Health Insurance: How It Started vs How It's Going

[@danzader1]

Love it! It's even more sadistic because when they deny your claim, they never do it to your face. They mail you and then they hire low-level customer service reps to take your distressed call. The ultimate claim deniers don't even have the balls to say it to your face.

[@KOZMOuvBORG]

They need to keep empathy out of the equation.

[@littlekong7685]

The big companies put so many layers and subcontractors, and sub-departments, and cross managers in your way you can't access the legally required oversight that they assure the government regulators does exist, just hidden.

[@Adelina-293]

As a former "customer service" representative for UHC this is 100% accurate. The detail I can add is that the managers put ethical employees "on notice" if they fight to get claims approved, you can't endanger the health of the almighty profit margin, yes? The next step is firing you or making your life miserable so you quit. I've got more respect for casinos. Health insurance companies are crime cartels.

[@track1949]

Can you people stop voting for Republicans? They will NEVER accept M4A. Passing the ACA/Obamacare was enough of a struggle.

[@tabathacarruthers5122]

They hire people in India to take their calls. So you can barely understand them. Lost my Medicaid bc I made too much for 1 month. My income varies from month to month!

[@Supremelilbear]

If they are OK with me dying, how can I have any sympathy for them?

[@inazuma3gou]

There's a difference between pulling the trigger versus being paid to be a guide, tuning the blind eye, and letting your client fall of a cliff... apparently.

[@Grizabeebles]

I can follow the argument that "the pile of money" has to cover company expenses and keep getting bigger over time faster than inflation in order to simply keep doing its job. That immediately immerses insurance companies in the business of deciding between one dude's proton therapy and a hundred people getting stitches and antibiotics over the next 20 years from the accrued interest. What I can't wrap my head around is the idea of insurance companies being for-profit enterprises. By its own logic, every unspent dollar needs to go back to the pile.

[@inazuma3gou]

@@Grizabeebles right.... maximizing the profit seems like a bad idea for insurance companies.

[@Grizabeebles]

@@inazuma3gou -- I read that as sarcastic, please tell me you understand that if more money is going out that is coming in, the fund is shrinking and the long-term risk of the company suddenly being unable to provide *anyone* with care is going up.

[@Rolan7196]

@@Grizabeebles It would be, but insurance companies aren't in any danger whatsoever of failing to break even. Much of the modern problem comes from their for-profit status and responsibility to shareholders. They are obliged to profit-seek. It *shouldn't* be that way, and it *wasn't* that way. As non-profit companies they covered their operating expenses without trying to be a good investment. Their priority was providing a public good and paying their expenses, not more. To reiterate: They *were* non-profit and they must be so again. By any means necessary.

[@wesleycolvin7158]

Simultaneously hilarious, horrifying, and completely on point.

[@spacepiratecaptainrush1237]

Is murder bad? yes. Could the negligence US health insurance system be described at a form of murder? also yes.

[@howtoappearincompletely9739]

I'm not American, but I readily appreciate the sense of injustice and righteous anger you all must feel.

[@kimyoonmisurnamefirst7061]

But also health insurance companies helped jack the prices of health care so they have a reason to exist... which is next level.

[@Thezuule1]

They don’t care, it’s your money after all.

[@JJ-qo7th]

Some of it is that. Some of it is that hospitals can grossly overcharge. Then, when insurance companies talk to them, they "negotiate" down to what the insurers actually pay and the hospitals write that off as a "loss" on their taxes, thus guaranteeing that the hospitals don't have to pay taxes with all of their writeoffs.

[@christiantabares6713]

Screw chargemasters

[@kuno3336]

​@@JJ-qo7ththe hospitals grossly overcharging is due, in large part, to insurance companies existing. It's a vicious cycle

[@0815UserII]

It works in other countries. It's almost as if something in the way the USA has been doing stuff in the last couple of decades makes things worse for everyone that doesn't already have more than they'll ever need.

[@casey6556]

Unrealistic; no way the health insurance guy is even opening up the claim before the first denial

[@Sephiroth144]

Or that its a person and not an AI auto-denier

[@AussieGriffin]

Thought the same. They'd scan for cancer and say it's a pre-existing condition. A.G.

[@Alissa-g3z]

Plus, you're denied with a letter, or over the phone.

[@jackamadaeus9778]

Hi Steve. I'm writing here because I know you often do read the comments on your videos. I just want to say I've always enjoyed your content. In particular I subscribe for your star trek videos, but I've always enjoyed all your work, even when we disagree. Id like to tell you I've particularly enjoyed your latest videos satirizing Healthcare, this one included. I say I'd "like" because truthfully I don't know if that's the word. I hate Healthcare. I hate insurance companies. I hate the truth of this video. I would like to say this video made me laugh. But it didn't. It made me cry. I pray every day that neither myself, my wife, nor my children ever have to endure some sort of health issue. But even sitting here, in good health and with healthy loved ones, just imagining those going through this is heartbreaking. Thank you for this video. I can't say I enjoyed it. I don't know what I feel. But I feel. Thank you, Steve.

