My Healthcare Proposal

[Slashsnake]

Since Hillary Clinton wouldn't have a helpful solution to fixing the "Affordable" Care Act, I was thinking about how I would change/propose a new healthcare structure for the United States. Listen:

Name: Hybrid Healthcare Act (HHA).

Small Description: The system allows for citizens to pick and choose their own healthcare insurer across state lines while allowing for a limited government healthcare system to be in place for those that choose to limit their care every year. This law would also get rid of Medicaid.

Citizens would be offered government health insurance (automatically), but limited to a certain criteria. $0 co-pay, $0 deductible, and $0 out of pocket costs for medication, and 100% coverage. This part would apply to a maximum of (3) physician's visits per year per household member, preventative tests, shots, and maternity expenses. Citizens would also receive free (2) dental cleanings a year, and (1) eye exam and frame per year. The citizens would see an increase in taxes, along with a corporate tax increase to cover this cost, but not nearly as high as complete socialist healthcare would be. Citizens would be able to pay a lump sum out of their tax refund, out of their payroll check, or both. Those that do not pay and don't have large enough tax refund get suspended from the program until they pay their dues.

Citizens who want coverage beyond the above are free to choose any health insurance provider they want, also increasing competition. Citizens who pay for their own health insurance to extend beyond the HHA minimum will receive a tax deduction credit of 2% of the total cost of private insurance during the previous calendar year.

What do you guys think?

 

[JakeStarkey]

Nope.

How about a medicare buy in for everyone not on medicare.

Everyone would be brought in ten year groups every two years.

Everyone can choose their own provider, and single payer rules.

 

[Slashsnake]

Nope.

How about a medicare buy in for everyone not on medicare.

Everyone would be brought in ten year groups every two years.

Everyone can choose their own provider, and single payer rules.

I would like to know why you disagree though.

 

[JakeStarkey]

Nope.

How about a medicare buy in for everyone not on medicare.

Everyone would be brought in ten year groups every two years.

Everyone can choose their own provider, and single payer rules.

I would like to know why you disagree though.

Because if it is private market controlled, the corporations are going to get rich again at the expense of people's health.

 

[Slashsnake]

Nope.

How about a medicare buy in for everyone not on medicare.

Everyone would be brought in ten year groups every two years.

Everyone can choose their own provider, and single payer rules.

I would like to know why you disagree though.

Because if it is private market controlled, the corporations are going to get rich again at the expense of people's health.

The idea is that most people wouldn't settle for private insurance companies but rather just the provided government benefits instead, especially millennials who don't have a lot of money and don't frequent the doctor's office. To have millennials paying $300 or more every month for crappy coverage health insurance they won't use (or receive a $700 annual tax fine) is absolutely ridiculous. That money is better used towards tuition repayment and living expenses, which is also another problem this country's millennials struggle with.

Those that abuse the medicaid system would then be forced to pay out of their taxes, not receive insurance coverage, and/or pay for private insurance without the government benefits. Chances are those who get medicaid either don't work or receive some kind of disability, so those who don't work just simply wouldn't get healthcare. Those who get disability could be exempt from this tax. These people are a burden on society and contribute to high healthcare costs. Unless it's from an auto accident (such as vehicle, where one should have car insurance that pays for medical expenses) or for pregnancy, we should refuse healthcare services to those who don't pay into this system. If you work a job, emergency coverage is free and there for you to use. If you don't want to contribute to society and just suck from those who do, then you don't deserve coverage or even treatment.

Idea for laws during the initial discussion is what makes political discussion fun, and also the ability to add on to the laws when other people point out its flaws to improve the details and rid of the loopholes is entertaining in a way, which is why they're discussed by our lawmakers.

