• Bye@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    32
    arrow-down
    5
    ·
    1 year ago

    The USA spends twice as much on public healthcare than it does on defense.

    (Medicare and Medicaid = 1.4 trillion per year, vs. defense = 700 billion per year)

    The problem isn’t that tax money is being used for defense.

    The problem is that healthcare prices are insane in the US, and that the government isn’t allowed to negotiate lower prices (even though they have the weight to do so).

    • nbafantest@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      27
      ·
      1 year ago

      The real problem is that US insurance/healthcare was specifically designed to tie you to an employer.

      • Bye@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        15
        ·
        1 year ago

        Absolutely true. In the late 40s, when other countries were setting up public healthcare, we didn’t do it because we didn’t need to since employers offered healthcare plans. So it didn’t happen for us. Now there is no political will, because employers LOVE the leverage it gives them.