[@jemiller226]

Some of us have to make the choice between a job that's killing us so we can have health insurance, or saving our health by quitting our jobs but then not having health insurance. We're too disabled to be able to hold full time jobs safely but not disabled enough to merit any kind of legal disability, at least not without selling off all of our assets and then giving the money away. There is a very real chance that people like me, people like my wife, do not survive to see anything better come along. We've been fighting for decades to make this Not An Issue in this country, like it Isn't An Issue in most industrialized countries, but we can't have nice things here, can we? We're too busy making sure exactly zero people get something they don't deserve instead of allowing everyone a fucking baseline level of safety. Of freedom. Of agency.

[@hollyharris1874]

Nicely stated.

[@StegoAqua]

They make living harder than it needs to be… greedy bastards insurance etc

[@Ixidorsbane]

boy oh boy, are you singing my song!- i know EXACTLY how this feels. my

[@hollyharris1874]

@@jemiller226 That's my bff's predicament. I want so badly for her to be able to quit & look after herself. The stress!

[@vadalia3860]

"You're responsible for what happens next." Careful, in some states that could get you arrested for terrorism.

[@RainMan68]

"One man's terrorist is another man's freedom-fighter" And yes, that statement in some states could also get me arrested.

[@mortomes7063]

Just call it a second amendment solution, I'm sure they'll understand.

[@DavidSmith-xs3or]

Don't you love a corporation that advertises itself as admitting claims to help you out in an emergency, but doesn't want to pay those claims when you need it, and they advertise themselves as being " there for you", all the while, representing themselves with with likeable mascots like a cute lady dressed like a medical/dental assistant, or a guy with an emu...or a talking gecko.

[@TheFalconerNZ]

True in some states the words "Delay, deny, depose, you people are next" are now considered 'Threats to conduct a mass shooting or act of terrorism' & can get you arrested. Ms Boston had her bond set at $100,000.

[@seandobbins2231]

​@@TheFalconerNZfunny how they suddenly will understand hate speech and incitement to violence when they're the victims.

[@jennifergauthier4751]

My sister was born in 73 with a congenital heart condition. Surgery at 6 days old. Then again at 7 years. ALL paid for by insurance. Now, same situation, parents would be in debt til their own death.

[@Sephiroth144]

Or you just wouldn't have a sister

[@jennifergauthier4751]

@Sephiroth144 so true, but babies lives' matter now more than mothers, so who knows.

[@redhotmoon1656]

One of the reasons less people are having kids

[@allonszenfantsjones]

my oldest was also born in 73. had an inguinal hernia, both sides, at 6 weeks. we didn't have to pay a dime.

[@Naris48]

Your parents must have had really good insurance, probably though a union or a large company, back then? Before the ACA passed, it was routine for Health Insurance companies to drop customers that developed serious health issues. They also routinely denied claims for preexisting conditions before the ACA.

[@renatocorvaro6924]

I'm not proud of my country for a lot of reasons, we have a lot that needs improving, but when I had appendicitis, I was very glad to be Canadian.

[@eldridgedavis]

Brit here and ikw you mean.

[@Blue2x2x]

Same... until our premier government look at the US healthcare system and thinks "We need that here". Slowly cut funding to strangle out pubic medical services. Right, Doug?

[@rdklkje13]

The first part of this video describes universal healthcare perfectly. Neighbour helping neighbour etc. It’s so simple the mind boggles at how they keep getting away with inserting a profit aspect. And indeed pushing this in other countries too. Europe is no longer a universal healthcare region, much has changed in recent decades.

[@jessetorres8738]

We need Medicare-For-All/a universal healthcare system in The United States! What's more "pro-life" then ensuring everyone living here has guaranteed affordable healthcare regardless of their job? If we all have access to healthcare, we would have the "freedom" to live long lives without having to worry about medical bankruptcies. Taxes will go up, but overall medical bills will go down. If some of us need additional healthcare, then we have the "choice" to acquire private insurance. If every other developed country (Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Switzerland, Israel, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, & New Zealand) can implement this system & save money, then why can't The United States do the same to help "Make America Great Again" for everyone when it comes to healthcare? Finally, if people in The United States die from a lack of access to affordable health insurance then we are failing our country's promise of defending "life, liberty, & the pursuit of happiness" for its citizens as well as "promoting the general welfare" of everyone living here.

[@quittessa1409]

Because the powers that pay (the healthcare industry and it's assosiated insurance) have made it clear to the powers that be in teh gov't that it's cheaper to let you die than to pay for you to live.

[@aaronTGP_3756]

Well, you see, big government bad. So, people perceive the government to be failing, and don't trust it to do anything correctly. Part of it is Republican gaslighting, though it is slightly true. There's a ton of bloat and wastefulness in the government, driving up the cost and reducing the efficiency of everything it does (especially regarding the military). So there's that, as well as Republican filibustering to water down important laws, and corporate influence post-2010 keeping many Democratic politicians from making the stand for these important changes.