 

[Boss]

I don't like your plan for numerous reasons. First, it's just not the government's job to provide health care insurance coverage for people. They aren't an insurance company, politicians have no idea how an insurance company operates and what you would end up with is an absolute boondoggle, paid for by the taxpayers. It also sounds like you are proposing this government insurance coverage provide a level of coverage the private sector couldn't realistically compete with, so what is the point? It's kind of like saying you're going to have the option of going on food stamps or shopping at the wholesale grocer... why would you not want to take the free food stamps?

Get rid of Medicaid? Medicaid is broke, there isn't anything left to get rid of. What you are talking about is inventing a whole new massively expensive social program to replace Medicaid and let's just sweep this pesky Medicaid mess under the rug and forget about dealing with it. And whenever your program goes tits up, I suppose we just invent a new program and sweep this mess under the rug too.. right?

In essence, you're talking about single payer nationalized health care but you want to have it somehow in competition with the private sector. That doesn't work because the government has an unlimited pocketbook. They can afford to endure year after year of loss and inefficient operation where a private enterprise can't. So pretty soon, you kill off all the private sector options and you're left with a failing inefficient government option.

Not a thing in your plan deals with cost of health care or availability. And one of the things we always see when government controls a monopoly, is unreasonable prices and limited availability. It's because there is no competition, and therefore, no incentive.

It also appears you've drawn up some rather strict limitations... three visits per year, etc. What if you have someone who has a serious illness that requires many more visits per year? What happens if you've used your three visits and something catastrophic happens? You're trying to make up a nice neat little package here where everyone gets the same thing but everyone is not the same. And then you're talking about booting people off the plan if their taxes aren't enough to cover the cost... how does that work? Who pays for their health care? You gonna just let people die in the streets or what?

Here is the thing... there is no EASY solution to our health care problems. It has become a massive leviathan with government tentacles intertwined throughout and burdened with layer upon layer of mandates and regulations which have driven costs through the roof. Not only that, but you now have half the country who believe health care is a right. Eventually, we are going to have to pare down Medicaid and Medicare to the bare minimal essentials for those who truly are in need. We probably need to get about half the people on disability off the government dole because they're not REALLY disabled. We need to implement and embrace MORE free market capitalist, private sector solutions for health care insurance coverage and get government out of their way by deregulating many aspects of health care... not ALL aspects... the alarmists have a cow with this because they envision bad drugs and nightmare scenarios... but we've got to stop it with the massive burden of regulation on business for free markets to work.

When you finally get the system in place that mitigates these problems and starts to address costs because you're re-introduced competition and free market principles, then you can turn to private sector alternatives for dealing with the individuals who fall through the cracks, who need health care but have no means of paying for it. But the thing you must remember is, health care is not free and it's never going to be cheap.

 

[Slashsnake]

I don't like your plan for numerous reasons. First, it's just not the government's job to provide health care insurance coverage for people. They aren't an insurance company, politicians have no idea how an insurance company operates and what you would end up with is an absolute boondoggle, paid for by the taxpayers. It also sounds like you are proposing this government insurance coverage provide a level of coverage the private sector couldn't realistically compete with, so what is the point? It's kind of like saying you're going to have the option of going on food stamps or shopping at the wholesale grocer... why would you not want to take the free food stamps?

Get rid of Medicaid? Medicaid is broke, there isn't anything left to get rid of. What you are talking about is inventing a whole new massively expensive social program to replace Medicaid and let's just sweep this pesky Medicaid mess under the rug and forget about dealing with it. And whenever your program goes tits up, I suppose we just invent a new program and sweep this mess under the rug too.. right?

In essence, you're talking about single payer nationalized health care but you want to have it somehow in competition with the private sector. That doesn't work because the government has an unlimited pocketbook. They can afford to endure year after year of loss and inefficient operation where a private enterprise can't. So pretty soon, you kill off all the private sector options and you're left with a failing inefficient government option.

Not a thing in your plan deals with cost of health care or availability. And one of the things we always see when government controls a monopoly, is unreasonable prices and limited availability. It's because there is no competition, and therefore, no incentive.

