I don't see where people like LeBron James or Bill Gates need free health care. They can literally afford any medical bill for any member of their family.
If we're going to go to government-run health care, which I think is inevitable, why not assign everyone a deductible based on their income? For example, James and Gates would have unlimited deductibles. People in poverty, maybe $100. Middle class people, maybe $5,000 or something like that. Government would pay for anything over these amounts.
Having a deductible would hopefully prevent people from running to the doctor for minor things like the common cold, but at the same time protect them from major bills. And it wouldn't be nearly as expensive as just giving everyone free health care.
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but the healthcare system needs a lot of fixes and the Federal government is incapable of doing anything that doesn’t lead to higher costs and more fraud and abuse.
- we need more doctors and they need to be willing to work for less money. Tort reform and free education for any doctors who agree to work for a specified length of time at a set salary?
- walk in clinics for minor issues seem to be getting more prevalent and as long as the costs there are controlled it seems like a good thing.
- cost transparency and assurance that the health care system will not overcharge some to pay for those who game the system and never pay
As someone who had two recent outpatient surgeries I can attest that there are too many people involved who don’t contribute a lot to patient welfare. Their computer systems suck- three different people entering the same info ( four if you count pre-registration) sucks up money. The amounts charged bear zero relationship to the (lower) amounts negotiated for payment by my insurance company. Diagnostic tests ordered before I even got to the point of having the surgeries were absurd and expensive when my primary care physician diagnosed my problem in December from a simple ultra sound but to cover their asses from any possibility of litigation they required four subsequent expensive diagnostic tests taking 5 months to complete from the time I became ill to the time I was cured.
...just discussing Mark, I don't think you are socialist, but this plan would be.
.... people have to have “buy in” one way or the other. This is a big shortcoming with current system.
For the chunk of people who have health insurance plans through their employer, they don’t really feel the costs as the employer pays the premium.
For the chunk of people on medicare, Government (taxpayers) is paying.
For small businesses or self employed folks like me, we do feel it because we pay the high monthly premiums. My beef is subsidizing all the people who don’t give a hoot about their personal health — overweight, smoke, no exercise, etc. Plus, most private insurance companies have no real competition. Hence, I spend $40k/year for health insurance, just for my family. And we likely cost the insurance company about $3-5k/year.
If we are going to have a public option (which makes sense), then the person pays the government “premium” at x % of their income. X = what it takes to make sure the public option is balanced. The flip side is that person isn’t paying a monthly insurance premium, so don’t bitch that you are taxed for your public option. Hopefully, this builds “bang for your buck” competition between the public option and private insurance companies, and/or creates hybrid options where a person may go public option, but have a side private policy for the catastrophic shit sandwich medical scenario.
Also, anyone signing up for the public option (or private insurance) must sign a medical/end of life directive. The large majority of people do not want their lives unnecessarily prolonged. We spend way too much money during last 6 months of elderly people’s lives, because Aunt Helen doesn’t want her baby brother to pass on. Let Baby Brother be the Decider, when he signs up for the public option or private insurance.
What about people with no income (given I believe that health care is a basic right in a civilized nation)? We have to find clever and equitable ways to fund healthcare for the poor and elderly, besides paying a Medicare tax each month. Sales tax on fuel, cigarettes, booze, fast food restaurants, is a start. Businesses with > 30 employees who do not provide healthcare insurance for employees should pay a higher Medicare tax than businesses who do provide healthcare coverage.
If asset, then they'll just hide their assets in a trust.
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Not suggesting death panels but hip replacement surgery for people in their 90’s in wheelchairs and walkers? I know first hand with my mother and mother in law. Costs for Medicare are exorbitant. People living longer absorb most of the costs paid by fewer healthier young people.
Once my Mother in law got on medicare she went from never seeing the doctor to having 3-4 appointments per week
This is quite common...forget about the last five years of their lives....this started at 65
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the best it could be but everyone bitched because they want it laid out nice and easy. Medicaid always took care of the people without insurance who were poor and those with private insurance were ok. By the way unpaid medical bills to the best of my knowledge did not cause you to go bankrupt back then.
There needs to be some form of rationing.
Everyone knows it. No one has the balls to face up to it.
After 75 years old, pay your own way or enjoy the oven
until you hit 79.
a flaming arrow will ignite my boat while I enjoy my last shot of 50 year old single malt.
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I expect Chris94 to respond first.
Two arrows, one for you and one for the boat...
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Up to you which arrow is first...
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That seems pretty masochistic and a little narcissistic as well.
My plan is to die in Yellowstone National Park, a long ways from the roads, alone.
That’s very narcissistic believing you would taste better than others.
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And better than dying of boredom in a nursing home.
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Link: Acidic hot spring in Yellowstone dissolves tourist — and it's more common than you might think
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shall be determined by raw political power. It won't matter if one person is exceptionally healthy... if his or her time is up... it is UP!
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After a certain age you just can't get access to certain treatments no matter how appropriate they might be for the individual. Socialism does not recognize individualism.