The initial comment I replied to posited that families should expect to be bankrupted by this. However, this procedure, if it's successful and approved, will be covered by insurers, Medicaid, and Medicare, meaning that people will be able to get the procedure like organ transplants and other life-saving procedures like gall-bladder removal, heart valve surgeries, tumor removal, etc.

Depending on a person's particular plan and individual circumstances, the cost sharing, say, a $3,000 deductible could be difficult. But that's a far cry from the burlesque of the original comment, claiming that families will somehow be forced to pay six figures (?) out of pocket to get this procedure.

Although I don't think it matters to the discussion what my personal beliefs are, I support universal healthcare.

Insulin pricing in the US certainly needs important improvements. It's hard for a diabetic who is underinsured (with a high-deductible health plan) or doesn't qualify for Medicaid or Medicare. Fortunately most diabetics in the US have adequate coverage to keep out-of-pocket costs on insulin low, although that's hardly consolation for the minority who don't. In any case, the average diabetic can afford and use insulin.

Likewise, if this procedure becomes approved, the average person in the U.S. will be able to benefit from it like people benefit from organ transplants.

I don't see why it would. If this becomes an FDA-approved therapy, people would be able to get them as they currently do organ transplants. Additionally, this procedure is much simpler than an organ transplant.

At the very least, Medicare provides coverage to people 65 and older in the U.S. so I think that will help make these medical therapies more broadly available.

Wow, they're beautiful.

I disagree with the assertion that therapies from this field will necessarily be available to the ultra-wealthy first for some time. The companies in this area will go through clinical trials and regulatory approval like other medical therapies, which are broadly available and covered by third-party payers.

It's also interesting to me how diverse universal healthcare systems can be. For example, the UK approach has government-operated healthcare providers, while the Netherlands has universal coverage through private health insurance.

Anyone interested in reading about different country profiles can do so here: https://www.commonwealthfund.org/international-health-policy-center/countries