U.S. Healthcare implications from COVID
- Thread starter HALL85
- Start date
It would look awfully expensive for many. Pooling together young and old spreads the costs. Not sure where Merge is going other than Europe or Canada both of which offer stellar healthcare, at least if you’re wealthy.
M4A is an option. Publicly funded vouchers is an option.
Lots of ways to design it but wouldn't necessarily have to be run by the government.
M4A not necessary if you expand Medicaid.
Most end users I know don’t like the voucher system.
Wasn't suggesting anything radical other than asking why our healthcare is tied to our employment really.
It shouldn't be.
Why can't there be a better answer than what we have now? Anything else has to be Canada or Europe?
M4A would be expanding Medicare to all.
We essentially have a voucher program when you pick the plan you want to select every year. It wouldn't be much different. Paid through your taxes. You wouldn't know the difference other than maintaining the same coverage no matter where you work.
So does our current healthcare system.
Wealthy people will always be better off. The question is if we can make the system more effective for everyone else.
Fine if you disagree, but I think we can.
I now pay $170 per month after losing my insurance after ACA. I'm a member of Christian healthcare Ministries. CHM is a cost sharing network. I have a $500 deductible and then 100% unlimited coverage. Best move of my life, I'm so happy I help pay other members insurance. Super easy any doctor anywhere in the world 100% after $500 deductible. Best kept secret saving over 18,000 a year for the last 5 years. No increase in my premiums. Only thing that's not covered is drug or alcohol rehab. plus non smokers only. Of course you need to be a Christian and attend church. Yes pre-existing conditions are covered.
I don't know how you can come to that conclusion when I am just discussing theoretically if we can untie healthcare from employment.
So that’s basically expanding Medicare. Do you really think many people will opt out of their employer sponsored health care for that?
Like I said... That is an option. Voucher could buy into private companies competing for our business as well.
Need to figure out what to do with illegal immigrants if you’re going to expand Medicare or Medicaid. Not a simple answer there. The only two presidents since LBJ to try to address health insurance (Clinton doesn’t count) had/have very different visions.
I am not suggesting it would be easy.
I am suggesting that we are the "greatest country in the world"... why can't we do better on healthcare?
Costs for individuals would rise tremendously. Employer plans are group plans, which keeps costs down somewhat. Plus the employer pays much of that as a benefit.
Because as consumers we want everything covered; we are one of the most unhealthiest industrialized countries (which makes drives cost up) and we are a consumption based health system.
So you think employers will continue to offer health insurance if there is a single payor system, government run HC, MC4A or whatever other system that covers those who don’t have coverage?
But there are ways it doesn't have to play out like that.
Assume it's a payroll tax for a moment. Employer pays X% Employee pays X%. Every citizen gets a voucher for a basic healthcare plan.
Forget the debate for a moment about if you think that is a good idea... Just that it is theoretically possible and actual policy makers could come up with the details that would make it actually work.
It depends.
Debating a theoretical is difficult without know what the system looks like.
If there was a basic level of insurance provided by the government, employers could add on more as a benefit.
Yes there could be supplemental but it’s usually for smaller stuff only. They wouldn’t be offering for lack of a better phrase an excess level. what I think you’re suggesting won’t ever happen as it’s cost prohibitive
Yes, because it’s part of the compensation package. And do you think a M4A plan would be better? I have a friend who just retired who is on Medicare now but pays about $8,000 additional to get coverage they need.
It’s possible but will result in either or both lower quality care or widening our income equality gap. Everyone in the wagon with not enough people pushing. Why are you not satisfied with simply expanding Medicaid??? Give me a reason please
If I proposed our current system 30 years ago, it would have sounded cost prohibitive as well, but here we are...
What is your deal with preferring Medicaid as a solution as opposed to Medicare.
There are differences of course (Medicare being the better option of the two for a few reasons) but the theory is the exact same.
If you’re answer to a theoretical solution is that it will not work because or whatever reason, then think of a solution to that problem. I’m not here saying that I have the best and only possible solution. I am saying there is a problem, and asking if there is a fix and you essentially just keep saying no.
What?? The system is largely unchanged since 1990 except there’s more and more people on the teet.
Not sure how old you are, but insurance today is very different from 30 years ago. Large cost shift towards the consumer since then.
I gave you my proposed fixes including incentivizing employers.
Or, since the issue is people can’t pay for health insurance.m, expand the program that assists those who can’t pay for it: Medicaid
Another idea is we need more medi-merge facilities.
What is so difficult to understand about my position which among other things suggests that I don’t want a government run healthcare for all. WE CANT AFFORD IT. We r too big.
The system and consumer costs are two different issues. See my postS: too many people getting it for free which drives up the costs for those who pay. Not that hard to understand.
Saying we can't afford it is just wrong.
We are already paying it.
Just asking why we need to tie it to employment at all.
Untie it from employment. Pay in via tax (instead of premium) Employer pays in via tax (instead of premium) and you get a voucher for a private plan. Group by state exchanges so we all get group rates.
Not government run... you can choose to add on coverage if needed and pay more.
There is no better system than employer sponsored care?
