Healthcare in the US 2

[Percivale]

The last thread took off so a lot of people must want to discuss health care. It appears nobody noticed that in my last thread I said Medicare part A should be available to all. That covers hospital stays which is most of the expensive things, so the few hundred put into the health savings account each year is just to help pay for smaller things like medications and routine check ups. I don't know just what that number should be, and probably there should be some sort of a matching program to motivate people to put some more money in them selves. The point of the health savings account is to make sure everyone has some money to pay for routine care so they don't put it off and end up with a more expensive condition later. That's one thing that Obama care has not helped much, Insurance still has high deductibles which makes people reluctant to pay for small things especially when they're not sure if they're necessary.

 

[bhsmte]

Why not just stay with the other thread?

 

[Basil the Great]

Yes, if nothing else, hospital care should be free to all who cannot afford it. However, the best way to secure such if certainly up for much debate and discussion. My plan - raise the federal tax on liquor, cigarettes and gasoline. It will take more than that, but it is something anyway. If we do tax gas at a higher level, then more people will buy hybrid cars as well.

 

[Nithavela]

This thread is senseless.

 

[Percivale]

Why not just stay with the other thread?

I don't like really long threads

 

[Percivale]

Yes, if nothing else, hospital care should be free to all who cannot afford it. However, the best way to secure such if certainly up for much debate and discussion. My plan - raise the federal tax on liquor, cigarettes and gasoline. It will take more than that, but it is something anyway. If we do tax gas at a higher level, then more people will buy hybrid cars as well.

Yeah I would support a tax on all fossil fuels, and putting the income tax at the rates it had before the new tax reform and eliminating even more deductions. But I think in the long run there would be enough less spending on existing Medicaid and Medicare plans to pay for the change.

 

[Hank77]

Personally I think that if the feds will not do a universal type healthcare then they should get out of any healthcare administration including Medicaid, Medicare, CHIP.... and turn it all over to the individual states. Then the states could form their own system or could partner with other like minded states. The monies would be collected by the individual states and used by the individual states and their partners.
The feds are failing and using funding for these programs to fund other departments in the government.
I'm at about the same place when it comes to education. They waste more money than actually gets spent on the kids.
Too many middlemen for my taste, too much waste, too political.

 

[bhsmte]

Personally I think that if the feds will not do a universal type healthcare then they should get out of any healthcare administration including Medicaid, Medicare, CHIP.... and turn it all over to the individual states. Then the states could form their own system or could partner with other like minded states. The monies would be collected by the individual states and used by the individual states and their partners.
The feds are failing and using funding for these programs to fund other departments in the government.
I'm at about the same place when it comes to education. They waste more money than actually gets spent on the kids.
Too many middlemen for my taste, too much waste, too political.

The middlemen right now in healthcare, are the insurance companies. They are there for one reason, to make a profit and they help to drive pricing up.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

The last thread took off so a lot of people must want to discuss health care. It appears nobody noticed that in my last thread I said Medicare part A should be available to all. That covers hospital stays which is most of the expensive things, so the few hundred put into the health savings account each year is just to help pay for smaller things like medications and routine check ups. I don't know just what that number should be, and probably there should be some sort of a matching program to motivate people to put some more money in them selves. The point of the health savings account is to make sure everyone has some money to pay for routine care so they don't put it off and end up with a more expensive condition later. That's one thing that Obama care has not helped much, Insurance still has high deductibles which makes people reluctant to pay for small things especially when they're not sure if they're necessary.

Insurance companies will raise their deductibles and copays to match and drain the amounts in HSA's. That said I like the idea of tax deductible HSA's, but only if they can be used to pay cash for procedures that offer deep discounts for cash payments.

 

[Percivale]

Insurance companies will raise their deductibles and copays to match and drain the amounts in HSA's. That said I like the idea of tax deductible HSA's, but only if they can be used to pay cash for procedures that offer deep discounts for cash payments.

If everyone has Medicare part A and HSAs there won't be much need for insurance. I'd like to eliminate that middleman.

 

[JackRT]

The only way to eliminate the middlemen is to eliminate the middlemen. In Canada, those medical services not covered in our universal single payer medical system can be insured by the insurance companies.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

The only way to eliminate the middlemen is to eliminate the middlemen. In Canada, those medical services not covered in our universal single payer medical system can be insured by the insurance companies.

Interesting. What are some examples of these medical services?

 

[JackRT]

Interesting. What are some examples of these medical services?

Medical services not provided by Canadian Medicare include prescription drugs and dental services. This varies from province to province. For example in Ontario prescription drugs are largely covered from birth to 21 and for 65 and over.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Medical services not provided by Canadian Medicare include prescription drugs and dental services. This varies from province to province. For example in Ontario prescription drugs are largely covered from birth to 21 and for 65 and over.

Aren't drugs much cheaper there anyway? I'm surprised that dental isn't covered as that is a big expense for many families with children. I have personally spent a lot on dental care for myself and my kids as I never have had dental insurance. I'm guessing that dental expenses are certain and the costs predictable, and that the cost to the program would be prohibitive.

 

[DaisyDay]

The point of the health savings account is to make sure everyone has some money to pay for routine care so they don't put it off and end up with a more expensive condition later. That's one thing that Obama care has not helped much, Insurance still has high deductibles which makes people reluctant to pay for small things especially when they're not sure if they're necessary.

Actually, one thing Obamacare did help with is routine care as preventive care was mostly covered by insurance, including yearly check-ups and routine vaccines.