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The United States private health care cost is ridiculously high. Medicare and Medicaid don’t cover everyone. Universal health care would cover everybody, no matter their income.
Private health care companies seem to care more about making money than the consumers. Every year, prescription and premium prices rise, making money tighter for more families. In 2021, the average cost of a vial of insulin in the United States was about $100.
Say a person is working part time, making minimum wage, at a company that doesn’t offer health care benefits. They don’t qualify for Medicaid because they make too much money but cannot afford private insurance. They need insulin, so they pay that $100 out of pocket every single month.
Compare the price of insulin in countries with universal health care, like Canada. According to Fortune.com, the same vial of insulin costs $12 in Canada, on average.
According to KFF.org, private insurance premiums in 2022 had an average cost of about $17,000 in the U.S., while 2023 premiums have an average cost of about $24,000; a $7,000 increase.
Do families get better coverage? No. Families often still have a large deductible. An average ER trip costs between $2,400 and $2,600, and families are often left paying that bill because insurance won’t.
Real people are going bankrupt, in my opinion, because of private insurance companies.
In 2024, vote for a presidential candidate who will expand health care to cover every person, regardless of their income. Educate yourselves and make your voice heard. Together, we can make change.
Jonah Bean
Dedham
