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Say quasi done away. Individuals can apply for vouchers into let's say a State run program that helps them pay healthcare cost. Helps individuals who are homeless or living below the average living wage in their State can apply for Medicaid for 5 years. Those in the military active duty and over 65 receive universal healthcare. Mental Health and Substance care would be covered by excess tax on marijuana, cigarettes, and alcohol. Those who are veterans or in the Guard or Reserve can receive rebates on their health care cost. Say that there was less regulation in the healthcare market and patents were done away with. Individuals were taxed for catastrophic health cost.
With all that said individuals would go to a provider the provider would be transparent with their cost. Can shop around for places for care. There be no taxes on any health care services.
Would that work in the US?
In health care, one doesn't know when you'll need care, but if you do, the care can be extremely expensive. The big costs in health care are things like triple-bypass surgery, not doctors visits. That tells you that it has to be paid for by some sort of insurance because most people don't have the money for out-of-pocket heart surgery. It also tells you that health care can't be shopped for the best price, like bread. Consumer choice is nonsense when it comes to health care, which most of us realize is complicated -- consumers when in an ambulance can't go and do comparison shopping. ("I hear there is a sale on stents at St. Joseph's.")
One can contrive all kinds of ideas but the reality is that in health care, people need some type of insurance -- either private or government operated insurance. like Medicare.
The ACA was created out of recognition that many citizens can't afford insurance and/or were locked out of buying insurance due to preexisting conditions. The ACA's objective was to guarantee that insurance is available to people with preexisting conditions. But if it stopped there, insurance companies would just charge those with preexisting conditions much much more. So, it established community rating, requiring that insurance companies make the same policies available to everyone at the same cost. But if you stop there, healthy people will opt out, leaving behind a high-risk, high-cost pool. So, it required a mandate, so people buy insurance making a solid risk pool. It then taxes the wealthy to provide subsidies, so that lower-income people can afford their policies.
What the new Trumpcare proposal does is cut out the taxes for the wealthy and strips out the subsidies. That makes the cost, mostly on those who need medical care -- older Americans, much higher. As a result many of those can't afford to pay half their income for insurance and drop out. That's fine for the insurance companies because older Americans are their big cost. It isn't so fine for 24 million Americans that can't afford insurance and can't get needed treatments.
Say quasi done away. Individuals can apply for vouchers into let's say a State run program that helps them pay healthcare cost. Helps individuals who are homeless or living below the average living wage in their State can apply for Medicaid for 5 years. Those in the military active duty and over 65 receive universal healthcare. Mental Health and Substance care would be covered by excess tax on marijuana, cigarettes, and alcohol. Those who are veterans or in the Guard or Reserve can receive rebates on their health care cost. Say that there was less regulation in the healthcare market and patents were done away with. Individuals were taxed for catastrophic health cost.
With all that said individuals would go to a provider the provider would be transparent with their cost. Can shop around for places for care. There be no taxes on any health care services.
Would that work in the US?
You do realize that there use to be a time (the majority of our history) that health insurance did not exist, right?
We survived as a nation, and would still do so.
You do realize that there use to be a time (the majority of our history) that health insurance did not exist, right?
We survived as a nation, and would still do so.
Exactly.
Doctors even used to make house calls.
Including getting on their horses and riding seven miles at night through a storm to deliver a baby.
You're not addressing the rising costs of healthcare.
We need more physicians. I'm talking hundreds of thousands more providers. We need primary care doctors and family practice doctors. We need residency positions in teaching hospitals.
We need healthcare not health insurance. I prefer universal health care. Eliminate myriad of paperwork, phone calls and wasted time seeking "authorization". If a physician wants you to have a test done, get it. Eliminate the bean counters. They don't do anything for your health.
Veterans and retired military deserve to have their healthcare taken care of. Why should bums get full coverage and vets get "rebates"?
Do away with so called "war on drugs". Decriminalize, legalize and tax all drugs. If some people insist on killing themselves why should society intervene?
Buy medications in bulk-just like Walmart. If big Pharma balks, buy meds overseas.
Put Phil Gramm (Medicare part D) in prison for fleecing America.
Healthcare would be theoretically lower if a third party was removed. Then add in competition would strive healthcare facilities to offer low cost services. Do away with taxes on various healthcare facilities and services would lower cost as well. Hospitals would not lose money for those on State assistance for healthcare. State would pay up front 60%-75% of the cost of care up front and then the individual would pay the rest. Also doing away with patents on various medical supplies would help lower cost of care.
Pharmaceuticals wwould be less regulated, less red tape, and more funding to smaller pharmaceutical research companies. Bust up pharmaceutical monopolies and doing away with lobbyist in the Government. State controlled market on cost of generic medications.
