Guest Post: Healthcare Price Hikes Are Here
Alex Cascio just suffered a devastating knee injury, and shares the price hikes and financial harm she's facing--compared to how she would fare in a country with universal healthcare
If you’ve followed my writing for any period of time, you know that I believe healthcare is a human right. I’ve provided the evidence, receipts, and financial argument — in addition to the moral, ethical, and humanitarian argument, of why we must protect healthcare as a human right. I share below a guest post by Alex Cascio, a D.C. based activist and writer, about how a casual trip to the park has led to months of struggle through injury, financial stress, and mental stress. It does not have to be this way. We must demand better. Alex’s story is not unique, but represents what tens of millions of Americans experience annually. Notably, Alex provides excellent insight on how we can meaningfully change this narrative. Be sure to subscribe to and follow
after reading her article. Let’s Address This.
Healthcare Price Hikes Are Here
by
Americans are having a rude awakening as 2026 brings dramatic rate hikes
I don’t usually get personal in my content, but with this topic it is impossible not to.
September 28th I badly injured my knee. I’d decided to try out a OneWheel electric skateboard. I was itching for a new hobby and something to keep my mind off politics in my downtime. Instead, while coming to a stop I took a bad step off the board, over extended my knee, and ended up with an ACL avulsion fracture and partial meniscus tear.
I purchase my healthcare from the ACA. For $250 per month, I’ve got “decent” coverage—a $9,500 deductible, but on a “standard” plan where costs to see my primary care doctor is locked in at $50 and specialists at $100.
Still, between visits to Urgent Care, my PCP, an Orthopedist, and an MRI—diagnostics alone have cost $2126.70. Now, I need a minimum of 6 months of physical therapy in order to walk again. At twice a week and a $50 copay, that’s $400 per month. Add in monthly check-ins with my Orthopedist, and that’s $500 per month in new bills—all to be able to walk again.
Saturday, November 1st, open enrollment began. I, like many other Americans, checked my new rates for the first time. Thanks to Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill this summer, insurance premiums are rising an average 20% nationwide—the highest in years. In my case, my insurer (Aetna) pulled off the ACA marketplace altogether. The replacement plan I was auto-enrolled in is $308 per month and offers far worse coverage. I did the math on my current medical expenses on the new plan. Despite having the lowest premium available on the ACA marketplace, here are those totals;
Premium: $308
Physical Therapy (twice per week): $1200
Orthopedist: $150
Total Monthly Cost: $1658
Again, that’s just to be able to walk again. When most Americans are living to paycheck, that means a choice between eating or walking.
Now, I’m shopping around for plans. For comparable coverage to my current insurance, I’m looking at around $400 per month—a premium increase of 60%. But that plan doesn’t include my current doctors. If I want to keep them, it will cost me $438 per month. Yes, an additional $38 bucks per month just to keep my doctors. I’m in the middle of recovery with an established rapport with my PT and orthopedist. Do I change providers to save money, or pay more to continue seeing my current doctors?
I should be making decisions based on the best care for my physical health, not my wallet. But that’s the American healthcare system. I have to restructure my budget in order to afford taking care of my health. All this for a relatively healthy 30 year old.
How is any of this acceptable in 2025?
In American healthcare, you don’t get to choose your doctor—your insurance plan does. For many of us, you don’t even get to choose your own insurance, your employer picks what plan is available to you. Even once you have coverage, your insurance ultimately decides what care you receive. When seeking an MRI to determine how badly I’d fucked up my knee, I was back and forth with my insurance company for over a week just to approve the test—all to pay $1,778 for it anyway.
Wanna know how much an MRI costs in other developed countries?
Canada: $650 - $950
UK: £500
Mexico: $200 - $700
Australia: $350
France: $300
But here’s the twist–not only are those costs lower, they’re paid by those countries’ universal healthcare systems. The cost to the patient? Zero.
I first got involved in politics in 2016. Like many young people, I was drawn to Bernie Sanders and his progressive vision. But the main issue that drew me, and has stuck with me? Universal Healthcare.
The Republicans will scream about wait times, but the average wait time for a cardiologist in the United States is 2 months—and if you’re seeing a cardiologist in the first place, something serious is going on.
The Republicans will bitch about “the government” choosing your doctor — but we already don’t get to choose our doctors, our insurers and employers do.
The Republicans will whine about tax increases — despite study after study showing the out of pocket costs for citizens is cheaper paying for healthcare via taxes than through private insurers.
Entire departments for healthcare providers are designated for dealing with insurance companies. Cut the fucking middle man.
Insurance companies exist to make a profit — so much so that they spend more lobbying our representatives than any other industry, over $384.5 million last year alone. Why? So laws are written that favor them, NOT patients. Because in order to make and increase profit they need to spend less on our care while we pay higher rates.
Meanwhile, Republicans in Congress (and the Democrats who voted with them to end the shutdown) are about to let the situation get even worse. Their refusal to extend ACA tax credits risks increasing the cost of care even more.
It does not need to be like this. But we need representatives who will actually fight for better. We can’t keep fighting to put bandaids on a broken system – we need to fight for real reform.
 | A guest post by
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Thank you for helping share my story, Qasim! I know I’m not alone - or even the worse example of America’s failed healthcare system. The time for universal healthcare is NOW
Mother in law had kidney stones while on vacation in Lisbon. Emergency care, 3 specialists, time in a hospital room and drugs - her non-insured cost - 700 euros. That would be $10k in the US minimum.