BelichickFan

End employer provider health care.

That would :

- Increase the paychecks of those with insurance by the insurance amount. It would also either increase the paychecks or make companies more profitable (yes, that is a good thing) by the amount the company pays in.

- Make people be able to change jobs more easily.

- Make people more responsible for their own insurance so they'd look at the policies they're actually buying. Instead of just being happy they're getting it they would almost certainly shop around more.

- Yes it would increase taxes because this would now be taxable income. Whatever that amount of additional taxes is, that would go into a pot to help those making less than, pick your number, say $40K.$60K (individual/family) to get insurance. It would NOT pay for the insurance but would subsidize it. The prez said there's no such thing as a free lunch, that goes for health insurance too bud.

- The amount of increase the government subsidies can increase by is no more than inflation for the year.

The "public option" and "single payer" is crap. Instead of threatening the viability of the current system we need to make it more competitive and there's no better way than to put the choice even more in the hands of the consumer. Make sure there are no limits to the number of insurance companies in any area and let the real flow of competition take place.

Please note for those who like to call me selfish, this would result in a tax increase for me whereas the House "tax the rich" plan wouldn't.

On the macro level I would also be looking into cost cutting that we've talked about including tort reform and re-doing prescription drug agreements with other countries who are getting our drugs cheap.

patsfan13

You should google Steve Forbes Medical Savings Accounts, very similar account much better than the rube goldberg bureauracy being proposed by the dems.

__________________
"Some guys play in all-star games, some guys don't. I don't know who picks all those all-star teams. In all honesty, I don't know who picks the combine, for that matter," Belichick said. "How does (Miami-Ohio offensive lineman Brandon) Brooks not get invited to the combine? How did Vollmer not get invited to the combine? I don't know. We can't really worry about that. We just have to try to evaluate them the best we can."

alvinnf

So the primary focus, is the undoing of managed care. Creating more competition and choices. In addition how about a tax credit for those whom make over 60,000 a year. Let's get some of this dead wait off their couches, how is that for preventitive medicine.

BelichickFan

Good for Steve

The point is, to generate money to subsidize (NOT PAY FOR ENTIRELY) the poor while increasing competition (having people pay entirely for their insurance will do that) and making people not feel tied to their jobs. It also frees up a big chunk of money businesses currently have to pay that could be used for either hiring, profits or salary increases as the companies see fit. The only people I would pay for entirely are the disabled.

Unfortunately the current plan is just about the exact opposite of this.

Patters

I think your plan would be a huge boon to the large insurance companies, which would be the only ones who would have the ability to leverage their power to force concessions from hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, etc.

Would people be required to get health insurance?
Would companies be allowed to discriminate for business reasons?
Would insurance companies be required to spell out their benefits in clear language?
Would insurance companies be required to cover those with pre-existing conditions?
Would middle class individuals with pre-existing conditions be subsidized if there insurance costs were very high?
Would the government deny unions the right to negotiate this benefit?
Would the insurance companies be required to educate people about what the benefits are and what they really mean?
Would people be allowed to choose whatever doctor they wanted or only those assigned by the insurance companies? (Government plans will allow more choice, I think.)
Would there be a mechanism to prevent insurance companies from driving prices up and discouraging health care by creating complicated routines?

What you're proposing is really just a variant on what we have now, which has led to us having a health care system that costs 2x as much as other nation's with highly regarded health care systems.

BelichickFan

I like our system now, a better variant works for me.

Your questions are largely stupid, as expected. Insurance Companies' benefits are already spelled out in clear language - I can't help the stupid. I have never had a problem picking up my brochure and understanding it. All the stuff about profits is irrelevant as there would be enough competition to ensure appropriate business practices. Pre-existing conditions could be a minor issue initially for the few with them that have no current insurance. It would be largely a non issue soon once more people are insured than "pre-existing" would be for the very few.

LOL at you, I proposed a tax increase on myself but you still hate it because private business might make money.

IcyPatriot

1: End employer funded healthcare.

2: Have 2 or 3 government plans that anyone can purchase ... discounts available per income all the way to free for the lowest tier of income to no income type people.

That's it ... add some money to the gasoline tax and a few percentage points higher for income tax across the board ... all income levels.

BelichickFan

Government plans muddy the water because they are not on an equal playing field with private plans. You can accomplish the same thing by subsidizing the poor to buy private insurance.

IcyPatriot

sounds too simple for the government to put into action.

BelichickFan

This government would never do it because it takes any power away from Washington other than subsides for the poor. I'm also not sure how popular it would be as my proposal does include a tax increase by removing the health insurance benefit and turning it into taxable salary.