places with inadequate care because the costs are too high can't get the proper care and attention, often denied no matter what their financial situation. of course, if you have millions, you don't care because you can pay for it. And, other countries also have limitations when it comes to coverage for rare disease care or access to new, life saving therapies because their government systems won't approve them for inclusion in their reimbursement system. That includes France. There is no easy solution or easy answer - a total rewiring is necessary of our collective psyche. And I have hope that we can figure it out somehow!
yes to a total rewiring of our collective psyche! Re France: there is no perfect system but we should not let perfect become the enemy of the good. France is a model, not something to imitate exactly. The point is the government should provide the insurance so that it is universal and also so they can negotiate lower prices.
I spend a lot of time in France. Although the health care system is under more pressure than you might think (there are many way-overworked doctors & ERs, for example) and there are problems that need addressing, everyone agrees health care is a fundamental right. I had to have a CT scan at a hospital -- it cost me $83. I’ve had full bloodwork done: no more than $30 for an uninsured (in France) American. Rx? I can’t even... Whatever the issues that need to be addressed in the French health system (and there are many) there is agreement that healthcare is not a for-profit enterprise and it is a fundamental right. And that you don’t live to work, you work to live. It’s still messy, but one thing is clear: Americans expect so little from this alleged democracy (ok yes it’s a Republic, stop). We have a corporate state.
Thank you for sharing this experience. Most Americans have no idea that it's this way in other countries or they believe it costs less b/c the care is inferior. It's crazy making!
I was fortunate enough to have sufficient funds to retire from the corporate world early in 2019. But as someone with a pre-existing health condition, I was concerned that Trump was trying to kill Obamacare, because it was the ONLY show in town for people like me. My Republican friends would say “No - Donald said he would provide for that” and I challenged them to find that policy for me. Crickets. I mention this because the level of discourse on this important subject is very poor. Healthcare is currently very poor in the UK too, not because it is socialized, but in my view because it has been grossly underfunded by the conservative government.
The current UK government are running the National Health Service into the ground, seemingly with the intention of declaring it unfit for purpose so that they can profit from selling it off to US companies and ensure ordinary people cannot afford healthcare in the UK without going into debt that keeps them enslaved to the system. Sadly, it’s working as I frequently overhear people complaining that the NHS doesn’t work any more and should be replaced, when the only reason it is struggling is the deliberate long-term starvation of funds.
This is so to the point and 100% accurate. I've spent thousands on dental bills. It all went on credit cards. And yes, no insurance to help with dental. But too many will write you off as a misguided socialist rather than a realist speaking what is known by those without resources. Excellent article. Look forward to more on this topic!
Yelling "socialist" is the way some people shut down any conversation to make our economic system sane. Of course the most popular government programs that people freak out about if you suggest touching -- social security, medicare and the military-- are all government run aka "socialist."
Couldn’t agree more with your sentiments on healthcare. Our son has special needs and my wife has had a major illness. The only reason we haven’t become buried in medical debt is due to my Tricare insurance as a member of the Army Reserve. We pay a modest premium and the coverage is quite good as it’s designed to keep the service member (and family) healthy so that we’re ready to deploy (yes, going to war to ensure my family has healthcare isn’t lost on me). The insurance associated with my civilian job on the fire dept doesn’t come close. Funny how good something can be when profit isn’t the primary purpose.
Very well said! And considering your ties to CNN very heavy! I hope that they keep you on. When I was in college I read a book, "The Power Elite." Boy was it ever right. !!!
oh i'll have to check that book out and add it too my growing stack!
Thanks for this. Also, "Viking Economics", by George Lakey, is an excellent read.
When I was serving a pastoral-vacancy in Yuma, AZ a few years back, folks told me they walk across the nearby Mexican border to get their dental care done in Mexico. They told me the dentist were excellent and they paid a small fraction of in the USA. I agree the system is broken beyond repair and needs a drastic reordering, likely a complete overhaul. The corporate interests will howl, but damn the torpedos, full speed ahead!
Brilliant writing - thank you! I’ve sent it to several friends and appreciate all the thoughtful responses here as well.
TY!!
