Moreover, the subsidies are mere band-aids on to the problem of high medical costs. Proggies don't understand it. Never have, never will.

I would suggest that the Proggies know perfectly well that costs in the US are out of control vs, the national health plans in other "rich, first world" countries, but, a system that funnels the money through the private insurance industry, so they could skim a profit off it, was the only thing that could pass the bought Congress. Nothing new under the sun department. The Bush regime wrote "Medicare Advantage" and "Part D" specifically to deal in private insurance companies, so they could skim that cash flow. Then we get luminaries like Paul Ryan, who wanted to turn Medicare into "premium support" to force all the people on conventional Medicare, into the arms of the private insurance companies, so they could skim that cash flow as well.

Steve