Panel Recommends Health Care Guarantee

[shockerfan]

ajc.com/health/content/shared-gen/ap/Health_Medical/Universal_Health_Coverage.html

I especially liked this part:

“Yet when posed questions about the possible need for new revenues, we found, across the board, that majorities were willing to pay more to ensure that all Americans are covered,” the group said."

Considering that the top 50% of wage earners pay 96+% of federal income taxes, you can extrapolate that the many in the “majority” they refer to, don’t pay federal taxes to begin with.
[source:http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-soi/03in05tr.xls]

My point is this: the majority of people want someone else to be responsible for their healthcare. If thats the case, then we should be able to dictate their diet, mandate exercise, ban smoking, and other unhealthy activity.

 

[jc-servant]

I did not read this article to say that the majority of people want someone else to pay for their healthcare. It looked like the majority surveyed want everyone to be able to get healthcare. There is a huge difference between the two.

I’m not for socialized medicine across the board, but I would favor the government contracting for group healthcare rates that the public could buy into at different levels. Some private employers already do this and government employees have this benefit. It would not mean giving away healthcare to people who could pay for themselves but rather making affordable policies available to people.

I just read the other day that Wal-mart’s alleged healthcare plan requires a $1000 deductible for people. Who making a Wal-mart type wage (not managers) can afford that kind of plan? It is basically like not having a plan for all those but the very ill or those who need a major surgery.

We already have taxpayers footing the bill for the poor through Medicaid and the elderly through Medicare. The rich can pay for excellent care, so that just leaves the working poor and middleclass who need more help in obtaining good coverage. They don’t need us to tell them how to live, just to give them the opportunity to pay a fair amount for services. It will save all of us money in the long run because these people will stop using the emergency rooms instead of seeing a regular doctor.

 

[shockerfan]

I did not read this article to say that the majority of people want someone else to pay for their healthcare. It looked like the majority surveyed want everyone to be able to get healthcare. There is a huge difference between the two…

…We already have taxpayers footing the bill for the poor through Medicaid and the elderly through Medicare. The rich can pay for excellent care, so that just leaves the working poor and middleclass who need more help in obtaining good coverage. They don’t need us to tell them how to live, just to give them the opportunity to pay a fair amount for services. It will save all of us money in the long run because these people will stop using the emergency rooms instead of seeing a regular doctor.

I agree that I read into this, again since 50% of wage earners do not pay federal income taxes. So when they say a majority would not mind paying more, that implied to me (for those that don’t pay anything now) that a 10 or 15% increase in nothing is still nothing. I also agree that shifting people from paying nothing at an ER to paying something at a doctor’s office would be better for all.

 

[estesbob]

I did not read this article to say that the majority of people want someone else to pay for their healthcare. It looked like the majority surveyed want everyone to be able to get healthcare. There is a huge difference between the two.

I’m not for socialized medicine across the board, but I would favor the government contracting for group healthcare rates that the public could buy into at different levels. Some private employers already do this and government employees have this benefit. It would not mean giving away healthcare to people who could pay for themselves but rather making affordable policies available to people.

I just read the other day that Wal-mart’s alleged healthcare plan requires a $1000 deductible for people. Who making a Wal-mart type wage (not managers) can afford that kind of plan? It is basically like not having a plan for all those but the very ill or those who need a major surgery.

We already have taxpayers footing the bill for the poor through Medicaid and the elderly through Medicare. The rich can pay for excellent care, so that just leaves the working poor and middleclass who need more help in obtaining good coverage. They don’t need us to tell them how to live, just to give them the opportunity to pay a fair amount for services. It will save all of us money in the long run because these people will stop using the emergency rooms instead of seeing a regular doctor.

I own my own business and my decutible is $5,000. Most peoples solution to the health care problem is to stick us small businesses with the bill. You want universal health insurancee? Even a moderate tax on the 48% of the people in this country who pay NO Federal income tax whatsoever would do it. just leave us buinseses out of it.

 

[jc-servant]

I own my own business and my decutible is $5,000. Most peoples solution to the health care problem is to stick us small businesses with the bill. You want universal health insurancee? Even a moderate tax on the 48% of the people in this country who pay NO Federal income tax whatsoever would do it. just leave us buinseses out of it.

I don’t see where you got the idea that offering people the opportunity to buy into a group health plan would involve sticking it to small business owners. I proposed allowing whomever wanted to pay for themselves and their dependents to buy into the federally sponsored group plans just like government workers currently do (that would include you as a small business owner if you could find a better plan that what you are offered on your own).

My point was that many things are possible by combining numbers and using our “buying power” as a larger group of consumers even if that is facilitated by a law being passed to allow all Americans to buy as a group. My proposal is not socialized medicine for all! As I already stated, we are paying for that for that crummy program for the poor and it is called Medicaid.

 

[jman507]

Well with the way health-care inflation is going its going to be putting a bigger and bigger chunk of the economy. It’s going to take it toll on everyone, no matter what you plan.

 

[shockerfan]

I don’t see where you got the idea that offering people the opportunity to buy into a group health plan would involve sticking it to small business owners. I proposed allowing whomever wanted to pay for themselves and their dependents to buy into the federally sponsored group plans just like government workers currently do (that would include you as a small business owner if you could find a better plan that what you are offered on your own).

My point was that many things are possible by combining numbers and using our “buying power” as a larger group of consumers even if that is facilitated by a law being passed to allow all Americans to buy as a group. My proposal is not socialized medicine for all! As I already stated, we are paying for that for that crummy program for the poor and it is called Medicaid.

Unfortunately, if federal mandates are anything like state mandates then it will cost you unnecessarily. For example, many states mandate maternity coverage in health care plans. If you don’t need it, tough, you have to pay for it. Ditto with drug and alcohol rehab. Don’t need it? Tough, you have to pay for it.
Also, business owners finance their employees health care plan. Some companies have very good plans that cover 90+% of expenses, other not as much.

Catholic Church run businesses are running into issues where local governments mandate contraceptive services (like making them pay for the pill)

The key word here is “mandate”. If the government “mandates” coverage, you should expect your taxes to go up to cover those who cannot pay.

The focus of any government plan will be to funnel votes to the political party who developed the plan.

Estesbob is right to expect that business owners will be forced to pick up the tab to some degree. See all of the complaints about how Walmart does not have a very affordable plan for its employees? The mindset of people today is that someone else is responsible to pay for their healthcare, not themselves.

 

[jc-servant]

Unfortunately, if federal mandates are anything like state mandates then it will cost you unnecessarily.

There is a difference between the government mandating coverage for all and providing and opportunity for coverage with a variety of plans. Although they have managed to goof up in the past, I’m going to continue to watch the news and wait before assuming that they are going to beat me down with paying for someone else.