See, this is where I think pre-tax medical savings plans come it the most.
I don’t believe government has any business doing re-distribution of wealth. I don’t care how little people earn. They should have to pay for what they buy. This isn’t so much because it is “fair” as it is that people need to “feel” how much things cost to really understand them. And preventative care costs what it costs. If it costs “too much” it is because of all the games providers and insurers play.
But if people had tax free savings plans then maybe they could more easily justify spending money on preventative care. And employers, extended family members, charity groups, etc, ought to be able to set up such plans on behalf of other individuals without the recipients incurring tax liabilities.
I see a major difference between health plans and insurance. The words don’t imply the same things.
Health plans are just ways of budgeting. A person who has a health plan can expect to pay the same or more as if they had no plan. The plan just spreads the costs out over time. Health plans cover such routine things as checkups, antibiotics, asthma medicine, maternity coverage, elder care, sprains, outpatient services, etc.
Insurance is a way to manage catastrophic emergency events like serious car accidents.
I think it’s a good idea that health plan services be paid by the individual regardless of where the money ultimately comes from. People need to “experience” the cost of medical care.