It also appears you've drawn up some rather strict limitations... three visits per year, etc. What if you have someone who has a serious illness that requires many more visits per year? What happens if you've used your three visits and something catastrophic happens? You're trying to make up a nice neat little package here where everyone gets the same thing but everyone is not the same. And then you're talking about booting people off the plan if their taxes aren't enough to cover the cost... how does that work? Who pays for their health care? You gonna just let people die in the streets or what?

Here is the thing... there is no EASY solution to our health care problems. It has become a massive leviathan with government tentacles intertwined throughout and burdened with layer upon layer of mandates and regulations which have driven costs through the roof. Not only that, but you now have half the country who believe health care is a right. Eventually, we are going to have to pare down Medicaid and Medicare to the bare minimal essentials for those who truly are in need. We probably need to get about half the people on disability off the government dole because they're not REALLY disabled. We need to implement and embrace MORE free market capitalist, private sector solutions for health care insurance coverage and get government out of their way by deregulating many aspects of health care... not ALL aspects... the alarmists have a cow with this because they envision bad drugs and nightmare scenarios... but we've got to stop it with the massive burden of regulation on business for free markets to work.

When you finally get the system in place that mitigates these problems and starts to address costs because you're re-introduced competition and free market principles, then you can turn to private sector alternatives for dealing with the individuals who fall through the cracks, who need health care but have no means of paying for it. But the thing you must remember is, health care is not free and it's never going to be cheap.

Have you ever been anywhere else? Other countries provide government health insurance. It is the norm for 1st world countries today... We are backwards like with everything else, and as a result, far behind in efficiency and cost. My proposal is a limited, lower cost form of government provided insurance. Our health care system will collapse because people will not be able to afford it anymore. Private insurance companies already have no idea what they're doing... Private hospitals are losing money, just look at St. Joes.

We get taxed when we get paid, and then taxed when we buy something... But hardly get anything in return it seems like. At least when you get taxed in other countries, although it's a higher percentage, you don't have nearly as much debt, if any at all for basic services like healthcare and education. America will never become healthy again if today's youth is buried in debt up to their eyeballs.

Also:

1) The government doesn't have an unlimited pocket book.
2) Private insurance companies aren't competing against the government, just other insurance companies.
3) As stated, those who need additional coverage can purchase more competitive than ever private insurance.
4) Health care should be a right, not a burden, unless you don't contribute to society.


Please spare everyone the ridiculousness of your post. You seem to be all about "ME ME ME" and that is the problem with today's America. We are worse off than ever because our society cannot come together and fix the problems we have. Everyone seems to be all out for themselves and in the end the 99% gets screwed. Work your ass off and an entire week's check gets put towards health insurance that'll cover you after you've paid $6,000 out of pocket that year. That is no way to live. If I don't go to the doctor's that year I'm paying $3,600 for minimum health insurance for ZERO services provided to me. $3, 600 right down the drain, and that is a huge waste of money. At least if it's coming out of my taxes as a lower cost alternative, I'd be more willing to go to the doctor's a few times a year to make sure everything is going O.K.

 

[Boss]

Have you ever been anywhere else? Other countries provide government health insurance.

I am so fucking sick and tired of addressing this stupid argument. Other countries are not OUR country! Their cultures and societies are completely different. They have a completely different set of expectations and standards when it comes to health care. In most cases, they don't have unlimited ability to sue doctors and hospitals and little recourse if the government decides their health care is not worth it. They statistically show better mortality rates because people have to wait until they are dead to get care... when you're dead, you don't count against the statistic. So if you manage to survive until you get cared for, your chances of living are pretty good and that helps make the overall statistics look rosy. They simply never count all the people who had to wait 3 years with stage 4 cancer to be treated because they died. Dead people don't require any health care!

1) The government doesn't have an unlimited pocket book.

