this post was submitted on 14 Apr 2026
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A Boring Dystopia
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What is the alternative? These people live in high cost care facilities on the taxpayer's dime for 10-20 years?
My mother and grandmother were both in full time care facilities for the last 5-10 years of their lives. They cost 10-20K a month, or 120-200K a year. Social security only pays about 2K a month, and medicare doesn't cover long term care, only short term care.
Medicaid does cover long term care, but only after the person is completely broke. And many facilities won't take it because the payments are so low that they can't cover basic costs.
Y'all act like it's 'so easy' but these problems persist even in countries where healthcare is nationalized. The demand for healthcare resources is simple vast out supplies care that is available, especially as the population ages. Hence in 'affordable' healthcare systems you are still undeserved and it's still expensive.
That's compiled by the fact healthcare workers, while in demand, and often getting good pay, burn out rapidly due to the demands of the job.
Healthcare was great 40-50 year ago because people died young and medical technology was infantile. Now we can keep people alive on machines for decades, but it costs boatloads of money to do this, and we dont' live in a world of infinite resources. There are only so many beds, and so many staff that can work in these facilities.
First, yes. Presumably they worked a full life and contributed to the taxes, it's their dime. Second, these people?
No they don't. That's what they cost in the exploitative private for profit system.
That's true, but not an issue of cost. It results in expensive private care, but the issue itself is the lack is labor, not that each patient costs $20k/month.
That's another real problem, but it's again irrelevant. It exists regardless of how socialized or privatized the system is...
Is that what you think happens in elderly care? Every patient receives terminal care for decades?
You can fix that by better planning your economy, encourage students to pursue nursing and guarantee them jobs when they graduate.
Whatever the case, there are loads of "alternatives" to dropping them off at homeless shelters we can explore. Holy moly.
You realize the laborers in these facilities don't make very good pay, right? If they want better pay, that increases costs.
If we eliminate the profit margin and the layers of office jobs needed to work through complex insurance obstacles and to come up with great ideas like dropping patients off at homeless shelters when their insurance doesn't pay, we can pay the remaining staff doing meaningful labor more.
If the CEO is buying yachts and mansions, there is no luck of money to pay staff, there's lack of intent.
I just want to say good for you for trying to reason with someone like that
OK, so why do those same issues persists in nationalized systems then? Or do they still suffer from the 'profit motive'?
Your argument seems to hinge on the idea that it's a matter of emotion or will, rather than physical and economic resources.
You can pay them more, but that increases costs. The single biggest cost is the labor staffing.
They don't, not even close to the level of dumping residents off at homeless shelters. Hell all the issues I have seen are mostly due to a lack of funding and having a "hybrid" system (and can you guess that the for profit side is the issue?).
And at least here the jobs at most elder care pay well. Lots of little towns have the "lodge" as the main employer.
Yes. For fuck's sake yes. I don't understand how Americans are the most evil people in the world so consistently. Even Israelis, of whom 80% support a genocide, understand that healthcare is a public service.
No, it didn't 'cost' that much. Over half of all healthcare costs are admin fees. As in non-healthcare related administration. That's without mentioning the fact the highest single cost in American healthcare is pharmaceuticals, which are priced in the US at 500-15,000% profit margin. This is not true IN THE ENTIRE REST OF THE WORLD.
There is a difference between 'oh you'll have to wait a month to get seen for your chronic, but ultimately harmless condition' and 'if your dementia laden grandmother runs out of money we're going to dump her on the streets so she dies faster.'
If you cannot see that different, you are not a good person. Not on the inside.
Healthcare has literally never been better. Ever. In countries outside the US it has never been more accessible in human history. It has never been better staffed in human history, it has never produced better outcomes in human history.
US healthcare is CENTURIES behind other countries, and that's not an exaggeration. The entire concept of medical bankruptcy is a uniquely American idea in the 21st century, something only experienced by Americans, and hopefully will only ever be experienced by Americans ever again.
