I have “excellent” coverage in the US and am now pregnant with my second baby. My first pregnancy and birth ended up costing thousands of dollars. During pregnancy, I received an endless stream of unpredictable lab test bills (why does this test cost $13 and this one costs $273?). After the birth itself, every provider who saw me in the hospital sent me a separate bill, on top of which I was billed for the room itself and for the individual drugs.

Almost any other system would be better than this. If it were out of pocket there would at least be downward pressure on prices and clearer pricing in the first place. Or we could provide it as a public service like every other developed country.

What did you really end up paying though?

On average Americans pay $3,000 for childbirth.

If our system was like every other developed country, we wouldn't have the medical developments we have today.

> 91.2% of people have coverage, 67.2% through their employer. 71% of Americans answered they are satisfied with their employer-provided coverage.

So, almost 4 percentage points more Americans are satisfied with their employer-provided healthcare than actually have it?

Or do you mean 71% of the 67.2% not 71% of Americans?

That survey was for employee provided coverage, so it would be 71% of the 67.2% Americans who get their coverage via employers. I couldn't find satisfaction rates for government provided coverage.

Which means less than half of Americans are satisfied with their coverage. Not “most”.

No that means the majority of people with employee provided insurance are happy.

There aren't stats on satisfaction of government provided healthcare, but if they are unsatisfied it furthers my point that the government should stay out of healthcare. And if they are satisfied then there is no problem :)