But they DO when it comes to entitlements. We've currently got $20 trillion of debt to prove this! We're currently on the hook for more than $200 trillion in unfunded liabilities. Whenever we hit the "debt ceiling" Congress fails to make any cuts and they simply raise the ceiling.

2) Private insurance companies aren't competing against the government, just other insurance companies.

Your stated plan was to have a government option that provided $0 deductibles, $0 copays, $0 OOP for prescriptions and 100% coverage! A private insurer couldn't provide that at anything near a reasonable cost. So there would be no competition because there would soon be no private sector coverage.

Health care should be a right, not a burden, unless you don't contribute to society.

No... Health care is not a RIGHT... unless you are using some warped and incorrect version of a RIGHT. Look... you and I have the "right" to freely travel... agreed? That's our right as individuals... to go wherever we want to go when we want to go. That does not mean that taxpayers are obligated to pay for our plane tickets and gas! You have the right to travel but it's your obligation to pay for that. The same is true with health care... it's not my obligation to pay for your health care!

Please spare everyone the ridiculousness of your post. You seem to be all about "ME ME ME" and that is the problem with today's America. We are worse off than ever because our society cannot come together and fix the problems we have.

You're not fixing any problems! You're making our problems WORSE! That's all liberals EVER do! You want to go in there and micromanage every aspect of my life because you think you know what's better for everyone and you don't. Leave me the fuck alone and let me deal with my own problems and you deal with yours! Welfare doesn't work! It's proven that it doesn't work and you all just want to keep on trying it! Let's pour MORE money down a rat hole so that we can feel better about ourselves while making the problems worse! You make people dependent on government and remove their incentive to succeed.... that's not HELPING anyone!

 

[Slashsnake]

Traveling is a luxury. Being healthy is something people should be entitled to. It sucks when you have to live with acid reflux and a hiatal hernia and can't 1) afford to take off work because you may get replaced or can't pay your bills, and 2) can't afford the bill for it. Business and well-being should never be mixed. People shouldn't have to suffer because they're in poverty but still have the ambition to work a job to contribute to society.

Do you really think America's version of Capitalism works anymore? The world has changed. We are no longer the leader in anything other than selfishness and stupidity. We had to bail out banks in 2008 because they're poorly regulated. We're missing a lot of money in taxes because our corporations keep that money overseas. Employers show zero loyalty to employees and they don't even give a shit about their customers anymore.

Do you realize we have 50% of the world's credit card fraud with only 25% of the credit card population? That's because just like healthcare, we have the "me" attitude by consumers and corporations, so now we all have to sit here and deal with card skimming and lack of card security and a banking system that's extremely antiquated compared to what the rest of the world has. It takes me three days to transfer money for free, a luxury that others get in other countries for free and their money is almost instantly transferred to the other account.

What about vacation and holiday time? America is the only country in the world that doesn't have regulations on this.

Do you not like to have a quality life? The lifestyle sucks here... You work your ass off, never get vacation, you're unhealthy as hell because healthcare is expensive, the college education here sucks and is expensive, and there's no progress here with anything (like technology).

You may love capitalism, but the world has changed. You shouldn't make the 99% live an unhealthy lifestyle to keep the 1% happy. I could certainly understand your argument if we had the best healthcare system at an affordable cost, the best payment and banking technology, the best and most affordable education system, and people that were able to take a vacation every once in a while without losing their job.

 

[anotherlife]

If you say it is free, then why do the citizens have to individually pay for it? Also, it is easier to handle it if it is restricted to treating accidents and minor seasonal illnesses, whilst rejecting the treatment of any conditions. Other countries, including the 3rd world, run very efficient national healthcare schemes, because they restrict it to accidents and seasonal illnesses.

 

[JakeStarkey]

If you say it is free, then why do the citizens have to individually pay for it? Also, it is easier to handle it if it is restricted to treating accidents and minor seasonal illnesses, whilst rejecting the treatment of any conditions. Other countries, including the 3rd world, run very efficient national healthcare schemes, because they restrict it to accidents and seasonal illnesses.