[@italex827]

We probably won't get that anytime soon. It's imperative that we flip both chambers of Congress in 2026. We can impeach Trump and Vance and the Democratic house speaker would get the white house.

[@seanbatiz6620]

EXCELLENT VID!!! If “taxes” (PUBLIC FUNDS) weren’t GRIFTED/STOLEN by the 1% Owner Caste “Class” (🤬) of Society, thru “laws” THEY paid “think tanks” THEY OWN, to CRAFT, for PROTECTING THEMSELVES, thru anti-U.S. Democratic/Constitutional “law” pushed into existence, thru ANY politician, bureaucrat, lawer, JUDGE necessary, thru BRIBERY, DECIET, BLACKMAIL, DEATH THREATS &, general SOULLESS GREED, to ‘protect’ THIEVERY of Public Funds FOR OVER FIFTY FKN YEARS, well, said “1%” OWNER CASTE Class of Society, would’ve NEVER come into existence in the FIRST PLACE. Health “care” insurance, has always been nothing more then another of a massive laundry list of GRIFT SCAMS, if/when “privatized” & “self-regulated”. This Parasitic Malignant Tumor “CASTE”, has been ‘thee’ “problem”, across ALL OTHER CLASSES “AND” DEMOGRAPHICS OF SOCIETIES, GLOBALLY, for ‘ALL’ Democracy ‘erosion’, indirectly and DIRECTLY.

[@Kartissa]

Reasonable caps on the cost of medical treatment will help as well. Insulin doesn't cost $100 a vial to produce in other countries.

[@RaptieFeathers]

In that first segment, you got not only the diction down, but the vocabulary and sentence structure. Like... Wow.

[@KatharineOsborne]

I’ve probably said this multiple times in your comment sections, but the NHS saved my life FOR FREE. I was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2015, and had it cut out a month later. It was stage two and growing very close to some lymph nodes (had it spread there it would have been stage 3 and I would have needed chemo to). I’ve been cancer free for nearly a decade. I used to live in the US and was often uninsured. When I did have insurance I usually couldn’t afford to go to the doctor because of the copays so ignored the symptoms of a chronic illness I have that likely led to the cancer developing. The US system literally made me mortally ill. Also when I lived in the US the retina in my left eye spontaneously decided to try to detach (incredibly scary). I didn’t have insurance at the time but the ophthalmologist I saw took pity on me and slashed the cost of the examination to something I could pay (which was less than a typical copay ON insurance). American healthcare is not fit for purpose. You need universal healthcare. People in every country that have it do not want to give it up, and that should tell you everything you need to know. The healthcare insurance industry can die in a fire.

[@SPQRKlio]

I’m glad that your medical journey turned out well-congratulations on your decade, and counting. You’ve made me think more about paying attention to how I’ve been ignoring certain symptoms too. I’ve spent the past five years fighting one insurance or another on behalf of a family member for their cancer treatments. Not just now and then, but some weeks it’s for hours every day. Who has the energy to take care of their own self when dealing with that? I guess I need to find that energy. Your last paragraph sums it all up so well. I hope you have continued good health for a long, long time.

[@Naris48]

I have seen right-wing conservative morons in the UK or Canada claim how horrible their healthcare is, usually complaining about "wait times", and claim they want private healthcare like the USA has. However, they *really* don't know what they are asking for and/or are trolls.

[@Vilamus]

Brit here who, ironically, had proton therapy to make sure my cancer does not come back (so this vid really hit home) I wanna be picky and dispel the myth that the NHS is free. It isn't. Everyone and every company that pays taxes has some part of those taxes syphoned off to the NHS. The NHS is just free at point of use. Not everything is covered (prescriptions are charged for in England, dental is subsidised but few dentists offer NHS appointments anymore, optometry is subsidised for the young and old and really bad prescriptions). If you're lucky enough to pay taxes, your taxes go to help some other poor soul who needs it, and sometimes, you're the poor soul who needs it. The NHS, the ultimate health insurance (even after decades of being mangled).

[@Naris48]

@@Vilamus One would think that of all things, dentistry should be completely covered in the UK :/

[@Vilamus]

​@@Naris48Lol. The UK actually has one of the lowest rates of fillings, we just don't get as much cosmetic dentistry as our American cousin's do. Tho I am one of those Brits who fit your stereotype :p

[@dontcare3430]

And your money lasts until the end of the fiscal year, then it has to disappear, for some reason, instead of banking it from year to year. Hmmmmmm.

[@scorinth]

That last line. 👌

[@tessaninetails8065]

Awesome job, Steve. Michael Moore released his movie (SICKO) about Healthcare in the US for free on KZbin. Sadly still very much relevant today

[@ileneragland369]

Sadly no one really paid attention to Michael Mooore's trip to Cuba where he got free Healthcare even without being a citizen. Pretty sad that you can get better Healthcare in a communist nation!

