The Future of Health Insurance

[cadylou]

Its not free. You pay taxes for it. If we have to go to a single payer I wish it would be closer to the Senior Market than what we have or Socialized Medicine.

80/20 split but with an option for MA, Med Supps, PDPs etc.

I do well in the Senior Market so it would be something I would be familiar with if they ever went to that structure.

I was being facetious about it being free . . . .I'm very familiar with what single payer systems look like & most countries who have had them for years are cutting back on services despite the taxes required to maintain basic services.

I too wish it would look like Medicare only expanded, but that's really not what people like Sanders have in mind. He talks about getting rid of all insurance tied to healthcare. Even if they did that - Medicare works in part, because the government has low "allowable" rates for services. Those lower prices are provided by Healthcare providers and then they compensate for that by hiking rates for the under 65 services to maintain profit levels. I don't know how he plans to take the "profit" out of these for profit entities without basically destroying 18% of our GDP . . . .how do you make up for a loss like that both in profit, and job loss? Unless someone starts explaining the realities of it all in real numbers, I'm not feeling the Bern . . . .

 

[tonyisme]

Lets ask Bernie where he gets his surgeries and what he will do when his favorite hospital shuts down. Or is he proposing "medical tourisim " which will be the result if his dream becomes reality.
It will be tough for hospitals to stay solvent if Insurance is eliminated.

 

[somarco]

Not sure how they can convert to single payer when 18% of the US GDP is tied up in the healthcare sector . . . .Sure, it will be "free" . . . .

Think I read somewhere that a Big Mac is $15 in Sweden.

 

[jlallgier]

• Big Mac index 2016 | Statistic

$5.23

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Just like Obama did not get his Single payer and had to settle for the ACA I don't think Sanders gets his socialized medicine. Too much lobbying money from insurance companies, pharm companies, hospitals etc. It will look closer to Medicare than Socialized Medicine in my opinion.

 

[Yagents]

China called. They said no.

 

[somarco]

The Big Mac was super sized and include jumbo fries, Mexican Coke and fried apple pie.

 

[AllenChicago]

The Big Mac was super sized and include jumbo fries, Mexican Coke and fried apple pie.

Interesting Titbit: They have to import their coke from Mexico because Sweden's climate isn't suitable for growing it there.

 

[houcoogster]

I keep hearing all these comparisons to what they have in Sweden and other countries compared to the U.S.

Let me let everyone in on a little secret. The population of Sweden is 9.8 million the population of the U.S. is over 300 million. We have half the population of Sweden in just Harris County ,Texas alone!!!

 

[somarco]

And that also supports the argument against trying socialized Medicare for all in the US.

Largest country in Europe (excluding USSR) is Germany @ 81M followed by Turkey @ 78M.

France is 3rd with 66M and their Socialist system is in a shambles.

 

[houcoogster]

And that also supports the argument against trying socialized Medicare for all in the US.

Largest country in Europe (excluding USSR) is Germany @ 81M followed by Turkey @ 78M.

France is 3rd with 66M and their Socialist system is in a shambles.

If we took what we spend on defense for those countries that would help us somewhat. Those countries and many others "free ride" on OUR military budget.

Medicare could play a large role in helping keep costs down, especially the Part D program for Rx's. Why not let pharmacy benefit manager buy their drugs through the part D program?

I know it's a very complex problem. What the drug companies will say is the reason we can sell the drugs to Medicare part D so cheap is because we make our profit up on the other buyers. The same thing goes for Doc's and Medicare reimbursement rates they will say we couldn't survive charging everyone the Medicare rate.

Many problems, few solutions, some solutions are worse than the problem.