Do you have evidence for the last sentence, which I interpret is that preventative health care comes out of the person's pocket.

 

[anotherlife]

If you say it is free, then why do the citizens have to individually pay for it? Also, it is easier to handle it if it is restricted to treating accidents and minor seasonal illnesses, whilst rejecting the treatment of any conditions. Other countries, including the 3rd world, run very efficient national healthcare schemes, because they restrict it to accidents and seasonal illnesses.

Do you have evidence for the last sentence, which I interpret is that preventative health care comes out of the person's pocket.

No not the preventative. But the one associated with preconditions. Actually they don't always come out of the persons pocket, but they are handled as the lowest priority and the slowest longest waiting queues.

 

[JakeStarkey]

If you say it is free, then why do the citizens have to individually pay for it? Also, it is easier to handle it if it is restricted to treating accidents and minor seasonal illnesses, whilst rejecting the treatment of any conditions. Other countries, including the 3rd world, run very efficient national healthcare schemes, because they restrict it to accidents and seasonal illnesses.

Do you have evidence for the last sentence, which I interpret is that preventative health care comes out of the person's pocket.

No not the preventative. But the one associated with preconditions. Actually they don't always come out of the persons pocket, but they are handled as the lowest priority and the slowest longest waiting queues.

So then there is national health care for all, and treatment is based on severity and immediacy of the situation. OK.

 

[Boss]

Traveling is a luxury. Being healthy is something people should be entitled to.

You're intentionally missing the point. You are not prohibited from traveling, you can travel wherever you like but your right to freely travel doesn't mean I am obligated to pay for it. Just because you may have a right to something, doesn't mean it must be provided to you at someone else's expense.

You can live in a fantasy but being healthy simply isn't something you are entitled to. Some people are healthy and some people aren't... some people do things to ensure they maintain good health and some people don't... some people make healthy choices and some people make unhealthy choices. Sometimes people are unhealthy because of genetics and things they can't control. Sometimes people are unhealthy because of the lifestyle choices they've made. It is not my responsibility to try and ensure everyone is healthy.

It sucks when you have to live with acid reflux and a hiatal hernia and can't 1) afford to take off work because you may get replaced or can't pay your bills, and 2) can't afford the bill for it.

It does suck but you know what? Life sucks sometimes! That's just how things go. You want to live in some kind of fantasy where life can somehow be made fair for everyone and that's not possible. The more fairness you try to enact by law the more freedom you extinguish in the process. There is a society on the planet where complete and total fairness exists for every person in terms of material things, income, housing, healthcare, etc.... It's called North Korea.

Business and well-being should never be mixed... Do you really think America's version of Capitalism works anymore? .

Business is the only way to ensure adequate and proper health care. Doctors aren't going to volunteer their services... nurses aren't going to work for free. Hospitals and medical centers can't operate as charities. And Government cannot afford to foot the total bill for the health care of 350 million people. Again, you're living in some liberal Utopian fantasy land that doesn't exist.

YES... Free market capitalism still works just as it has always worked when it's allowed to work. With regard to healthcare, you have decades of layer-upon-layer governmental regulation and mandates which have totally distorted or destroyed free market capitalist principles. I'm sorry the Marxists have brainwashed you but free market capitalism remains the most benevolent, efficient and adequate system of providing for the individual than anything man has ever created.

Do you not like to have a quality life? The lifestyle sucks here... You work your ass off, never get vacation, you're unhealthy as hell because healthcare is expensive, the college education here sucks and is expensive, and there's no progress here with anything (like technology).

If the lifestyle here sucks so bad, why do we have a massive illegal immigration problem? Why do we have millions of people turned away every year from migrating to America? People in Cuba are literally building makeshift boats to try and get here. Maybe you need to tell them how bad things suck here? Healthcare and college are expensive because of government interfering with free market capitalism. And I don't know what you mean about progress with regard to technology... we fucking lead the world in technology. And that is largely due to free market capitalism and free enterprise.

