How much more are you willing to pay for Health Care

[GeoFisher]

So, in another thread, I alluded to the real costs of most "basic" plans that exist on the Exchanges. As a consumer and taxpayer, how much more are you willing to pay in cold cash or in taxes to ensure coverage....

I'm a free market kind of guy, and I've already stated my thoughts on the matter. High Deductible, Catastrophic type insurance, where you pay for most stuff out of pocket with a HSA, and have coverage for when you cut your arm off. That is what I have chosen for the past decade.

AS a taxpayer, an additional 5-6 thousand in taxes would be fine with me, as that is cheaper than my current premiums and my HSA. In reality, 10 to 12 thousand a year is more in line with how much it actually costs to insure folks. Even at that, I'm still nearly better off.

What say you......

[GeoFisher]

So, in another thread, I alluded to the real costs of most "basic" plans that exist on the Exchanges. As a consumer and taxpayer, how much more are you willing to pay in cold cash or in taxes to ensure coverage....

I'm a free market kind of guy, and I've already stated my thoughts on the matter. High Deductible, Catastrophic type insurance, where you pay for most stuff out of pocket with a HSA, and have coverage for when you cut your arm off. That is what I have chosen for the past decade.

AS a taxpayer, an additional 5-6 thousand in taxes would be fine with me, as that is cheaper than my current premiums and my HSA. In reality, 10 to 12 thousand a year is more in line with how much it actually costs to insure folks. Even at that, I'm still nearly better off.

What say you......

I should say, this is kind of what Bernie proposed, but he tax proposals were too progressive, and would make folks squarely in the middle class pay way, way too much in additional taxes......and it also taxed business too much.

But again, what say you.

[dragmerc]

i'm in favor of catastrophic coverage. when will we make everybody pay for their own? there's too many freeloaders to support now. rome is just around the corner. if they're going to force us to pay, might as well make it single payer and cut out the insurance companies 10% profit. then put limits on what hospitals can charge. i'm a free market man but the politicians won't turn away the freeloaders.

[GeoFisher]

i'm in favor of catastrophic coverage. when will we make everybody pay for their own? there's too many freeloaders to support now. rome is just around the corner. if they're going to force us to pay, might as well make it single payer and cut out the insurance companies 10% profit. then put limits on what hospitals can charge. i'm a free market man but the politicians won't turn away the freeloaders.

Except not a SINGLE insurance company in America makes 10% profit............NOT ONE.

* Companies have been mandated to pay 85% of premium since ACA was enacted. Most did already.
* Companies have buildings, employees, clinics, etc, etc, etc. This costs money.
* Companies have other administrative costs........which they are continually trying to lower.
* Companies have advertising.........

After all that, they can then take profits..........

[dragmerc]

obamacare and the new revised plan are still half socialist/half capitalist. i say go one way or the other. if i have to pay for freeloaders, put everybody on medicare and deduct from wages of those working. put the freeloaders on medicaid. set price limits on hospitals/doctors.
or make it like it was but remove restrictions on where to buy coverage, etc. stop hospitals from buying up all the local real estate just so they can claim to be a non profit organization. and limit what the ceo and board of directors can pay themselves.
either way is a complicated mess. insurance companies, hospitals, and doctors want to keep making their millions and the politicians won't stop them or they lose their kickbacks. what has changed since i was a kid? i remember a doctor coming to our house when i was sick. and he couldn't have charged much because we were poor folks. maybe we need more independent, 'non libel' doctors and fewer lawyers. i'm sure malpractice insurance is ridiculous.
i would say most things will stay the same, freeloaders still get service, insurance, hospitals, doctors keep getting their millions, working people pay out the butt, and whatever doesn't get paid just adds to the deficit. hello rome. i pity our grandchildren.

[GeoFisher]

obamacare and the new revised plan are still half socialist/half capitalist. i say go one way or the other. if i have to pay for freeloaders, put everybody on medicare and deduct from wages of those working. put the freeloaders on medicaid. set price limits on hospitals/doctors.
or make it like it was but remove restrictions on where to buy coverage, etc. stop hospitals from buying up all the local real estate just so they can claim to be a non profit organization. and limit what the ceo and board of directors can pay themselves.
either way is a complicated mess. insurance companies, hospitals, and doctors want to keep making their millions and the politicians won't stop them or they lose their kickbacks. what has changed since i was a kid? i remember a doctor coming to our house when i was sick. and he couldn't have charged much because we were poor folks. maybe we need more independent, 'non libel' doctors and fewer lawyers. i'm sure malpractice insurance is ridiculous.
i would say most things will stay the same, freeloaders still get service, insurance, hospitals, doctors keep getting their millions, working people pay out the butt, and whatever doesn't get paid just adds to the deficit. hello rome. i pity our grandchildren.

