How often do health insurers say no to patients? (2023)

(www.propublica.org)

94 points lentoutcry | 1 comments | 06 Sep 25 20:01 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source

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kstrauser ◴[06 Sep 25 22:24 UTC] No.45153451[source]▶

All the time. I have a UnitedHealthcare “platinum” plan, and it may as well not include pharmacy benefits because it never covers anything. Generic thyroid meds went from $2/month with Aetna to $70 with UHC. ADHD meds went from $10 to $300.

The threatened “death panels” we heard about when ACA was being debated are actually employees of insurers who decide what they’re not going to pay for.

I was raised a die-hard capitalist and in many ways still am. When it comes to healthcare these days, I’m somewhere to the left of Marx. What we have now is a failed system. It simply does not work. The turnip has been squeezed and there’s no blood left to wring from it.

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arwhatever ◴[06 Sep 25 23:01 UTC] No.45153712[source]▶

>>45153451 #

1. A properly competitive marketplace 2. Socialized medicine 3. What we have now

I would like to see #1 tried but at this point I’ll gladly accept #2

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1. hippo22 ◴[07 Sep 25 04:10 UTC] No.45155325[source]▶

>>45153712 #

I think the outcome we're witnessing in the U.S. is simply an outcome of an insurance-backed industry. All the market forces conspire for prices to be higher. Insurance companies actually don't care how much healthcare costs because they earn a fixed percentage on premiums. If healthcare costs are higher, then premium costs are higher, so the insurance companies earn more money.

Naturally, hospitals also wants prices to be higher so they can earn more money.

I would expect this dynamic to play out whenever all the buyers in the marketplace are insurance companies.

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