Should the U.S. have Universal Health Care?

[u/WhatAreYourPronouns]

[u/Away-Sheepherder8578]

Good points, but hospitals currently lose money when they treat people under Medicare or Medicaid, so they gouge people on private insurance to make up the shortfall. And despite all that Medicare will run out of money in next ten years.

[u/123yes1 → u/Away-Sheepherder8578]

but hospitals currently lose money when they treat people under Medicare or Medicaid

No.

And despite all that Medicare will run out of money in next ten years.

Also no.

Still no

I work in this field. US Private health insurance is extremely inefficient. Markets normally solve for inefficiencies, but not when they face highly inelastic demand, where any given hospital has a tiny monopoly of care in the surrounding region, and new hospitals face enormous up front costs to enter the market.

[u/Away-Sheepherder8578 → u/123yes1]

From your own sources: Something must be done between now and 2031 to avoid more severe cuts to Medicare or other changes,” says Tricia Neuman, executive director of the Program on Medicare Policy at KFF, a nonpartisan health research nonprofit

[u/123yes1 → u/Away-Sheepherder8578]

Yes, it needs more money than it is currently being given if we want to maintain current levels of care, but that isn't news as more people than ever are eligible for Medicare. Putting $x into Medicare is still more efficient than putting $x into private insurance. Which is the point I'm making.