[@Skywatcher16]

if anything, the situation has gotten worse since he made it

[@SharienGaming]

@@ileneragland369 there might be some cause and effect involved there... the contrast between a focus on personal profit versus a focus on community wellbeing

[@munkeefinkelbeen5395]

​@@ileneragland369 almost like communism isn't the big bad that our government would have us believe 😉 I wouldn't call it the answer, but we could stand to use a bit more of it

[@raffaelevalente7811]

I watched that movie when it was released and from here, Italy, we understood that Obama did a great job with the ACA and mandatory insurance for everybody... but if insurance companies are allowed to deny... you are fu**ed 😢 In Germany they have a healthcare system similar to yours, but it works... state monitors insurance company! It's the bare minimum... imagine I have a car accident where someone dies and someone is injured and insurance denies to pay!!! Where do I take the money to pay 2 mln euro? 😮

[@BS-vx8dg]

Thirty seconds in I am just _loving_ the look and sound of this video.

[@cmrsnowflake]

It's a testament to Steve's talent as an old timey salesman that even knowing it would end the first half was almost persuasive.

[@mistercohaagen]

If they condemn us to die, we should return the favor. Free Luigi, make Wario!

[@Nibiru_-_Gen_Z_Warlock]

DESTROY MARIO!

[@HattieLankford-24]

Such a serious sentiment, I feel bad for laughing. WaAaaaAaaa 😂

[@HattieLankford-24]

And then I finished the video. 😐

[@raffaelevalente7811]

I don't agree... we are better than "eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth"

[@mycosys]

@@raffaelevalente7811 Whats your plan to prevent them k!lling people?

[@kyleethekelt]

Succinctly expressed. Anyone who needs an explanation of how your insurance system works need only watch this. Great work as usual.

[@gsmith3404]

Wow, Steve... wow! That was a seriously great take! BTW ~ loved that Mid-Atlantic accent at the beginning. I sometimes whip that accent out at home... it's a classic!

[@almar8874]

The American people need to rewatch Michael Moore's "Sicko."

[@thing_under_the_stairs]

He's conveniently put it up on KZbin for free!

[@almar8874]

@@thing_under_the_stairs Ah yes, I see it. And he put it up 3 days ago, what a coincidence.

[@imaadahere]

I'd recommend watching his Awful Truth series too... assuming it's available somewhere

[@almar8874]

@@imaadahere The real healthcare crisis in America? There's an epidemic of sociopaths.

[@thing_under_the_stairs]

@@almar8874 A complete and total coincidence, I'm sure! Love the Rincewind PFP, btw. GNU Sir Terry.

[@robinmessing530]

This is the perfect summation of the health care insurance industry. And this is why there is a good chance Luigi Mangione will be found not guilty via jury nullification. It only takes one member of the jury to say "not guilty."

[@gagaplex]

It will be very interesting to see the jury selection process because I doubt you can find any regular American citizen who doesn't already have an opinion on those insurance companies.

[@DavidCDrake]

Thank you for having the bravery to address this topic in such a direct way. Beautiful and on point!

[@703Heat]

Wow he slammed that door really hard.

[@BonJoviBeatlesLedZep]

I was expecting a primo Transatlantic accent and I was not disappointed

[@sunkorg]

Perfect in every way. This video should be rolled into high school and college curriculums. It should be rolled into executive onboarding of every health insurance company. It should be required viewing of every congressperson.

[@EmeralBookwise]

Even worse than that because of how the insurance companies collude with the hospitals, preventing it from even a viable alternative to just save your own money for a rainy day anymore. If you don't have an insurance policy, your medical bills will be double if not triple. They've gone from the promise of paying our bills, to being a subscription discount service.

[@Naris48]

There is no "Market" for healthcare. If you are dying or seriously ill the only choice you have is to get the procedures and/or prescriptions required or die. The hospitals, pharmacy companies and health insurance companies know this and charge accordingly.

[@JBG1968]

In many cases now the most insurance company owns the hospitals to

[@munkeefinkelbeen5395]

My cousin's wife needed a transplant after losing a body part in an accident with a wrong way driver. Insurance didn't want to cover her transplant. I told my aunt and uncle to threaten to go public with the story. Suddenly the heartless bastards wanted to cover the transplant. Some of these blood suckers still care about what little remains of their public image, oddly enough

[@Naris48]

Most health insurance companies expect the car insurance company to cover any injuries related to accidents. So much so that they generally refuse to cover any injuries at all until it is proven not to have been caused by an auto accident. I had a health insurance company refuse to cover an injury I had form a jetski accident once, expecting some auto insurance company to cover it :/

[@CouncilofGeeks]

It was that last line that really got me.

[@jenskruse1475]

Better Ceo's then school children.

[@vickyabramowitz2885]

Vance said we will just have to get used to school shootings. It looks like we will also need to get used to CEO shootings.

