Why Not Single Payer

[somarco]

Under the current way individual insurance is offered, there really isn't room for more than one carrier. If national trusts are involved where people could buy insurance from the trust it is conceivable that multiple carriers could be involved.

The current system involving 50 blocks of business without aggregation for rating purposes, multiple carriers aren't feasible.

With regard to Aetna , they have been and out of the individual health business over the last 30 years or so and never demonstrated they had a handle on it, even when they were allowed to underwrite. I can't imagine Obamacare has made them any smarter.

 

[AllenChicago]

Looking at the inefficiencies of the federal government i.e. post office, ppaca, social security and medicare costs skyrocketing with little assets to cover obligations, unfunded federal pensions, why would I want them in charge of my healthcare?

Every Senior seems to be satisfied with Medicare.

But it does have financial problems looming. 2028 is the projected date that the money runs out for Part-A. Part-B is financially solvent for the long-term, according to: Medicare Is Not

 

[SamIam]

The reason I don't think it will happen #1 people on group plans especially unions are getting a tax free benefit, so not only will taxes go up benefits might decrease.

#2 I already have seen groups telling seniors this would be to their disadvantage and there would be hell to pay.

 

[Robert Barney]

This in from California:

Universal health care cost in California $400 billion a year | The Sacramento Bee

which says:

The price tag on universal health care is in, and it’s bigger than California’s budget

 

[tonyisme]

Tijuana and Mexicali look out! the wave of uninsured is coming...

 

[junkman]

This in from California:

Universal health care cost in California $400 billion a year | The Sacramento Bee

which says:

The price tag on universal health care is in, and it’s bigger than California’s budget

We already pay for healthcare now but it is not a line item in the federal budget. It is paid as a form of compensation by accepting reduced paychecks and letting the employer write the check. We pay for the uninsured with higher premiums for those who are covered. This is pretty convoluted and expensive.

Plan design has always mattered. Unfortunately, none in government are willing to understand or perhaps are simply covering their ass. People throw around words like "cost " and mean "premiums". They are not the same.

A $5,000 100% HDHP has low premiums when you have a large block of employed people. I won't bother to look but expect CA to have much richer benefits. They "could" have a HDHP and HSAs for higher incomes and HMO and public clinics for all. I doubt higher incomes go to clinics because of less hassle at personal physician but technically don't discriminate and let everyone go to clinics if they choose. 90% have claims under $5,000 and plan pays nothing in claims for them.

People don't recognize that carriers only provide insurance to be able to sell their administrative services. Insurance contracts are not cost of care but are cost of claims paid by carrier + admin.

Trumps objective is to make money for friends and family. He is willing to let anything else be destroyed. This is reflected in his proposals and confirmed by his actions including appointments.

Pinche Trump.

 

[Robert Barney]

Oh the horror, people who want to make money.

I have news for you, it's a kind of accountability.

There is NOTHING more wasteful, inefficient or expensive than a government bureaucracy dedicated to NOT making money.

 

[somarco]

It's always enlightening when people bash profits and CEO pay as the "real" culprit in (pick an industry).

Several years ago Walmart came under scrutiny in Maryland because the state was going to require businesses to provide comprehensive health insurance.

InsureBlog: Forced Coverage

InsureBlog: Wal-Mart Redux


Walmart considered closing stores and withdrawing from the state. Bad press ensued with complaints about CEO pay and how that money could be better used to improve the health insurance program.

Well, the numbers don't lie . . .

In 2004 Lee Scott (CEO of Wal-Mart) earned $17.5M in pay including bonuses, stock options and other incentives.

The top 5 executives at Wal-Mart & Sam's earned an additional $24M in compensation for a total of $41.5M spread over 6 executives.

That same year Wal-Mart employed approximately 1.2M people (USA).

If the top executives worked for nothing, the 1.2M employees could be paid an extra $35 per year.

InsureBlog: Attention Wal-Mart Shoppers

 

[junkman]

Oh the horror, people who want to make money.

I have news for you, it's a kind of accountability.

There is NOTHING more wasteful, inefficient or expensive than a government bureaucracy dedicated to NOT making money.

Out of 4 paragraphs you respond to 1 sentence taken out if context????? I have nothing againstmaking money. It is Trump's methods that are horrible. His intent is ONLY to help himself. Apparently his methods are embraced by his family.
https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/05/23/magazine/jared-kushners-other-real-estate-empire.html

Re: insurance, carriers will follow the laws and take all they can. Unregulated capitalism puts us in the days of buyer be ware.

We have some problems. People don't have access to coverage , premiums are high and increasing much faster than other segments. I talked to a person at the gym. He lived in Detroit and cut the price of diabetic meds by 80% simply by going across the boarder into Windsor. Yes, drug companies need to make money. They don't need to make all of it here.

 

[taterpeeler]

Out of 4 paragraphs you respond to 1 sentence taken out if context?????

Oh WOW!!.. .Such horror.... Sounds like your liberal media at work. Quack Quack