Originally Posted by Rod Kaufman
"Newly released inflation figures show that President Donald Trump was wrong when he repeatedly claimed this month that grocery prices are “down” or “way down.”
"They were up, again, last month. And they have increased since the start of his presidency."
" There have been particularly sharp increases since September 2024 in the prices of coffee (up 18.9%) and beef and veal (up 14.7%). Overall consumer prices are up 3.0% since September 2024."
"...food economists like Michigan State University professor David Ortega say two of Trump’s signature policies – tariffs on imported goods (including food) and a crackdown on undocumented immigrants (who make up a large percentage of the US farm workforce) – have clearly contributed to the increases in grocery prices this year."
https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/24/politics/fact-check-grocery-prices-trump
This week, health insurance consumers on the ACA marketplace began getting their first look at 2026 premium hikes, and sticker shock hardly describes what they are seeing. Most consumers are seeing at least a 100% rate increase, but increases of 160% or higher are not unheard of. When I checked prices back in 2024, I was looking at about $700-$800 per month; now it's twice that amount, almost $1,500 per month. And there is no other recourse, since catastrophic plans are not available to older Americans and would not cover pre-existing conditions anyway. Some have suggested using a Direct Primary Care service, coupled with indemnity plans (catastrophic, accidental, hospital, etc.), to help manage an unexpected tragedy. But again, indemnity plans do not cover pre-existing conditions. Even if they do, they have long waiting periods before coverage is available, and from what I could tell, they have so many exclusions that they are almost worthless. So, if you are an older American with pre-existing conditions who can't get on Medicare yet, your only real choice is ACA, or risk it and go uninsured.
Even the ACA plans are pretty bad. The lowest-level bronze plan I can get has a premium of $1,500 per month and a $7,500 deductible, with 50% co-insurance for hospital stays after you meet the deductible. So, for something like a $100,000 hospital stay, the typical cost for coronary bypass surgery, you will pay the $18,000 per year premium, plus the $7,500 deductible, plus the 50% co-insurance for a total of $18,000 + $7,500 + 0.50($100,000 - $7,500) = $71,750! What the heck is the insurance for exactly?
Something is going to have to change, that's for sure. Our national leaders have been failing us on healthcare for a long time.