I'll go ahead and sound like an old man grousing (at age 51). It has gotten worse with the rise of the internet. There is almost no corner you can turn or internet site you can visit that is not an attempt to get your money. Funny how I'm now looking at the "Upgrade to paid" button on this page! (That's okay here - you do not get respected, honest journalism online without cost, plus I've been forgetting to subscribe.) $5 here, $13 a month there, and the next thing you know...
I had to pay a crazy amount for a root canal a few years ago. I also had a $20k hospital bill in my mid-20s that almost bankrupted me; without an attorney friend of the family, that certainly would have happened. I also know that most families do not have attorney friends sitting around willing to help.
This is one of those issues that requires a degree of knowledge before engaging fully. Like Kirsten, I simply do not have the economics chops required to come up with solutions myself. Of course today, that does not stop the prognosticators, pundits, and overall creeps from blabbering nonsense both online and on TV.
So, I'm the same way - I just know something is wrong. Life experience matters, too. I've recently pieced together why my White Christian Nationalist internal alarm has been going off more recently. It's because I survived a K-12 pseudo-fundamentalist private Christian education (it's complicated; luckily my parents were just normal people doing their duty going to church because that's what everyone did).
Education has to play a huge role in this, because while most people vote with the economy as their #1 issue, few really understand it. This is probably why I've made the economy a non-issue in my personal voting choices. For me, it has ALWAYS been social issues, specifically focused on equal rights and justice. While I sat in Christian Ethics class at 16 years old in high school and listened to the teacher explain the meaning of Steven Tyler's lyrics, "You can't catch me cuz the rabbit done died..." (I had no idea that rabbits were killed for pregnancy tests prior to my teacher telling me), I told myself that the entire issue of abortion was a personal one and a personal choice. I now frame this also as a healthcare issue - full stop.
Another problem is that I believe both Democrats and Republicans are to blame - perhaps one party more than the other due to onerous tax cuts and such, but both parties have not protected the citizenry from predatory lending and onerous business practices. Essentially, both parties worship at the altar of toxic capitalism. But I know that the solution does not necessarily mean torching capitalism.
I think you hit on the thing -- "I know something is wrong." everyone on some level except for the few that are benefitting from this knows this is not okay but too many have bought into the idea that this is the "cost of freedom" and all the propaganda about how terrible other countries--particularly in Europe--are.
Well said. I think the biggest problem we have is that the story the right tell people is one they want to believe. They want to believe the problem is that someone beneath them in the social ladder is sucking the juice out of the system because otherwise they would have to face their own powerlessness and lack of agency. Oppressed people find relief in oppressing those lower than them in the pecking order. Until we can convince the white working man that he’s as much a “slave” to the system as those he feels safe to oppress, then the right wing media will keep selling authoritarianism in the name of security, and trickle up economics as fairness. I’m not even convinced the billionaires and CEOs feel free, and think that they are in some way slaves to the system too.
Ms. Powers, many of the reforms you and I would like to see need to be initiated thru our political system. I encourage like-minded people to always vote Democratic but I wonder if the deep and broad systemic change we want can happen without first passing fundamental campaign finance reform that decouples the vast majority of our elected representatives, including all Democrats, at every level of government, from the special interests who benefit from the status quo. How do we get more Bernie's? Sorry about your root canal. I had a similar dental dollar shock about 4 years ago but had the luxury to be able to put off the work . . . for now.
As a Naturalized US citizen who moved here mid-career from Canada 20+ years ago I remain perplexed by two aspects of US society (1) healthcare and (2) gun control. The reflective fear response to “Socialism” is inane and generates a mountain of mis-information in my view. Coming from Canada I found it surprising that the ability to receive good quality basic healthcare was not only unattainable for many Americans but also the single biggest cause of personal bankruptcies. As a user of the US system I could not believe the complexity, cost and seemingly arbitrary nature of the healthcare system. While there is lots of room for debate about the role and scope of government it seems hard to argue that the capability of to ensure that basic needs such as health, security and education can be met for all citizens is a hallmark of any advanced society.
I should note that I do not consider myself some radical socialist from Canada. I retired from a senior level position in a large multinational corporation and frankly have been a beneficiary of many of the inequities in our systems. While I remain a strong proponent of a properly regulated capitalist system as the best mechanism to drive productivity and wealth in a society it is essential that any system reflects the needs of all members. There is little doubt in my opinion that our current system falls significantly short in terms of providing a reasonable safety net that allows all citizens to have very basic needs met. Distribution of income is more complex is my view, however streamlining tax systems to support a more equitable sharing of tax burdens would seem a good start point.
