The health care system is not hopeless.

at the beginning of last month Chief Executive Officer of UnitedHealthcare was assassinated during the morning rush hour on a busy building in Midtown Manhattan. of the accused murderer Confession become a viral trend Specifically, the statement “The United States has the #1 most expensive healthcare system in the world, but we rank approximately #42 in life expectancy.”

The murder led to a major venting of grievances with American insurance companies. And among those who feel the industry is coming It was a joyful time together. What it doesn’t lead to is a focus on policies that can make health insurance and the broader health care system work better. Both the horrifying act of violence and the senseless response made me very sad, because there really is a way to make things worse. It can be improved in many ways. The system is broken. But its problems are not difficult. And America’s politicians have been unable to make concerted improvements. Even both sides

The problem is serious, to be clear. Americans spend more on health care than citizens of any other country, and Take it less– Insurance doesn’t really function as insurance here. This is because it cannot protect policyholders from debilitating medical expenses. Premiums are obscene: The average family pays $23,968. For employer-sponsored private plans By 2023, out-of-pocket expenses will be the same: Nine out of 10 workers will receive health insurance through their work. There is a deduction.That’s up from six out of 10 15 years ago. The average deductible for single coverage is $1,735, which means workers must pay $1,735 of their own expenses before insurance begins. The government allows family plan deductibles of up to $16,100 per year.

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This is a result of the country’s high out-of-pocket costs and stingy coverage. making 41 percent of American adults have medical debt– Medical expenses are the main driver of Bankruptcy Documents submitted And many Americans with coverage continue to forgo doctor visits and take prescription medications because they cannot afford them.

The country’s insurance companies are also driving up overall health spending. Instead of pushing spending down as intended Excess administrative costs cost the country. Estimate $248 billion per year According to one estimate, Matt Bruenig, political analyst It noted that in the United States, for every $100 paid to private insurance companies, only $68 goes toward health care. in single payer systems such as the UK’s National Health Service That figure is $87.

National insurance companies are a big problem for consumers. Like employers, hospitals and doctors, the Kaiser Family Foundation found that more than half of insured adults are having trouble using their coverage. Every year: Claim rejected Struggling to find a service provider in the network Failure to obtain prior permission in time The more sick people Insurance opinions are even worse. Insurance companies also act as a barrier to critical care and essential medicines.

What to do? While condemning the murders, progressive stalwarts Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren acknowledged the cause of their pain from insurance companies. Both recommended that the country change its harsh policies to Single payer system– The Medicare for All proposal and similar proposals would end private insurance. Instead, they are recruiting Americans into a popular and effective program that covers today’s seniors.

The benefits and dangers of such proposals lie in their complications. On the one hand, Americans wouldn’t need to worry about losing coverage or having to negotiate with insurance companies again. Businesses wouldn’t need to manage employee health policies. or pay a share of the employee’s insurance premium The government will have greater capacity to cut costs, negotiate drug prices, and invest in public health. In return, Washington will reshuffle America’s one-sixth economic code. As a result, dozens of insurance companies have gone out of business. And they might wipe out their shareholders too. How popular is this offer? But this is not so. at popular—Likely a non-starter. Especially when there’s a divided government or a Republican overseer.

There are many helpful but less disruptive steps for politicians to consider. One approach would be to allow individuals to purchase Medicaid, lower the Medicare eligibility age, or automatically enroll children in Medicaid, regardless of parents’ income. creating public options Popular provisions struck From the Affordable Care Act is another possibility. Millions of Americans prefer Medicare over private insurance: There are out-of-pocket costs and premiums, but they much lower than in private insurance, and Medicaid, which is available to low-income Americans, has extremely limited out-of-pocket spending.

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The country could also do what most European countries with private health insurance companies do: regulate them more tightly. It defines what an insured must cover in greater detail and more force. Set costs and reimbursement rates. This makes insurance companies truly compete for consumers’ business. With an extensive network of service providers low cost and a simple billing program Most Americans need To maintain the private insurance system They just want it to work better.

Many of the Republican health proposals so far would do the opposite and give insurance companies more powerful to deny a participant’s claim or increase insurance premiums But the Trump administration has a different ideology. Elon Musk is perhaps Donald Trump’s most prominent policy adviser. have recommended that the country should make drugs like Ozempic widely available at affordable prices “Very low for the general public” Washington can negotiate directly with drug manufacturers. It can do that with all prescription drugs. If Congress wants

Elected politicians avoid any of these changes for ideological reasons. Fierce lobbying from insurance companies or simple inertia But many are popular across the political spectrum. Clearly, Americans are so fed up with the system that they are willing to consider vigilante violence an appropriate response. It is best to call their representative instead. There are better solutions than guns. which caused the death of one man And no sick American is any better off than this.