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NeelixBiederman ,

This is what we have instead of health care, and boy do we have a lot of it

NaibofTabr ,

Not really true.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/2022_US_Federal_Budget_Infographic.png

In 2022 the US spent an equivalent amount on Medicare as it did on defense ($747 billion vs $751 billion), and another $592 billion on Medicaid. US defense spending represents only 3% of GDP, and about 14% of the total federal budget.

The largest budget item is Social Security at $1.2 trillion.

Social program spending in the US massively outstrips military spending.

el_abuelo ,

So sincere question: why the fuck is it so god damn awful over there then? People going bankrupt over medical bills isn’t a thing in Europe, and your social care appears non existent…why the dissonance between expenditure and apparent results?

Zipitydew ,

Because our healthcare is run for profit at the behest of insurance and pharmacy cartels.

SeventyTwoTrillion ,
@SeventyTwoTrillion@hexbear.net avatar

Surprisingly, if healthcare is governed by the profit motive instead of an actual duty of care towards people, then the people in charge of healthcare will focus more on making profits than on providing care.

Never you fear, the disparity between America and Europe will go down. Not because America will improve - god no, it’ll get worse, even - but because the capitalists, backed by fascists, are here to loot European countries and rip the wiring out of the walls as the profitability crisis continues.

TheCaconym ,

because the capitalists, backed by fascists, are here to loot European countries and rip the wiring out of the walls as the profitability crisis continues

Healthcare-wise this is already well under way, at least in France and the UK.

BartsBigBugBag ,

It just came out that the true defense budget is over $1.5 trillion. So… higher than social security.

NaibofTabr ,

[citation needed]

BartsBigBugBag ,

monthlyreview.org/…/actual-u-s-military-spending-…

cyclohexane ,

This is true but we should keep in mind:

When we say military spending, what it really means is: how much is the US government granting the military industrial complex for them to accept powering its military

When we say Medicaid (and others) spending, it is: how much is the US gov giving to medical insurance companies to allow a sunset of poor people to have some healthcare?

Those companies are intentionally setting outrageous prices and the US is happy to pay them.

GarbageShoot ,

This is disingenuous, there is legislation in place that prevents the government from negotiating the price of medicine, keeping it wildly inflated compared to other countries. The US effectively isn’t doing social spending with that margin* but just laundering money to health insurance companies, medicine manufacturers, and patent barons.

*3 to 10 times the cost you see in other countries is the common range, I think, though in individual cases it gets much higher and there are some ~1:1 prices.

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