One of my buddies, who is on maintenance drugs , lost his job at 60 due to downsizing. the only plan he could find and "afford", was 2300/month in premiums and 12k deduction..........nearly 40k a year. His maintenance drugs were more than that, so he opted for the plan...........but it is over half of his income.

BUT the problem isn't insurance..........the problem is the pharma drugs he takes are 30k a year.......HOLY WOW.

NO answers, but man is sure ain't gonna get any easier.

[dragmerc]

One of my buddies, who is on maintenance drugs , lost his job at 60 due to downsizing. the only plan he could find and "afford", was 2300/month in premiums and 12k deduction..........nearly 40k a year. His maintenance drugs were more than that, so he opted for the plan...........but it is over half of his income.

BUT the problem isn't insurance..........the problem is the pharma drugs he takes are 30k a year.......HOLY WOW.

NO answers, but man is sure ain't gonna get any easier.

yes, i should have included drug companies. had a friend that was drug rep. he couldn't stick his finger but was bringing home high 6 figures. have a friend who's son is anesthesiologist and he is in 7 figures. my nephew is young doctor and he's close to 7 figures. this is ridiculous. they're not worth it. does nobody have any gumption any more?
and i wish $40k was half my income...lol.

[kygorski]

needed a pancreatic enzeme, cost before insurance 1100$, out of pocket 85.00 bucks. That PET scan I mentioned before, the machine was probably less than 5 years old, the building about 6 years old. Now if I was the only one using it in a day, I could unmderstand the cost, but I waited for a week for the appointment[why]. I know that there are costs in developing new drugs, but many of these drugs are are studied and tested with grants at public universities, and are a tax write off, so in some cases we as tax payers subsidize them, do we get a break, oh yes of course, right in our rear end. I'm in that age group that says"just go away and die", and in some respects I agree with that,why spend 60,000 on an operation that would at best give me two years,half of them pain filled. theres a hellofa difference between enjoying and enduring.

[dragmerc]

i would like to know how many get free healthcare. if it's more than half the population, put everybody on medicare and deduct payment from their food stamps.

[kygorski]

snap i'm eligible for snap, i'd need to spend about 10 bucks to get 12 bucks worth. but to see someone with a fist full of them, and covered with 'tramp stamps" tatoos.pi--es me off. 90 buck atheletic shoes, 300 buck cell phone, and on food stamps.Plus free internet, drug screening and community service should be a requirement.then we have the "residents" of mr codgers neighborhood, the vollenteers, who do for nothing, what some of these free loaders should be doing. when I retired I swore I'd just sit on my a-- and gather cobwebs, not work for"something to keep me busy" BS.Nothing if done right, is an all day job.

[GeoFisher]

snap i'm eligible for snap, i'd need to spend about 10 bucks to get 12 bucks worth. but to see someone with a fist full of them, and covered with 'tramp stamps" tatoos.pi--es me off. 90 buck atheletic shoes, 300 buck cell phone, and on food stamps.Plus free internet, drug screening and community service should be a requirement.then we have the "residents" of mr codgers neighborhood, the vollenteers, who do for nothing, what some of these free loaders should be doing. when I retired I swore I'd just sit on my a-- and gather cobwebs, not work for"something to keep me busy" BS.Nothing if done right, is an all day job.

I have never had a problem with helping folks in need......but most folks on programs in America are NOT in need. Rather they need a serious, very serious reality check. Depression style reality check.

If you have a car, a cell phone, a TV........you're NOT poor.

[SLP]

I have never had a problem with helping folks in need......but most folks on programs in America are NOT in need. Rather they need a serious, very serious reality check. Depression style reality check.

If you have a car, a cell phone, a TV........you're NOT poor.

That's the result of "charitable help" having shifted from being mostly controlled by individuals, churches, and private organizations to the government. It loses the accountability that goes along with a local personal connection.

Of course there needs to be some safety nets, but beyond that the government shouldn't be in the business of large scale assistance.

Of course hard to put the genie back into the bottle at this point.