[@inviktus1983]

SOCIALIST!

[@renatocorvaro6924]

​@@inviktus1983 Proudly.

[@tommysalami420]

@@inviktus1983 If this is capitalisms best then damn right I want socialism. The system has failed the people

[@Pretender6]

Thoughts and profits

[@Naris48]

The title is somewhat incorrect, Health Insurance has always been like it is now (especially before the ACA was passed) so it's not "How it Started" vs "How it's going" - it is really "How it's marketed" vs "What it actually is"

[@kaitlyn__L]

Glad I'm not the only one who enjoys doing that 1920s radio voice. Excellent delivery throughout this

[@wilberwhateley7569]

Do in U.S. health insurance like Michael Corleone did in Fredo! Let the insurance executives know to never cross the family!

[@eldridgedavis]

That's what Luigi (ironically himself of Italian heritage) did lol.

[@donaldwert7137]

That "Hey! I've got a wife and kids!" at the end.

[@lexiheart6558]

Your North Atlantic accent and speech patterns are immaculate.

[@pjgoldstein6562]

3:21 Inaccurate! He looked at the 1500 before he said denied. The real professionals deny first and then look at the claim only when you appeal.

[@joebove4]

What I like here is that it puts a pin in the callous cruelty of modern insurance that most responses to this event haven’t.

[@finnmcool2]

Was that last line a plea for mercy or a suggestion for alternative targets?

[@Attaxalotl]

He's playing a health insurance worker; definitely the latter.

[@jonathanshaltz7750]

"Don't eat me, I have a wife, and kids! Eat them!" -- Homer Simpson

[@thir13enthman]

This video is spot on. Also I want to say how great your "old-timey" voice is.

[@davebo9615]

The old timey vocabulary feels spot on. Good job!

[@IheartDogs55]

When I was in elementary school in the 1960s, my dad told me about the health insurance he had through his employer. He saw his company as a community. The executives benefited from having a healthy workforce; the workforce had financial security in case of an accident or serious illness. People could do their jobs more efficiently without the anxiety of "what ifs" over their health, and the health of their families. I often wonder how we ended up where we are now, with profits as the sole concern of the insurance companies. I support national health insurance. The entire nation benefits when our citizens are healthy.

[@philosoaper]

friend had proton therapy a few months ago and next week we'll find out if it worked it's first time I'm cautiously excited about christmas in decades I'm so glad he doesn't live "over there"

[@HalfHeartedFanatic]

Great performances, Steve!

[@lasseehrenreich5502]

in Danmark we have Universal Healthcare for over 50 years and our people is happy About It

[@vickyabramowitz2885]

It must be nice to live in a civilized country.

[@lasseehrenreich5502]

@@vickyabramowitz2885 there have been some annoying cuts to it recently and we don't treat emigrants there very well but otherwise I like being from here instead of America

[@octavianpopescu4776]

No need to rub it in their faces. It's not nice. I actually prefer private healthcare services, but it's nice to know there's a public back-up.

[@ittt6339]

​@@octavianpopescu4776 I'm sorry, but I'm not dense. What was your point? Your comment is not constructive. It's not thought provoking. It's insulting. It's a moot point.

[@octavianpopescu4776]

@@ittt6339 Insulting how? We shouldn't gloat that we have better public services than they do. How is that insulting? If anything, I don't want to offend them by laughing at them and their internal issues.

[@gabrielmaroto18]

You know this has flipped it’s funny because it’s true right on its fucking head!

[@DougGrinbergs]

Much appreciation for script and performance 👍🤘

[@pwp8737]

it's class war, the bullets fly in both directions.

[@Rhekke]

The 1% is much, much smaller than the remaining 99%. They just don't want people to realize that.

[@RaptorJesus]

Here's the thing: No one will begrudge another person making money. They won't even begrudge them making a *lot* of money. The problem arises when someone doesn't want to make money, or doesn't even just want to make a *lot* of money. The problem is when they want to make *all* the money. And they do it by squeezing every last red cent out of those who are at their lowest. That's not "doing business". That's not even being "ruthless". That's being a parasite. Make money. By all means, even make *a lot* of money. But stop trying to take *all* of it. And if they don't want to stop that, well... American problems require American solutions.

[@logical-machine]

Insurance companies have a low profit margin. UHC made a 6% profit, most insurance companies make less. There is a law that requires 80% of insurance premiums to be used for paying out customer healthcare, so the law theoretically prevents the profit from going above 20%. "Stop trying to take all of it." They really aren't, and they can't even if they tried. The real problem is that healthcare is unaffordable.

[@dianecotter1067]

​@logical-machine Also true- upwards, downwards, sideways, the US Health system is f*cked.

[@Rhekke]

@@logical-machine Vertical integration. UHC's insurance branch may only make 6% profit, but they can enforce the use of their own services (which make a profit), their own hospital networks (which make a profit), and their own pharmacy distributors (which make obscene profits). They then stiff any out-of-network services (ie, stuff that does not make them a profit), encouraging (ie forcing) people into their system (which continues to make them profits).

