The Democrats Surrendered
A commentary on the current state of the Democratic Party from a midwestern democrat.
The Democrats Surrendered
The Democrats Surrendered to the Health Insurance Industry
Why does America spend more on healthcare than any nation on earth while citizens die younger, go bankrupt from medical bills, and struggle to afford basic care? The answer lies not in complex economics but in a simple truth: our leaders have surrendered to healthcare industry lobbyists.
The numbers tell a devastating story. Americans pay over $12,500 per person annually for healthcare while Germans pay $7,400, the French $6,400, and Britons under $5,400. Those countries cover everyone. We leave millions uninsured. Their administrative costs run 5-6%. Ours devour 18-20% of spending. Their citizens live approximately five years longer than Americans. This isn't failure—it's by design.
America's healthcare system operates on three principles: deny claims, defend those denials in court, and depose patients who fight back. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party repeatedly abandons meaningful reform. Remember when the public option disappeared from the Affordable Care Act? That wasn't because it lacked public support—healthcare lobbyists demanded its removal. With over $700 million spent annually on lobbying, the industry ensures Medicare for All never receives serious consideration despite expert analyses showing it would save hundreds of billions while covering everyone.
The next time you're struggling with medical bills or fighting an insurance denial, remember: this system persists not because alternatives don't work (they succeed in every other developed nation) but because our politicians choose campaign donors over patients. The Democratic Party may have surrendered to the healthcare industry, but we haven't. Subscribe now to join the fight for a healthcare system that treats medical care as a human right, not a luxury good.
Welcome to the Democrats Surrendered, the podcast that calls out the ways the Democratic Party has abandoned its base, its values and its promise to fight for working people. I'm your host, edward Williams. Today we're diving into one of the most urgent, most personal issues facing Americans today Healthcare. Or, more accurately, how the Democratic Party surrendered to the health insurance industry and how that betrayal continues to uphold a system that is broken, predatory and profitable for all the wrong people. Let's start with the facts.
Speaker 1:The United States spends more on health care than any other country, yet our outcomes they lag far behind. Healthcare consumes over 17% of the US GDP, while countries like France, germany and the United Kingdom hover between 10% and 12%. On a per-person basis, americans pay over $12,500 a year for health care. In Germany it's around $7,400. In France it's around $6,400. In the UK it's less than $5,400. For all the countries that pay less, they cover everyone. Here in the United States, pays are common, surprise bills are the norm, and more than 500,000 people file for medical bankruptcy every year. Life expectancy in the United States is about 76 years old, that's five years shorter than in most European countries. In the United States, the infant mortality rate is higher and administrative costs. They eat up a quarter of all healthcare spending in America. Let's break that down UnitedHealthcare, one of the largest insurers in the country, runs with administrative costs around 18-20%. In Germany's universal healthcare system, administrative costs average just 5-6%. That difference. It translates directly into higher premiums, more red tape and less actual care for Americans.
Speaker 1:Why the gap, americans? Why the gap? That's because in the United States, private insurers are for profit. That means lavish CEO salaries over $20 million a year in some cases bloated marketing budgets, broker commissions, byzantine billing systems and a full-time staff just to deny claims. Meanwhile, germany's system operates under strict government oversight, standardized billing and zero-profit motive. So here's the core truth. In America, healthcare isn't a service, it's a business, and that business runs on these three words Deny, defend, depose. Deny your claim, defend that denial in court and depose you if you push back.
Speaker 1:And the most infuriating part, congress helps them do it. Let's not sugarcoat it. The Democratic Party has helped entrench this system. First, there's the partisan gridlock that ensures that even broadly popular reforms go nowhere. Second, the health care lobby spent over $700 million in 2023 to influence lawmakers. That kind of money doesn't just whisper, it shouts. And let's not forget popular programs that never get a serious debate.
Speaker 1:A public option Buried, medicare for all Dismissed as too radical. Even Medicaid expansion is treated like a political football. This isn't just legislative failure. This is deliberate surrender. Let's be blunt unless you're a lobbyist, a health insurance executive or a member of Congress with gold-plated coverage, you're not getting much. Even Medicare, that's supposed to be a safety net, can deny essential services. Meanwhile, germany covers everyone through a hybrid system that controls costs and guarantees care. In America, we are paying more and getting less.
Speaker 1:Universal healthcare is not some utopian fantasy. It's already working in every other developed nation. Imagine this no deductibles, no co-pays, no surprise bills, one national plan funded by taxes but costing less overall. With Medicare for All, we could end the burden of employer-based insurance, eliminate medical bankruptcies, let doctors treat patients instead of fighting paperwork, cut drug prices through direct negotiation and drastically reduce administrative waste. This is not only possible, it's necessary. So why don't we have it already? Because lobbyists block reform Period.
Speaker 1:Remember the Affordable Health Care Act. The public option was removed Not because it was unpopular, but because industry lobbyists demanded it. Surprise billing, pharmacy scams, hospital price gouging it's all allowed to continue because regulation would mean lower profits. Campaign contributions go directly into the pockets of the lawmakers who are supposed to oversee the healthcare industry. It's not oversight, it's a bribe in slow motion and the public debate. It's rigged. We're told Medicare for All would take away our doctor, while we already lose doctors to narrow networks and prior authorization schemes. We're told it's too expensive, while we spend more than any other country in the world. The truth the people want change. It's the politicians that don't. Experts estimate that a universal health care system like Medicare for All will cut national health care spending by hundreds of billions of dollars a year. That's fewer middlemen, cheaper drugs, lower administrative costs and more efficient care delivery. It's not just more just, it's more affordable.
Speaker 1:The United States remains the only industrialized nation without universal health care. Not because we can't afford it, but because of our leaders, including many Democrats, refuse to fight for it. They've chosen campaign donors over patients, corporate profits over public health, boardrooms over emergency rooms. But we haven't given up. We're still here, still demanding better, still, believing that health care is a human right, not a revenue stream. Thank you for listening to the Democrat Surrendered. I'm Edward Williams. If this episode resonated with you, if you're tired of paying more and getting less, share it. Subscribe for future episodes. Keep asking questions, keep raising your voice and never stop fighting for what's right. And until next time, stay healthy, stay loud and stay relentless. And remember the Democratic Party may have surrendered, but we haven't. Thank you.