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www.commondreams.org

Helena Addison
Dec 18, 2025

Between the (likely) expiration of the Affordable Care Act enhanced subsidies, cuts to Medicaid and Medicare, and the decade-long efforts to undermine and dismantle the ACA, the casualties and costs of our current healthcare system continue to grow as Americans continue to wait for a better option. Nearly 45,000 Americans aged 17-65 die each year due to lack of insurance, a number that could rise to over 51,000 preventable deaths in the coming years.

Yet, the Senate has failed to pass either healthcare plan proposed to keep health insurance premiums from skyrocketing in the New Year and the Medicare for All bill introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and US Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) and Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) in April 2025 has not advanced in Congress. Ideas like Medicare for All or universal healthcare often make eyes roll. “That’s unrealistic,” we’re told.

  • ZombiFrancis@sh.itjust.works
    3·
    13 hours ago

    This was sort of the argument for it before the ACA.

    Medicare for All was the compromise against a national healthcare system, just like the idea of a public option was a compromise with the Medicare for All compromise.

    The ACA, without a public option, and initially a tax penalty for being uninsured is what we got.

  • Arancello@aussie.zone
    14·
    1 day ago

    Actually, the US healthcare system is working exactly as designed. Things that reduce the bonus for CEOs, Boards and shareholders are avoided. That means raising premiums, reducing payouts from claims and supporting anything that keeps people on long term treatments that means patients have to keep going to treatments rather than cure them. People are naive to think a profit oriented healthcare system would do anything else.