Military members on Active Duty would receive 100% cost of care covered by the Government. Based off of how many years on active duty would receive 100% care for those many years. Veterans would be eligible for 60% off care. As well Reserve and Guard would receive 30% Cost of care covered by the Government.
Marijuana would be legalized and various drugs decriminalized. Federal excess tax on marijuanna, alcohol, and cigarettes. With the exemption of Native American Reservations being taxed. The excess tax would pay for universal mental healthcare. Cover care at psych doctor offices for individuals, medication would be discounted at 75%, universal care at non profit psych inpatient/outpatient facilities, and create safe zones for individuals to use.
I forgot to mention again Cancer services would also be 75% paid by the Government.
In health care, one doesn't know when you'll need care, but if you do, the care can be extremely expensive. The big costs in health care are things like triple-bypass surgery, not doctors visits. That tells you that it has to be paid for by some sort of insurance because most people don't have the money for out-of-pocket heart surgery. It also tells you that health care can't be shopped for the best price, like bread. Consumer choice is nonsense when it comes to health care, which most of us realize is complicated -- consumers when in an ambulance can't go and do comparison shopping. ("I hear there is a sale on stents at St. Joseph's.")
One can contrive all kinds of ideas but the reality is that in health care, people need some type of insurance -- either private or government operated insurance. like Medicare.
The ACA was created out of recognition that many citizens can't afford insurance and/or were locked out of buying insurance due to preexisting conditions. The ACA's objective was to guarantee that insurance is available to people with preexisting conditions. But if it stopped there, insurance companies would just charge those with preexisting conditions much much more. So, it established community rating, requiring that insurance companies make the same policies available to everyone at the same cost. But if you stop there, healthy people will opt out, leaving behind a high-risk, high-cost pool. So, it required a mandate, so people buy insurance making a solid risk pool. It then taxes the wealthy to provide subsidies, so that lower-income people can afford their policies.
What the new Trumpcare proposal does is cut out the taxes for the wealthy and strips out the subsidies. That makes the cost, mostly on those who need medical care -- older Americans, much higher. As a result many of those can't afford to pay half their income for insurance and drop out. That's fine for the insurance companies because older Americans are their big cost. It isn't so fine for 24 million Americans that can't afford insurance and can't get needed treatments.
With doing away with various regulations, taxes, patents on medical supplies/equipment, making prices more & more competitive, breaking away the hold of various ari medical monopoly corporations on health care, and the emergency/catastrophic tax would alleviate some of that cost.
With doing away with various regulations, taxes, patents on medical supplies/equipment, making prices more & more competitive, breaking away the hold of various ari medical monopoly corporations on health care, and the emergency/catastrophic tax would alleviate some of that cost.
That's largely what we had before the ACA and insurance premiums increased twice the inflation rate.
"Doing away with regulations" is conservative newspeak. Those regulations are things such as requiring insurance companies to insure children under 26; not discriminate against those with preexisting conditions and not allowing insurance companies to have lifetime caps on coverage.
Sure, I am certain that your premium will be lower if the insurance company imposes a $500,000 lifetime cap. The question is: do policyholders know what's in their contract. Another question is: what happens when you reach that lifetime cap? You don't get treatment and you die.
It isn't a choice when an insurance policy requires a lawyer to interpret.
That's largely what we had before the ACA and insurance premiums increased twice the inflation rate.
"Doing away with regulations" is conservative newspeak. Those regulations are things such as requiring insurance companies to insure children under 26; not discriminate against those with preexisting conditions and not allowing insurance companies to have lifetime caps on coverage.
Sure, I am certain that your premium will be lower if the insurance company imposes a $500,000 lifetime cap. The question is: do policyholders know what's in their contract. Another question is: what happens when you reach that lifetime cap? You don't get treatment and you die.
It isn't a choice when an insurance policy requires a lawyer to interpret.
There wouldn't be health insurance though. Outside of individuals on State Assistance or Veteran's or Guard/Reserve or Retired Military Members where their care has a certain percentage covered by the Government.
The proper scenario is to have govt out of every facet of the healthcare industry. A free market in healthcare would mean much lower prices and insurance would go back to primarily covering catastrophic illnesses.
The proper scenario is to have govt out of every facet of the healthcare industry. A free market in healthcare would mean much lower prices and insurance would go back to primarily covering catastrophic illnesses.
I don't see how that's possible. Health is not a supply and demand industry. People get sick. People get sick and very possibly die without seeing a doctor. Getting medical treatment for those that are truly sick is not an option unless you just roll over and die. A free market healthcare system would allow and promote this. Do you seriously think the insurance companies, Doctors and pharmaceutical industries are going to make themselves affordable to the average person?
Anyone who believes the insurance companies, doctors and the pharmaceutical companies are going to take losing billions in profits by allowing medical prices to drop dramatic enough to allow the average person to afford seeing a doctor is not being realistic.
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