The Democrats Surrendered to the Health Insurance Industry

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Why does America spend more on healthcare than any nation on earth while citizens die younger, go bankrupt from medical bills, and struggle to afford basic care? The answer lies not in complex economics but in a simple truth: our leaders have surrendered to healthcare industry lobbyists.

The numbers tell a devastating story. Americans pay over $12,500 per person annually for healthcare while Germans pay $7,400, the French $6,400, and Britons under $5,400. Those countries cover everyone. We leave millions uninsured. Their administrative costs run 5-6%. Ours devour 18-20% of spending. Their citizens live approximately five years longer than Americans. This isn't failure—it's by design.

America's healthcare system operates on three principles: deny claims, defend those denials in court, and depose patients who fight back. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party repeatedly abandons meaningful reform. Remember when the public option disappeared from the Affordable Care Act? That wasn't because it lacked public support—healthcare lobbyists demanded its removal. With over $700 million spent annually on lobbying, the industry ensures Medicare for All never receives serious consideration despite expert analyses showing it would save hundreds of billions while covering everyone.

The next time you're struggling with medical bills or fighting an insurance denial, remember: this system persists not because alternatives don't work (they succeed in every other developed nation) but because our politicians choose campaign donors over patients. The Democratic Party may have surrendered to the healthcare industry, but we haven't. Subscribe now to join the fight for a healthcare system that treats medical care as a human right, not a luxury good.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:22):
Welcome to the Democrats Surrendered, the
podcast that calls out the waysthe Democratic Party has
abandoned its base, its valuesand its promise to fight for
working people.
I'm your host, edward Williams.
Today we're diving into one ofthe most urgent, most personal

(00:44):
issues facing Americans todayHealthcare.
Or, more accurately, how theDemocratic Party surrendered to
the health insurance industryand how that betrayal continues
to uphold a system that isbroken, predatory and profitable

(01:07):
for all the wrong people.
Let's start with the facts.
The United States spends more onhealth care than any other
country, yet our outcomes theylag far behind.
Healthcare consumes over 17% ofthe US GDP, while countries

(01:39):
like France, germany and theUnited Kingdom hover between 10%
and 12%.
On a per-person basis,americans pay over $12,500 a
year for health care.
In Germany it's around $7,400.
In France it's around $6,400.
In the UK it's less than $5,400.

(02:01):
For all the countries that payless, they cover everyone.
Here in the United States, paysare common, surprise bills are
the norm, and more than 500,000people file for medical
bankruptcy every year.

(02:22):
Life expectancy in the UnitedStates is about 76 years old,
that's five years shorter thanin most European countries.
In the United States, theinfant mortality rate is higher
and administrative costs.
They eat up a quarter of allhealthcare spending in America.

(02:48):
Let's break that downUnitedHealthcare, one of the
largest insurers in the country,runs with administrative costs
around 18-20%.
In Germany's universalhealthcare system,

(03:09):
administrative costs averagejust 5-6%.
That difference.
It translates directly intohigher premiums, more red tape
and less actual care forAmericans.
Why the gap, americans?

(03:30):
Why the gap?
That's because in the UnitedStates, private insurers are for
profit.
That means lavish CEO salariesover $20 million a year in some
cases bloated marketing budgets,broker commissions, byzantine
billing systems and a full-timestaff just to deny claims.
Meanwhile, germany's systemoperates under strict government

(03:55):
oversight, standardized billingand zero-profit motive.
So here's the core truth.
In America, healthcare isn't aservice, it's a business, and
that business runs on thesethree words Deny, defend, depose

(04:18):
.
Deny your claim, defend thatdenial in court and depose you
if you push back.
And the most infuriating part,congress helps them do it.
Let's not sugarcoat it.
The Democratic Party has helpedentrench this system.

(04:38):
First, there's the partisangridlock that ensures that even
broadly popular reforms gonowhere.
Second, the health care lobbyspent over $700 million in 2023
to influence lawmakers.
That kind of money doesn't justwhisper, it shouts.

(05:02):
And let's not forget popularprograms that never get a
serious debate.
A public option Buried, medicarefor all Dismissed as too
radical.
Even Medicaid expansion istreated like a political
football.
This isn't just legislativefailure.

(05:26):
This is deliberate surrender.
Let's be blunt unless you're alobbyist, a health insurance
executive or a member ofCongress with gold-plated
coverage, you're not gettingmuch.
Even Medicare, that's supposedto be a safety net, can deny

(05:47):
essential services.
Meanwhile, germany coverseveryone through a hybrid system
that controls costs andguarantees care.
In America, we are paying moreand getting less.

(06:11):
Universal healthcare is not someutopian fantasy.
It's already working in everyother developed nation.
Imagine this no deductibles, noco-pays, no surprise bills, one
national plan funded by taxesbut costing less overall.

(06:36):
With Medicare for All, we couldend the burden of
employer-based insurance,eliminate medical bankruptcies,
let doctors treat patientsinstead of fighting paperwork,
cut drug prices through directnegotiation and drastically

(07:01):
reduce administrative waste.
This is not only possible, it'snecessary.
So why don't we have it already?
Because lobbyists block reformPeriod.
Remember the Affordable HealthCare Act.
The public option was removedNot because it was unpopular,

(07:23):
but because industry lobbyistsdemanded it.
Surprise billing, pharmacyscams, hospital price gouging
it's all allowed to continuebecause regulation would mean
lower profits.
Campaign contributions godirectly into the pockets of the

(07:48):
lawmakers who are supposed tooversee the healthcare industry.
It's not oversight, it's abribe in slow motion and the
public debate.
It's rigged.
We're told Medicare for Allwould take away our doctor,

(08:09):
while we already lose doctors tonarrow networks and prior
authorization schemes.
We're told it's too expensive,while we spend more than any
other country in the world.
The truth the people wantchange.
It's the politicians that don't.

(08:31):
Experts estimate that auniversal health care system
like Medicare for All will cutnational health care spending by
hundreds of billions of dollarsa year.
That's fewer middlemen, cheaperdrugs, lower administrative

(08:51):
costs and more efficient caredelivery.
It's not just more just, it'smore affordable.
The United States remains theonly industrialized nation
without universal health care.
Not because we can't afford it,but because of our leaders,

(09:14):
including many Democrats, refuseto fight for it.
They've chosen campaign donorsover patients, corporate profits
over public health, boardroomsover emergency rooms.
But we haven't given up.
We're still here, stilldemanding better, still,

(09:36):
believing that health care is ahuman right, not a revenue
stream.
Thank you for listening to theDemocrat Surrendered.
I'm Edward Williams.
If this episode resonated withyou, if you're tired of paying
more and getting less, share it.
Subscribe for future episodes.
Keep asking questions, keepraising your voice and never

(10:00):
stop fighting for what's right.
And until next time, stayhealthy, stay loud and stay
relentless.
And remember the DemocraticParty may have surrendered, but
we haven't.
Thank you.