How Can Socialized Medicine Be Worse Than This?

Here’s a list of healthcare stats that may make you wonder why we’re so attached to our healthcare system. Obamacare isn’t going to fix it and the Republicans don’t have an answer either. By the way, if you’re taking any meds for high blood pressure, you may not want to read this:

A CNN Health study found that medical bills are the behind more than 60 percent of all personal bankruptcies in the United States each year.

The same study found that 75% of people that file bankruptcy because of unpaid medical bills actually have health insurance.

CBS News found that staying in intensive care for an extended period of time can cost 1 million dollars. If you stay in the hospital, the bills continue from there.

• It is estimated that hospitals overcharge Americans by about 10 billion dollars every single year.
• Insurance companies have agreements with hospitals that knock their bills down by up to 95 percent. You pay the whole thing if you’re uninsured.
• Health insurance premiums for small businesses in the United States increased 180% between 1999 and 2009
• ABC News found that U.S. health insurance companies increased their profits by 56 percent during 2009 alone. This was accomplished while the rest of the country struggled with the “Great Recession”.
• Over the six years between 2000 and 2006, wages in the United States increased by 3.8%, but health care premiums increased by 87%.
• America's five biggest for-profit health insurance companies ended 2009 with a combined profit of $12.2 billion.
• The C level executives at the five biggest for-profit health insurance companies in the United States received nearly $200 million in total compensation during 2009 alone. (During a recession)
• In reaction to the passing of “Obamacare”, Blue Shield of California recently announced plans to raise health insurance rates by an average of 30% to 35% this year. 44,000 policy holders could see their health insurance premiums rise by 59 percent.
• In an interview with Fox News, a one doctor said, "A gunshot wound to the head, chest or abdomen" treated at his hospital would cost the victim more than $13,000. That was just for trauma care.
• According to CNBC the medical liability system (lawyers that sue doctors, hospitals, etc.) in the United States added approximately $55.6 billion to the cost of health care in 2008.
• Reuters reported that Americans spend about twice as much as residents of other developed countries on health care. Amazingly, they receive much lower quality and far less efficiency in return.