> we've gotten to the point where things are so fucked up that even "good" insurers try really hard to deny claims, especially the outrageously expensive ones that are likely to bankrupt people

What I find interesting is good, well meaning people defend the insurance companies’ tactics as it prevents premiums from skyrocketing but then they hear about “death panels” and immediately denounce single payer.

I had insurance from the marketplace a few years back and I distinctly remember the call center representative laughing when I asked why my premium was up year over year when clearly the only thing I had used the year before was a flu shot. She apologized for laughing when she realized my puzzlement was genuine and explained that it wasn’t about what I used but what the group used. Just sounds like a tax with extra steps, I thought.

In the discussion on another article also on the front page, people are wondering if we are ever capable of meaningfully doing an about face on issues (interestingly also about medicine: placebo surgeries).