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June 15, 2023 3 mins

Joe hit us with an article letting us know that we are all paying more than DOUBLE we should for health care in the US. Think that health care you're getting from your employer isn't taxed? Guess again. 

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Speaker 1 (00:00):
So we need to do a big podcast on this
or something. The state of American healthcare. Craig Gottwols recently
wrote a piece that it's absolutely brilliant and everybody in
America should read it. I'm going to hit you with
a little bit of it, and we don't. I'm looking
at the clock. Hell we have Oh oh?

Speaker 2 (00:15):
I said, hell is that? Uh, that's up to you.
That's up to you.

Speaker 1 (00:19):
I think I can get away with that.

Speaker 2 (00:20):
I think if you think it's okay for the radiot,
I don't think it's I think it's just getting a look.
Katie also agrees, not okay, dang it all right?

Speaker 1 (00:35):
This week in the government healthcare complex is gluttonous plundering
of US business. We saw that Signa posted a one
point three billion dollar profit in quarter one on the
heels of learning that SIGNA saves millions by having doctors
reject claims without reading them. And United Healthcare lost a
ninety one million dollar suit for chronic underpayment and unjust

(00:56):
claim denials.

Speaker 2 (00:57):
I read stories like this every.

Speaker 1 (00:59):
Week and becoming increasingly enraged at the cruel injustice of
it all. The title this piece is we're all paying
more than double what we should for healthcare. And this
is a healthcare expert writing more than double wow. How
America's government programs, insurers, and hospitals relentlessly pill for private plans.
And then next section, we already have a socialized system.

(01:21):
The American taxpayer funds seventy one percent of all healthcare
and blue states like California, that leaves twenty nine percent
of health care costs funded by folks paying their own
way to pay two hundred and twenty four percent of
what the healthcare industry's largest customer, the government, pays for
the same procedures at the same facilities. Still think the
healthcare you receive at work is not taxed. That is

(01:42):
a brilliant insight. No, you don't pay taxes on medical benefits,
Yes you do. Your healthcare costs are two and a
half times almost two and a half times what they
ought to be. When you get anything done to provide
funds to Medicare and Medicaid patients, it's a huge tax

(02:05):
that's not recognized as a tax. Just one more little chunk.
The rampant fraud riddling American healthcare boggles my mind. And no,
I'm not even talking about the fact that one of
every three dollars spent in the Medicare and Medicaid system
is squandered on waste, fraud, and abuse, and he goes
on and overpaying for prescriptions by twenty five to fifty percent.

(02:26):
Pharmacy benefits are a treasure trove of corrupt pricing, hidden rebates,
and shell games that would expand this post beyond a
reasonable length. Ah.

Speaker 2 (02:34):
I gotta say my reaction to this story is depression
because I don't feel like anything can or will be
done about this.

Speaker 1 (02:42):
It would take all of us shouting in unison to
drown out the healthcare lobby barely.

Speaker 2 (02:48):
That is, it's just corrupt to its core. That is rough,
and I just I'm sure Craig would probably agree. It
ain't likely to get better anytime soon.

Speaker 1 (02:57):
What do you do? Storm the castles, yourself on fire.

Speaker 2 (03:01):
Write a letter to the editor. I'd choose one of
those other than the other. I'll tell you that
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