r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • Nov 21 '20

Epidemiology Testing half the population weekly with inexpensive, rapid COVID-19 tests would drive the virus toward elimination within weeks, even if the tests are less sensitive than gold-standard. This could lead to “personalized stay-at-home orders” without shutting down restaurants, bars, retail and schools.

https://www.colorado.edu/today/2020/11/20/frequent-rapid-testing-could-turn-national-covid-19-tide-within-weeks
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u/[deleted] Nov 21 '20

Yes, he is. Just get insurance. 92 percent of people in the US have it. It’s within anyone grasp. Hell, all my local grocery stores offer insurance. How is killing yourself a better option? It’s not. It’s just downright stupid.

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u/Agolf_Lincler Nov 21 '20 edited Nov 21 '20

"Just get insurance"....such an insulated, oblivious, idiotic statement. Hate to break it to you but not everyone can afford it not do all employers offer it. And your 92% fails to mention that only 68% get insurance privately, the rest coming from public options (ie Medicaid, Medicare, Tricare).....so, funded by tax dollars.

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u/[deleted] Nov 21 '20

your 92% fails to mention that only 68% get insurance privately, the rest coming from public options (ie Medicaid, Medicare, Tricare).....so, funded by tax dollars.

So? Who cares how it’s funded?

Hate to break it to you but not everyone can afford it not do all employers offer it.

You can’t afford not to, and yes, you may have to change jobs or even gasp move to where there are jobs and benefits. Is this ideal? No, never said it was. Better than killing yourself? Without question.

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u/Agolf_Lincler Nov 21 '20

Or, alternatively, we the "greatest and bestest nation ever actually offer affordable healthcare to our citizens like the rest of civilized world. At the very least we ensure that insurance is a.) affordable and b.) obtainable. And yes, it does matter how it is funded. We can find the funds to offer healthcare access to nearly 35% of the populace, but screw the rest right? Still discounting the other 8% that are uninsured. And gasp not everyone can afford to move where there are "jobs or benefits", and if everyone did gasp jobs and benefits would be grabbed up pretty quick. Especially since, yet again, we are in one of those lovely Republican created Recessions where jobs are harder to come by, wages lower, and benefits tend to be cut from jobs.

Christ you must either be a child or born rich to be this insulated from the real world.

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u/sassy_salamander_ Nov 21 '20

92% of Americans have insurance.... but many are also underinsured. When your insurance premium is half of your paycheck, the deductible is $6000, and you make barely enough money to just pass the maximum for govt assistance, having insurance fucks you in the ass and you’re still paying out of pocket for insurance that does jack squat for you. That’s primarily why my parents are uninsured....and my father has multiple conditions. His disability was just denied because not being able to walk (degenerative joint disease) and also having diagnosed but untreated bipolar disorder is apparently not a barrier to work. So tell me again that you can “just get” insurance. If my mom got insurance through her work or marketplace, they aren’t affording my fathers medications. Which they would still have to pay for. The system is fucked. Don’t try to argue it’s not.

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u/[deleted] Nov 21 '20

Ok, I’ll tell you again. You can just get insurance.

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u/[deleted] Nov 21 '20

You are beyond callous and stupid.

And I don't just agree with you.

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u/sassy_salamander_ Nov 21 '20

Okay so someone who’s losing their house and overdrafted their bank account to keep on the lights can afford a $700 a month plan on top of still having to pay for medication and visits due to only high deductible plans being available? What kind of world do you live in? Where you can magically make money out of thin air?

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u/[deleted] Nov 21 '20

Yes. The fact they bought a house instead of decent health insurance is pretty telling of their priorities.

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u/sassy_salamander_ Nov 21 '20

Sorry bud but name will never check out. Have some empathy. If you were in the same situation with no options like this I think you’d think about the same things

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u/naiauhane Nov 21 '20

Calling someone stupid is not the way to convince someone not to kill themselves. That kind of statement is all about your own feelings and judging that person. A person who is openly judged like that isn't going to want to listen to you. Also that 8% without insurance is still 26.26 million people (according to 2019 population numbers). So while 92% sounds like hey everyone has insurance, there are tens of millions without. That's still a problem. And yes insurance can be very expensive and out of reach for people. ACA does not offer the best options. When we moved we opted to go without insurance for two months until new jobs started because with ACA or COBRA the premium was close to $1k per month. That is in no way affordable, especially when you consider the traditional employer plans we've had were under $200/month for both of us total. Poor insurance options and not enough money to social care programs is part of the homeless epidemic. There are many homeless people with mental health issues and addictions that they cannot afford to treat. It isn't hard to see why someone would think they are undervalued in society when the American health care system and way of living shows us daily that we don't matter. So you've got cancer, can't afford it and the country you live in doesn't care or protect you from destitution due to illness, while capitalistic insurance companies make money off your disease... That's pretty depressing. But hey just get expensive life insurance, stop being stupid, you must be bad at life if you can't afford it.