re: We should all be pissed off about the Affordable Care Act. Obamacare

One positive thing out of the ACA is the elimination of being denied health coverage for pre-existing conditions,

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That just means it’s not insurance.

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It literally is insurance.

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It literally is insurance.

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The concept of insurance is predicated on unexpected events. Pre-existing conditions are expected and known.

My insurance company adding your pre-existing condition to the risk pool just increases all our costs.

Apparently, folks are missing your joke

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The problem is that people are unwilling to confront the uncomfortable truth that our health care system is designed to do two things: make money for providers, and pull more people into more frequently using health care in all its forms.

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That’s the truth but not everyone using HC fits into his “well, you’re fat” narrative

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I recall some commentators saying that it's true purpose was to break our entire health care system so that the People would demand Universal Health Care paid for by FedGov.

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Cloward-Piven

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What an asinine comment

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Asinine is Trump saying since 2015 he would repeal and replace Obamacare and has yet to do it and offers up no plan or anything just uses his usual buzz words like it will be ‘fantastic’ ‘fabulous’ etc

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I guess I'm still pissed there has still been nothing done to improve, replace or anything to offer options for those that need it. That's on our politicians.

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Perhaps not mandate maternity coverage for men or postmenopausal women? That would be a start.

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Eliminating policy maximums and exclusions for pre-existing conditions don’t cost anything. It’s all free and pie in the sky.

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Sure, eliminating maximums and pre-existing condition exclusions is not “free” or “pie in the sky.” It redistributes and increases expected health-care costs, and someone — consumers, employers, insurers, or taxpayers — ultimately pays unless offset by explicit funding or risk-sharing mechanisms.

The issue is "risk pools" and having enough enrollees to effectively spread the risk. The current individual insurance market does not handle risk pooling effectively. Many people—especially those with medical conditions—either struggle to find coverage or have to pay extremely high premiums. Furthermore, individuals often encounter a confusing variety of insurance plans and must decide which is best suited to their needs. Small businesses in many states also deal with similar difficulties.

Risk Pool Considerations

Finally, here's a personal and anecdotal story. Have a child with hemophilia. Through no fault of his own, he got a bleed, had to be admitted to the hospital with "compartment syndrome", a situation where increased pressure within a closed muscle compartment that reduces blood flow and impairs nerve and muscle function, potentially causing permanent damage if not treated promptly.

He had to have surgery or would have lost his leg. Guess what the total charge was for the stay, surgeon, factor etc.? $550k. Had I not had good employer-based insurance they might not have done the surgery, or we might have faced financial hardships and/or bankruptcy.

So I ask you. What should people with hereditary diseases like that do, particularly if they can't get employer-based coverage? Go bankrupt? Just die because they can't afford care? That's the role ACA was supposed to play and our politicians have failed us miserably.

PS: Being overweight and obesity lead to personal health issues, reduced productivity, and major economic burdens. Direct medical expenses reach hundreds of billions, while total societal costs—including lost productivity—are estimated in the trillions. No one ever talks about that. Wonder why.