US Congress Discovers Healthcare Costs Exist, Post-Election
Yes, surprise! Healthcare premiums are headed for a 'surge.' The Independent points to the expiration of COVID-era subsidies as a key driver. What they gloss over is that these subsidies, the American Rescue Plan Act enhancements, were *temporary* measures implemented to patch up a market already riddled with corporate-driven price gouging. Congress, year after year, greenlights the pharmaceutical
industry's exorbitant pricing and insurance companies' profit-first models, all while accepting millions in campaign donations. For instance, in the 2022 election cycle alone, the pharmaceutical and health products industry reportedly spent over $100 million on lobbying and contributions, according to OpenSecrets.org. So, as your premiums climb like a Sisyphus-sized boulder, remember it's not a
market 'spike'; it's a feature, not a bug, of a system designed to transfer wealth from the sick to the shareholders. Our esteemed leaders, after dutifully subsidizing corporate profits for decades, now fret about 'cost-sharing assistance' expiring. How many more 'crises' will it take before universal healthcare is considered less radical than perpetual medical debt?