Democratic Primaries
In reply to the discussion: Bernie Sanders opposes House bill to strengthen the Affordable Care Act. [View all]TexasTowelie
(112,124 posts)your statement that more than half of Americans were uninsured isn't true.
I didn't say that the insurance coverage was adequate or that all medical conditions were covered at 100%. Some insurance policies may cover 80% of the bills, excluded pre-existing conditions, or had limits such as paying for alcohol/drug rehabilitation only twice within a lifetime. Medicare also has its limitations which is why there is a private market that covers gaps such as for prescription drug coverage.
I considered filing bankruptcy about a decade ago because I had expenses that weren't covered. Most of my problems were related to being diabetic. I had high expenses because my dental insurance had a limit of $1,500 per year so that anything in excess of that limit became an out-of-pocket expense. There were also some items not covered in my health insurance plan such as syringes and test strips to check blood glucose levels. I decided not to file for bankruptcy because of the high cost of hiring an attorney for my case and the requirements to attend credit counseling classes since I did not have a vehicle and I frequently had to stay at work late since I was a salaried employee.
The information you presented about the percentage of people claiming bankruptcy should be tempered with those considerations and others that I may not have thought about. I'm also certain that a significant percentage of those who filed bankruptcy were completely uninsured. For whatever reason, those people took a gamble and lost. At least they had an opportunity to discharge their debts in court and start anew.
I'll agree with you that it isn't a great system, but the cost to cover everything at 100% with no restrictions would be so astronomical that the system would collapse. That is why there are things such as co-pays and deductibles so that people don't abuse the system and have some "skin in the game." Medicare for All may have some impact on bankruptcy filings, but it won't solve all of the various problems unless something is done to close the gaps that exist. That would require the 1.45% contribution paid by employers and employees to increase which will not be popular with voters in a general election as they watch their paychecks decrease and lose employer-based insurance. That is why a M4A bill is DOA.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden