You're completely right, but you could replace for profit healthcare with for profit anything and still be right.

So I worked for a big health insurance company for 11 years. Of which 4 of those I worked in international claims.
We would get these claims from Mexico sometimes for people with terminal cancer.

The companies were U.S companies, some canadian. But clinics were in Mexico.

Ever see those commercials for "cancer treatment centers of America" where they promise new innovative and experimental treatments?

They used to run commercials all the time. Well all the facilities are all located in Mexico.

(Now it's been about 6 years since I last worked there and maybe these companies don't exist anymore. I hope not).

Anywho. We would get these medical claims in for literally a few million dollars.

For vitamin B shots. Water exercises. Massages.

Nothing innovative. No actual cancer treatments.

Just pain killers and vitamin B shots.

People would stay there for a month or two then die. But that's only part of the horror.

The cancer centers would not release the bodies of the person until the debt was paid.

Yeah they would hold them for ransom.

That's why desperate people would try to get the u.s health insurance company to pay some of it. But we wouldn't. Because 1. It's considered medical tourism. And 2. It's not considered legitimate health care.

We felt bad for the families whenever one of these claims came through. They would often submit it multiple times trying to get it paid. With letters begging us. Which is how we learned that these companies won't release the body of the deceased until they were paid.

They have been sued many times but still going strong.

There are lots of them not just the one I mentioned.

https://oig.hhs.gov/fraud/enforcement/ctca-agreed-to-pay-82-million-for-allegedly-violating-the-civil-monetary-penalties-law-by-paying-remuneration-to-physicians-for-referrals/

https://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/consumer-group-says-most-u-s-cancer-centers-use-misleading-n934041

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1878788/ Questionable cancer practices in Tijuana and other Mexican border clinics

Not just before. Also after.

It’s not even necessarily better in places with some public healthcare. In Canada, although medical care is generally free, retirement residences are not. My grandmother is in her 90s and requires a memory care facility, which costs $8000 per month. She is very lucky to have an inflation indexed pension, and even with it her kids are having to supplement to pay the cost.

The only thing you can do is hope never to require care.

One of my highest concerns and grievances with working towards retirement in the US. Even if you do everything ' right'. All it takes is a bad roll of the cancer dice and your family is fucked. Your hard work is washed down the drain. And there's not a single political fuck in chance of reform in our lifetimes.

It's a good thing (for the corps) that the US is filled with mostly morons who think that's a good thing.

Pro Tip: DEED TRANSFER TO YOUR KIDS BEFORE YOU GET SICK ffs

My terminal diagnosis plan is split. I'm not sure which one I should do. I guess it depends on how sick or how much time I have left.

it's either going to be making my death look completely accidental for the life insurance money, or go on a punisher spree until I'm dead.

Seriously surprised more people don't just leave the country at this point

I'm diabetic with early signs of cirrhosis, I'm pretty confident that I'm going to die somewhat early and probably with a lot of medical debt.

I was thinking the other day about what steps I can take to effectively divorce my wife and leave as much to her and my kids as possible instead of insurance.

I was listening to NPR yesterday and they were talking about how the US is starting to have less and less room every year for pediatric care because pediatric care isn't very profitable compared to care for people over 60.

You can call it Mercenary. That's what it is.

All capitalist business is.

does not stop there also from the state. the whole medicare advantage is about billing for illnesses without effectively providing care.

You can't really pay for care.

That's for whatever is left after a lifetime of being enticed into overspending on gambling, overpriced entertainment, expensive foods, cheap consumer goods, and desperately trying to keep up with aspirational lifestyles they see in the media.

Every system ever, created by man, is.