Yes, I'm a terrible person because I acknowledge the world is finite and limited. I'd rather be terrible and live in reality, than assume resources are infinite and it's just a 'moral' issue. As if tomorrow if we just all magically 'became' good people all our problems would be solved...
The majority of Euro nations healthcare systems are imploding, even under their lower cost structures. Including eastern europe where costs are far lower. For the same reasons, too much need, too few resources to go around, and rapidly rising costs.
You can grandstand all you want, and I'm glad it makes you feel superior, but some of us live in a the real world with real economic and physical constraints, and most healthcare workers and facilities are doing the best they can with what they have. Or are they all terrible people too? Should healthcare workers just work for free or something?
Bro, no. They're not. You literally fell for propaganda. As in its demonstrably false, and it was made by billionaires to try to get the UK to privatize healthcare (and stop the M4A movement in the US).
Healthcare is not expensive, what is expensive is CEO's salaries and insurance.
oh, and what i should just believe your propaganda? All you are telling me is how I am 'feeling wrong'.
Healthcare is the single largest expense in most government budgets, after pension obligations.
you seem under the impression that healthcare costs can just be magically disappeared...
No. Healthcare is not the single largest expense in most government budgets. Just the US.
No. Healthcare systems are not collapsing due to cost.
No. Healthcare is not inherently expensive. It's just the US.
No. Healthcare is not an 'expense' it is an investment. Without a healthy society you have a failed society.
Practically every single developed or near-developed country has gotten public healthcare correct.
It is the US and a handful of other developing countries that do not have a system in place, primarily due to unstable governments, warlords, and or being a colony not allowed to develop its own public services.
Weird, then why can i google headlines about UK, france, germany, all facing these same issues? Staffing shortages, hospitals closing, a lack of rural and a lack of eldery care. etc. These issues simple don't exist?
Might be that you're cherry picking your facts.... to suit your narrative.
Also weird that I have friends/family in Canada who also deal with these same issues, including not be able to afford care... WEIRD
These are completely different issues. The issue we're discussing is price.
Grind em up for dog food then I guess.
Soylent green is people.
You mean an AI bio fuel?
I don't have a comprehensive reform plan up my sleeve, but I am pretty sure there's a better alternative than dumping the elderly out on the street in front of a shelter. I mean, we don't even think that's OK to do to a dog.
Let the weak die, that's very Christian. I'm sure Jesus smiles on it.
I'm not Christian.
Like dare I ask what you think about long term care for the permanently disabled? I’m kind of thinking your lack of understanding of economics has pushed you into some Nazi ideologies.
No, and with the lack of humanity, and understanding of economics, I’d say you’re barely fucking human mate. Sometimes it’s best just to shut the fuck up.
You have nothing of substance or merit to say, so you just grand stand at the idea of your own heroism while hurling insults and casting anyone who points out the complexity/difficult of this issue is a nazi... lol
You posture a lot. Probably to make up for your own fear and shame that you know deep down you'd be the one tossing grandma on the curb rather than having to deal with the burden of changing her diapers, or paying someone else to do it.
And they have to be completely completely broke. They take everything. So either you lose everything or just give all your money to eldercare. Its quite heartbreaking, my wife is in long term care. Its quite standard protocol to dump people in homeless shelters if they cant pay. Even if something is going to kick in soon and they'll be able to pay soon enough, a one month lapse and youre out. I could write all kinds of stuff about this.
Well beyond when we should and frequently selfishly. I watched my grandmother suffer needlessly through a couple of rounds of cancer because my narcissistic mother demanded she not die, even though my grandma was ready to accept her fate. The alternative is get people to accept that we will all eventually decline and that death comes for everyone no matter how much money you throw at it. We shouldn’t let our elders suffer because we don’t care, we should care enough to help them let go when it’s become obvious there’s no quality of life left even if the body can be kept alive. We need to have a real talk about euthanasia as a personal choice and quit shaming it like it’s an affront to god.