I look forward to reading your conclusions from your continued assessment of Capitalism and Socialism !
Thank you from sharing your perspective. Americans really have been fed a lot of propaganda about socialism, so much so that it is treated as being basically interchangeable with communism. It's not an accident that people think that. I don't know where I will end up-- I do know that capitalism in the United States wasn't as out of control when i was growing up in the pre-Reagan era. It has become an entirely different animal and that also was not an accident.
Dr’s claim ins companies want to control their practice. It’s a good thing. Try comparing what Medicare allows to what’s billed. The uninsured are gouged.
As the father of a special needs adult daughter, I can tell you that medical bills pile up fast. How fast? I usually meet my maximum out-of-pocket (currently at $10,000/year) in the first two to three months of each year. However, the maximum out-of-pocket has climbed in the last three years from $4500 to $10,000. Full transparency, my daughter has disability coverage, so her Medicaid covers any deductible she incurs. However, it never works out that my daughter's medical bills cover all of the $10,000 maximum out of pocket. Usually, I am hit with a little more than half of the amount I pay for my wife, my younger daughter, and myself. I am fortunate to make a decent income to cover these amounts. My medical insurance is through my job; comparing my coverage with other family and friends is pretty good. Yet, I cannot help but think of my family members and friends who also have exceptional medical circumstances and get hit with massive deductibles and maximum out-of-pockets greater than mine. To your point, they charge it to their credit cards. It rolls over year after year.
So, back to the topic of capitalism, I believe in a genuinely free competitive market. Yes, we are not necessarily 100% pure capitalists but close. However, I do have one exception to a free market, medical coverage, and associated benefits. Making decisions to buy food or medicine is barbaric. Making decisions to postpone medically necessary surgeries because we cannot afford the upfront deductible, let alone hitting the maximum out-of-pocket amount, is infuriating. I argue that medical insurance companies should be converted to non-profits. Whatever profits are made should go back into reducing the costs of deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses. I am no expert in this field, even less of an economic guru. Still, making billions in profits for CEO and C-Level executives in the insurance industry does not make sense while the average person struggles to pay their bills. I understand the argument about how a one-payer system could fix these issues, but I also worked nine years in the public sector and know how badly some government agencies manage programs.
Let's just say the solution has to be somewhere in the middle. By the way, Bernie is far more left than I would ever like, but when it comes to medical benefits, I say, "Go, Bernie, Go!"
that's terrible about the medical costs... Also you might be surprised if you read Bernie's book that you agree with him on more than health care.
Well said - thank you! Health care is a mess from all angles. Those that need the help the most, who suffer from a debilitating chronic disease or need expensive treatments or our elderly who are routinely put in awful places with inadequate care because the costs are too high can't get the proper care and attention, often denied no matter what their financial situation. of course, if you have millions, you don't care because you can pay for it. And, other countries also have limitations when it comes to coverage for rare disease care or access to new, life saving therapies because their government systems won't approve them for inclusion in their reimbursement system. That includes France. There is no easy solution or easy answer - a total rewiring is necessary of our collective psyche. And I have hope that we can figure it out somehow!
yes to a total rewiring of our collective psyche! Re France: there is no perfect system but we should not let perfect become the enemy of the good. France is a model, not something to imitate exactly. The point is the government should provide the insurance so that it is universal and also so they can negotiate lower prices.
I spend a lot of time in France. Although the health care system is under more pressure than you might think (there are many way-overworked doctors & ERs, for example) and there are problems that need addressing, everyone agrees health care is a fundamental right. I had to have a CT scan at a hospital -- it cost me $83. I’ve had full bloodwork done: no more than $30 for an uninsured (in France) American. Rx? I can’t even... Whatever the issues that need to be addressed in the French health system (and there are many) there is agreement that healthcare is not a for-profit enterprise and it is a fundamental right. And that you don’t live to work, you work to live. It’s still messy, but one thing is clear: Americans expect so little from this alleged democracy (ok yes it’s a Republic, stop). We have a corporate state.
I think it was published in the 1950's but can't recall the author.
Thank you for sharing this experience. Most Americans have no idea that it's this way in other countries or they believe it costs less b/c the care is inferior. It's crazy making!