[@logical-machine]

@@Rhekke You do have a point. UHC seems to have become a monopsony/monopoly. They simply have too much market control. They should either be broken up or regulated.

[@Naris48]

@@logical-machine This is not restricted to UHC. Most Health Insurance companies and PBMs do the same thing.

[@mooniejohnson]

We need more Old Timey Steve. That's half a request and half a demand... so long as I pay my premiums.

[@mikeyC79]

That last line was powerful, as it's the mantra the talking news heads have been repeating over and over

[@NewYork975]

Midnight drop. Nice.

[@jennifergauthier4751]

11 here in AZ ❤

[@parapro3799]

This was a helpful illustration of the problem. Thanks for the video

[@axllebeer]

Nailed it! (as usual)

[@nancyjay790]

First part reminds me of "You Got Trouble, My Friend".

[@kentesdall308]

We DO have trouble!

[@markwilliamson4006]

Well, you got trouble, my friends. Trouble with a capital "T" and that rhymes with "P" and that stands for POS health insurance companies!

[@MisstressSamantha]

I think the NHS here in the UK does more than give us a better health care. I think it also helps us have better regulations for working environments, food safety, and more. The government pays for our health (technically we do), so they care about keeping us healthy. Sorry, I realised I made that sound like they care about us. What I meant is they care about how much our health will cost. How does the government lower health costs, by making sure employers have to give you regular health and safety at work qualifications, food hygiene regulations for hospitality industry, better food standards. That's why the NHS is more important than we give it credit for. It's not just about treatment, it's about prevention. If we ever get rid of the NHS then safety regulations will be vulnerable. If the government does not pay our medical treatment then they won't care about how you we get injured. Safety regulations will lapse in favor of making companies more profitable at the expense of it's citizens health. I'm not having a dig at Americans but we really don't want to be like America. What really boils my piss about americans is how it has been ingrained into them, thinking they are the greatest. Not because i think you shouldn't be proud of who you are, but that level of pride gives you little chance to improve. It gives you an arrogance that blinds you to your failures. People need to acknowledge when they fail, show your scares, say what your not proud of so you can learn from your mistakes. I think that's why you have a lot of push back for example, teaching proper race history. We are great, we did nothing wrong. You can't teach our children that we messed up. But then you can't do better without it. It's so pushed on you from such a young age that you can't imagine not being the best, even when you're not. That's also how you get played by people like humpty dumpty. You want that reassurance that you either are the greatest or that they will make you feel great again. They have addicted you to feeling like you're the best, and i don't blame you for wanting to feel that. But it gives them a great big button they can press anytime they want. It's not your fault, its theirs (insert minority group here) Right have been saying facts don't care about your feelings, but they blind you from facts with your feelings. We all saw it. Dumpty repeating again and again how bad it is, how he will make you feel like the greatest in the world again. You aren't and he won't but that doesn't matter, he makes them feel like they are. Honestly, it's said with love, all look after each other. You're seen, you're valued and, more importantly, your loved.

[@NikolaHoward]

Nods. 🇬🇧

[@kentesdall308]

All that you say will have a snowballs chance in hell in the US. The incoming administration will make sure only the obscenely rich will get any benefits from our government.

[@SPQRKlio]

Thank you for putting it nicely, but please also hear me out. Like any large population, the people of the US don’t monolithically believe one thing. I’ve never thought or been taught that the USA is the greatest. Maybe that it aspires to be. The evidence of its failure is obvious to, is ingrained in, anyone who grew up with or has a family or ancestors who lived under the worst of the country’s failings. We see those failings every day. As you say, those are the failings that people who espouse an un-nuanced “America is Great” attitude no longer want taught in ANY schools, because they do want to keep their eyes closed to a reality that bruises their pride.

[@MisstressSamantha]

@SPQRKlio Yes, it is very true that when referring to any group to acknowledge, broad generalisations. Also, I may not have made it clear that I am from the uk, which means what I perceive is based more on broadcasted and/or social media than first-hand experience. But that is what we see coming out of America throughout my life. When we see your politicians speaking, when we watch your movies, interviews with Americans. I would argue that if you did a survey of people in Europe and asked them which country has the largest self grandising opinion of it's self, and inflated ego, America would be very high if not at the top of that list. Here in the UK, if our politicians tried to tell us we are the greatest, I would put money on at least 1 person in every group, saying "guess they haven't been in here, or our best mate is a w*nker. Our friend would then nod and agree, they are. Even if you're the friend they said that about, we'd probably agree, That's our mentality. I would say our biggest failure in the UK is apathy. If push really comes down, then yes, we would stand up. But we do have a life's a bit sh't so goto the pub attitude. So our keep calm and carry on approach can make it hard for us to take action. We know life's sh!t, there's nothing we can do so... goto the pub. But you put the milk in before the water when making a cuppa tea, god help you. We will start a fight over it 😂

[@420uesr]

.. a poignant end. 😢

[@suzannederusha1370]

Steve does the best both sides videos, and I know in my lifetime these types of videos will still be relevant. That reality makes me very sad.