You may love capitalism, but the world has changed.

No, the world really hasn't changed. The same Marxist-Socialist morons exist today that existed 150 years ago, stomping their feet and demanding death to capitalism. Their system results in millions of dead people and economic stagnation for generations. About every 20-30 years, they trot out a new and improved version of the same thing and a bunch of uneducated morons such as yourself will buy into it and we eventually have to go to war and put them down like rabid dogs. Meanwhile, free market capitalism, free enterprise and a constitutional republic has created a system that generates more millionaires and billionaires through enabling freedom of the individual to thrive and succeed, than anything ever created by man.

 

[Sun Devil 92]

Do you not like to have a quality life? The lifestyle sucks here...

What prevents you from moving ?

 

[Manonthestreet]

Nope.

How about a medicare buy in for everyone not on medicare.

Everyone would be brought in ten year groups every two years.

Everyone can choose their own provider, and single payer rules.

Why would anyone want medicare.....DR's alrdy limiting their number of patients on it or not taking anymore.....

 

[JakeStarkey]

Nope.

How about a medicare buy in for everyone not on medicare.

Everyone would be brought in ten year groups every two years.

Everyone can choose their own provider, and single payer rules.

Why would anyone want medicare.....DR's alrdy limiting their number of patients on it or not taking anymore.....

Oh, if it is a single payer, guess what?

 

[Slashsnake]

Boss, I'm trying to figure out where America leads the world in technology.

We swipe credit cards, we don't have tap-able credit cards, we have slow internet speeds at expensive prices, wire transfers are the only way to move money from one account to another quickly and it's expensive where as in other countries it's free and a standard service provided. Sure we have Apple, but manufacturers in countries like China and Japan make better, more affordable smartphones than anything the greedy American company can make these days (Like Huawei and until recently, Samsung). Hell, when I watch football on TV, the quality is crappy because our cable providers can't do anything right... They compress the damn signal so football looks like crap on my 4K TV.

We don't lead the world in any technology. We used to, not anymore.

 

[Boss]

Boss, I'm trying to figure out where America leads the world in technology.

We swipe credit cards, we don't have tap-able credit cards, we have slow internet speeds at expensive prices, wire transfers are the only way to move money from one account to another quickly and it's expensive where as in other countries it's free and a standard service provided. Sure we have Apple, but manufacturers in countries like China and Japan make better, more affordable smartphones than anything the greedy American company can make these days (Like Huawei and until recently, Samsung). Hell, when I watch football on TV, the quality is crappy because our cable providers can't do anything right... They compress the damn signal so football looks like crap on my 4K TV.

We don't lead the world in any technology. We used to, not anymore.

I simply disagree. The vast majority of new technology today is the result of American research. It might be better mass-produced in China and Japan but that's because they can use "slave labor" and beat the socks of American labor unions.

When it comes to health care, you can say what you will about "other countries" the prospects you face with a terminal illness are much better in the US than any other country in the world.

You mention your cable provider but there again, you are talking about an industry that is highly-regulated by government and mostly controlled by crony corporatists who have purchased political influence. That's not free market capitalism... it's actually the antithesis of it. And what is happening is, the further we get away from free market principles and the more we turn things over to the government to deal with, the worse the problems become and those problems are then blamed on the capitalists who are really corporatists in collusion with the government.

 

[Slashsnake]

America seems to be a follower with many of today's new technology, not a leader. I just gave you examples: slow bank transfers, lack of NFC technology, lack of chip and pin credit cards.

The cable and wireless industry isn't regulated enough by government. I agree it is ridiculous how corporate clowns like Tim Cook try to purchase political influence. When other countries provide their citizens with much cheaper phone plans and faster internet (except Canada), we definitely have some improvements to make.

Isn't there some kind of law against bribery that needs to be taken against these corporate clowns?