For the last two nights, the Democrats debate on whether we should go toward a public option (PO) or medicare-for-all (MFA).
PO = Americans would have a choice: stick with employer or market-based health-care or go with a government-backed plan. Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, Beto O’Rourke, and Amy Klobuchar support this.
MFA = Criminalize private health-care insurance for the most part. The only thing legal would be elective health-care insurance like cosmetic surgeries. Under this plan, backed by Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, EVERYBODY would be forced to go on medicare and take the government created health-care plan. You would pay a much higher medicare tax, but you wouldn’t have to pay those insurance premiums every week, every month. Sanders and Warren argue that you would have to pay less in health-care than with private health-care insurance.
Where do you stand? Should every American be forced to give up their present health-care insurance, even if they like it.
I am personally for a “Medicare for those who want it” plan that would enroll every newborn into Medicare, as private insurance gets phased out over time.
You say those with employer insurance will have a choice under PO. While technically true, reality will settle in.
Premiums for EE only option trough my employer is $8500/$8500 with the employer paying the bulk and the EE paying $2100/$1340 (without wellness/with wellness points). The employer is paying $6400/$7160,
Premiums for EE+Family option trough my employer is $25,500/$25,500 with the employer paying the bulk and the EE paying $8700/$9400 (without wellness/with wellness points). The employer is paying $18,600/$17,840.
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So, if I have employer insurance available and stick with the employer I’m paying about $1300-2100 for single coverage or $8700-9400 per year for family with the employer picking up the rest. The employer being able to take their portion as an operating expense as part of compensation provided.
With the PO I would get zero dollars from the employer and have to pay the full premium myself by thousands of dollars and tens of thousands if I have a family.
IMHO, to imply that employees with access to employer sponsored health insurance would have an option to go to the PO, is well misleading.
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If your employer is self funding the health care and a significant number do, then they assume the full risk of the medical claims. The premiums the employee pays goes into a pot from which medical claims are reimbursed to the Third Party Administrator or insurance company.
This is why employers are passing more of the cost onto employees.
Just to throw a wrench in the works here - there is currently a way that medicare can work alongside current private insurers. My mother is on such a plan - it’s a Medicare Advantage plan by Kaiser Permanente. They actually have differing levels of coverage so that you can choose the level of coverage you can best afford.
What would the medicare tax be that has to be paid vs. what the premium for an insurance plan of your choice be?
No, I don’t believe Americans should be forced into allowing the government to control their healthcare. Controlling healthcare is not enumerated in the constitution and they need to stay the hell out of anything and everything unless it is outlined in the constitution. That is the limit of their power and the power needs to stay limited and in the hands of the people. Not in the hands of the politicians.
IDK, I suppose it is about those who believe government is the answer. ACA isn’t enough. Give government more power and more authority in your life so you have less choice and less freedom.
Maybe it is just a rumor I heard, but didn’t they rob the social security fund? Isn’t that supposed to be tapped out pretty soon?
Hey, it sounded good at the time I’m sure (well to those same people who single payer sounds good to now) but I’m sure there were plenty who foresaw what the greedy fingers of the government does when it gets its hands on some money.
But, hey. Get some tax money for healthcare and I’m sure they’ll all turn into Boy Scouts and do the right thing.
Yeah, Trump is crap. Water is wet, in case nobody knows that either. But my point was when are we going to get something that works? We’re always assured that whatever some crap plan any politician is
proposing is the answer, but so far on this issue it never is. The answer to bad government is always more government.
Everyone gets Medicare, payed for by tax increase.
You can drop your current insurance.
If you want to buy other insurance, pay for it and get it. But you still pay those taxes and you can still be doctored under the general system.
Rich folks will always get better healthcare than others. (And better cars, better houses, better … one gets more/better stuff if you’re rich, that’s why money is so popular.) Fighting that reality is a losing battle, so the government shouldn’t.
But, we can set things up so everyone gets decent healthcare. And let the richer get what they can afford.
Because we can all count on corporations to increase our compensation when they no longer have to pay for our health insurance. Ok, I couldn’t type that with a straight face.