[@dmorales70]

A very generous interpretation of the process, especially now that people are being denied access via AI.

[@gabrielmaroto18]

“My job is to make sure the great big pile of money keeps getting bigger” That hurt almost as much as the police officer with his hand on his gun telling me “his job is to protect businesses”. I replied you should change the sign on your Proco vehicle that says “to protect and serve the people” he laughed.

[@gabrielmaroto18]

You put a heart on it now I can’t edit the comment. It’s supposed to say patrol vehicle. 😞😂😅 You know, I thought I learned to proofread my comments before I post them but here we go huge fan Steve keep it up.

[@maxfastest]

From 1960 till 1989 I had no such thing as Healthcare insurance Us five children had not seen a Dr since we were born. Only when I got married and had a child, did Healthcare become important. The cost was way too much ! Thanks to the greedy. I will get payback.

[@GeorgeKayaian]

Brilliantly funny-- so accurate-- Well done, Steve, once again!

[@lcflngn]

Nice work Steve, very well done & much appreciated.

[@carlwalker7560]

Just wondered, do your other insurance companies work the same way in the US? IE car insurance, house insurance, etc. All of them trying their hardest to avoid paying out.

[@Thezuule1]

Yep.

[@scorinth]

Yes. But they at least have the saving grace that if insurance won't cover the cost of rebuilding a wrecked car, they can at least total it and I can _get another car._

[@kentesdall308]

YES

[@Thezuule1]

@ on the other side of this my wife was rear ended by a drunk driver while stopped at a stop sign. She wasn’t even driving our car… that didn’t stop our insurance costs from going up for literal years because she was in an accident. The system is tilted in their favor always.

[@TexasCat99]

Steve is a master

[@halgroda6967]

I recently moved to Texas from Houston with my wife and kid. My wife has MS so it’s very important to get her medicine each month that keeps her from having a relapse. We did everything right got a doctor, lined up the infusion center. She was still 2 weeks late getting her infusion because the insurance company hadn’t approved her for it with a different provider. Even though she’s had it for the last 8 years every month like clock work. She started having symptoms such as fatigued and difficulty getting out of bed and caring for our child. Zero sympathy for insurance companies. Medicare for all.

[@josephray7808]

Steve youuuu are one of my favorites.

[@Vulcanerd]

My vote is for Steve to permanently speak in a Mid-Atlantic accent for the rest of his duration on this planet.

[@riverroth3688]

I say this as an insurance agent. This video is incredibly depressing becusse its about as accurate as can be. The fact united's claim denial is so high is insane to me and pushes me hard agaisnt if I were to need a new job, from going to them as an agent. Sokething needs to change in this industry desperately.

[@ametrinefirebird7125]

Oh wow, the part at the end, where he thinks the shot was aimed at him, was immaculate. I never even considered how much self directed gun violence occurs because of denied claims. So sad, so poignant.

[@johnh3246]

This is award winning movie quality. Fantastic job!

[@dr.veronica6155]

I just lost my job and with it my insurance. It's only by sheer dumb luck that I developed type 1 diabetes and went to the hospital a month before I lost it and therefore only had $5000 of medical debt rather than $49,000.

[@cooperminion825]

I remember my dad talking about how my grandpa got surgery for a badly broken leg when he (my dad) was a kid. He said that the most they had to do to pay for the surgery was tighten their belts for about a year. I think he said it happened sometime in the 70s

[@paineoftheworld]

4:38 Had to go Trek. Love it.

[@TheRatsintheWalls]

Solid gold

[@markunger1098]

Very well done!

[@andyhoster3902]

Accurate, but doesn't address how insurance has become so expensive (greed at the insurer, provider & manufacturer levels) that you can still only realistically get it as a plum employment benefit. Which then allows your employer to use it as leverage to pay you less, worsen your conditions, increase your workload, and basically treat you like dirt without fear of increased turnover, because even a small gap in coverage can be economically catastrophic.

[@justaguy60]

Right on point, great job

[@ts109]

The difficulty convincing people that it is a con at worst or a really bad deal at best, is next to impossible. My wife works in health care, she is there to help people, that's what she wants to do. So much of her time is spent on the phone fighting insurance corps or trying to line up whatever little resources are available to help. And yet believes that insurance is the only practical way to do this while bringing up the flaws in other socialized systems as the reasons, never actually looking at the numbers. ultimately, we can either help people or hurt people

[@ittt6339]

Steve.... WOW!.... Poignant. I'm not usually at a loss for words, however, the sketch says it all.

