To JRLawrence "When I turned 65, my health insurance was canceled and I was required to take medicare instead." That is a huge factor in this problem, you're company was not REQUIRED to force you to Medicare, it was their policy because it was cheaper for the company. Insurance business is about minimizing risk and older is riskier, so push old farts to Medicare. Spread the risk across a bigger pool and claim rates go down per capita. Big insurance has gamed this for years, especially for small employers. I suspect there is room for either private or public insurance to work, if risk is spread equitably and reasonable profits in relation to risk are controlled.
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