The surprising backstory of American health insurance:

• In the 1800s hospitals were religious and charitable organizations - Detroit Mercy, Mount Sinai, etc.
• Around the 1870’s hospitals became the center of education and medical practice
• Before 1920’s costs weren’t that high yet, you mostly paid out of pocket
• People bought insurance privately (like how you buy auto insurance), still not employer-sponsored
• During WW2 to curb inflation from impacting the war efforts, Roosevelt introduces wage + price controls
• Companies resort to competing on health insurance because fringe benefits were not affected by these controls
• After the war wage controls were lifted, but employer-sponsored plans stuck around -> introducing the dynamic of not being able to get healthcare if you’re unemployed

Crazy how FDR's decision 80 years ago still dictates access to healthcare today

The surprising backstory of American health insurance:  • In the 1800s hospitals were religious and charitable organizations - Detroit Mercy, Mount Sinai, etc. • Around the 1870’s hospitals became the center of education and medical practice • Before 1920’s costs weren’t that high yet, you mostly paid out of pocket • People bought insurance privately (like how you buy auto insurance), still not employer-sponsored • During WW2 to curb inflation from impacting the war efforts, Roosevelt introduces wage + price controls • Companies resort to competing on health insurance because fringe benefits were not affected by these controls • After the war wage controls were lifted, but employer-sponsored plans stuck around -> introducing the dynamic of not being able to get healthcare if you’re unemployed  Crazy how FDR's decision 80 years ago still dictates access to healthcare today

Todd Smith

It really is 💔
Left, Right, and in between, everyone can agree that the employer-provided health insurance industry is failing. Even if the overwhelming majority of Americans wish to keep their private health insurance, the market itself issues perverse incentives and leaves millions of Americans in the dust. Republicans blame Obamacare for the consolidation of the health insurance cartel, but the true origins of our healthcare fracas began with FDR

It really is 💔 Left, Right, and in between, everyone can agree that the employer-provided health insurance industry is failing. Even if the overwhelming majority of Americans wish to keep their private health insurance, the market itself issues perverse incentives and leaves millions of Americans in the dust. Republicans blame Obamacare for the consolidation of the health insurance cartel, but the true origins of our healthcare fracas began with FDR

Laura Gao

Tasia

It's insane. I don't know another industry that bankrupts thousands of individuals but still has razor-thin margins. Maybe higher education? Though, there's a ton more choice in higher education, than healthcare.

Jerome Cody

Dollar debasement and needing higher wages for everyone in our Meritocracy Capitalist society affects this.

Doctors need money, nurses need money, technology needs money, education needs money.

FIX the money!

Dollar debasement and needing higher wages for everyone in our Meritocracy Capitalist society affects this.  Doctors need money, nurses need money, technology needs money, education needs money.  FIX the money!

Cyril

Pretty wild! It’s not even really “insurance” either since you use it every time you interact with the healthcare system.

More like a health “membership” where prices increase every year and it’s impossible to tell what’s in the store

Pretty wild! It’s not even really “insurance” either since you use it every time you interact with the healthcare system.  More like a health “membership” where prices increase every year and it’s impossible to tell what’s in the store

Todd Smith

A group of likeminded people in ScholER are talking about this.