[@floriangunzer6244]

Outstanding. The old-timey manner of speaking really sold it for me in contrast to the, frankly "HUYAAAP", of modern times. Very nicely done packaging for this depressing turn of events.

[@djksfhakhaks]

We need to further this movement.

[@half-lifewife]

You're good. So knowledgeable and talented.

[@nicholasg9804]

Nice Star Trek reference there by the way they have super universal health Care in the federation

[@rotwang2000]

Where did it go wrong ? We went from a model where the focus was on the business producing goods or services who got a leg up from investors to grow and pay back the money they invested with a nice bonus to a model where massive investment groups demand a certain % on returns. Which means you lose your focus and start to become a money generator for the investors. So the incentive becomes one of creating as much money as possible at the expense of everything else. Hence the rise of the "screw you" business model of providing an absolute minimum of service for maximum profit.

[@octavianpopescu4776]

As a foreigner (European), I'd say the US went off the rails starting with the 1980s and the rise of the evangelicals, 2A, libertarians and other lunatics crowd. As much as I love Reagan, for being there for us, Easterners... the man was a saint compared to the Democrats who wanted to let us rot in dictatorship, he made mistakes internally. I watched interviews with random Americans on the street from the 1960s. I watched an old-timey presidential debate Nixon v Kennedy from 1960 (?) Americans were educated and could present a cogent argument. The debate was reasonable with the 2 candidates explaining their points of view and showing respect towards each other and the public watching. But then the anti-education, single issue lunatics took over the R Party and they started promoting stupidity, ignorance, loudness over substance and showy shallow stuff. I'm European and the first time I heard of Super Tuesday, I thought it was some sport event, like March (or April?) Madness or the Super Bowl. Americans treat politics as a show, instead of a serious matter. Being loud, dumb and proud became things to be celebrated, not hidden away in a corner.

[@rotwang2000]

@@octavianpopescu4776 You could find the exact same talk back in the 1960's as you would today, except they now do get a voice instead of being quietly kept to the side. What we are seeing is the race to the bottom, quick profits, political convenience and screw everything else

[@octavianpopescu4776]

@@rotwang2000 It's not just that they were kept to the side, but they also kept themselves to the side. When a doctor spoke, they would have the decency to shut up and listen. Now they're ready to yell at the doctor some conspiracy theory and tell the doctor to "do his own research." It's not just a crisis of knowledge, but also a crisis of self-awareness and decency.

[@robertgaines-tulsa]

That ending shouldn't be funny...but it totally is. My chemistry teacher in high school in the late 1990s who was also a couch told a story that he needed to take one of his students to the emergency room for an injury, but he had to see his doctor first because it was a requirement of his HMO which he didn't understand. If he went straight to the emergency room, he would not be covered. People were dying because of this. When you're suffering from a stroke or a heart attack, you need to be going straight to the emergency room rather than getting approval from your doctor first. That's why it's an emergency. Things are going to get even worse than that. It's senseless greed and stupidity.

[@floydb5668]

That was brilliant Steve. Awesome skit

[@unchartedterritory3019]

Nice background 😊 got a good shot of Nostalgia from seeing the Baker Park Bandstand & the Armory. - Greetings from Wyoming. Fredericktonian Lost in the West

[@brownwerise4357]

This is soo good!

[@sethmizrachi8337]

Luigi Mangione was at a bar crawl with my buddies and me in DC on the morning of Dec 4. I remember because he bought at the first and last bars.

[@DisappearingNightly]

In loving memory of the great Brian Thompson. Here lies Brian. He made the pile of money get bigger!

[@vesuvanprincess]

Perfect! 10 out of 10!

[@generaljellyroll8737]

I had a follow up MRI for my brain surgery and the doctor said getting the medical records from the neurosurgeon’s office would help convince the insurance company to help pay for it. These are people’s lives and this is not a game. If playing with fire is lucrative and you get burned doing it, you shouldn’t be surprised. The tunnel vision caused from profit seeking has distracted from the big picture. You can see this pattern over and over in multiple industries.

[@maestoso47]

Health insurance wouldn’t be needed to soften the blow of receiving that measly amount of “care” if maybe the hospital systems (actual conglomerates now) and Big Pharma would lower their costs.

[@gumpholzrutzler3643]

Love you man. Greetings from 🇪🇺

[@Frank-Voight-Kampff]

I know it’s not a joke, but „Photon Therapy“, especially coming from a Trekkie, is pretty hilarious. 😅

[@bayzul7405]

The professional opinion part is so on point. Insurance having their own quacks equal in education as their job to deny is vile, go Luigi

[@izzyreel6730]

I’ve been listening to the ‘Devil Makes Three’ song “Never Learn”. It’s more poignant than ever before! Give it a listen!

[@phriedokra6158]

UHC used to be a great plan..in.98 i had gasyric bypass after paying COBRA PLAN TO UHC after being laid off....inpsid thst policy til i hsd the surgery as it had already been prior authorized....from 253 to 112 now...i dont recall any problems whatsoever....