Shock and dismay have already begun as Americans face next year’s health insurance costs—and it looks like everyone will be in for some grim numbers.
So far, much of the attention has been on the stratospheric prices that Americans might see on plans they buy from Affordable Care Act marketplaces. Critical tax credits for those plans are set to expire at the end of the year, and, on top of that, insurers have proposed a median 18 percent price increase for 2026. With the higher prices and a loss of credits, some Americans could see their monthly premiums more than double.
Yeah, uh… We don’t do any of that. Last time I was in a hospital my main concern was driving back to a different province with a bandage on my hand.
The only time I’ve ever paid anything for a hospital stay, other than prescription meds, is when I had to cover $40 for an ambulance call-out. And I billed that to my work because it was a workplace injury.
Look, I’m not trying to twist the knife here, I just really wish every American understood how completely insane their system is. It doesn’t have to work like that. The words “negotiate with the hospital” do not ever have to be a part of your life.