Universal Health Care and Single Payer

[BeFree]

Sounds great. Lets do it.

How do we pay for it?

[PeaceNikki]

1. How are individuals and businesses paying for "insurance" now?

Seems those dollars could be redirected to ACTUALLY cover medical expenses rather than line the pockets of executives and pay for advertising and such.

[Wapsie B]

5. That's how it should be done.

Redirect the dollars going to private policies. And that redirection out of the insurance companies coffers is what upsets the insurance industry. Vast fortunes have been made with the system as it is now and any threat to that is going to face the resistance we see.

[Vinca]

Taxes. Unlikely anyone would pay nearly as much in taxes

as they do now for insurance.

[FormerDittoHead]

8. +1 - That's the problem w/the current plans - $60k guys pay the same as $500k guys...

Assuming that your life is your most precious thing, the idea that a person's healthcare should be at a flat price rather than a flat rate makes no sense.

I would propose a flat percentage with no ceiling on all income (not just wages).

The poor would get heath care.

The middle class would pay less.

Those making over $500,000 would pay the same flat rate as the middle class, so it's fair, because they're the first ones to tell you that flat taxes are fair.

Add up the numbers, calculate the costs, and divide it up by income and you have your rate.

Why do I have to solve every problem?

:-)

[Vinca]

10. Your solution works for me. Sadly, there's way too much common sense applied.

Elected Democrats would never buy it.

[hughee99]

18. The current rates are based on how much the companies think it will cost them

to provide you health care (plus their profit). If two health individuals in their 30's both have one doctors visit a year and no other health related issues (or potential risk factors) should one person pay 10x for this service simply because he makes 10 times a much money? If private companies were to start charging people based on their income, people would be pissed (and rightly so). If you want to charge people based on how much they make, this HAS to be done via the government. No one would tolerate a private company implementing such a policy.

[Captain Hilts]

11. BINGO. Single, self-employed would not have to pay more for insurance than rent.

And EVERYBODY pays in. No free riders.

[msongs]

2. think of the billions wasted on advertising - wouldn't be necessary anymore nt

[polly7]

3. Cut out the non-medical middlemen who have no interest in actual

health 'care' but rely on profits from people being sick. I know, impossible, their claws are in too deep, but really ...... it's the only way I can think of to get 300+ million into a single pool that would enable quality, available health-care.

[RedRocco]

4. Nationalize the insurance companies and hospitals

and seize their assets

[hughee99]

19. But first, mandate insurance for everyone...

make those companies go through all the trouble of getting everyone signed up before you take over their business.

Maybe we're on that road already. :)

[EOTE]

6. Single Payer doesn't cost, it pays.

The insurance companies would be the ones "paying" for it. Everyone else would benefit.

[Greyhound]

7. We already far more than needed.

We pay enough for every person in the country, and all of our visitors, to have the mythical 'Cadillac' health plan.

There is only one cause for this health care crisis and it is the very scum we are going to have enshrined as the quasi-governmental 'deciders' of our fates for the rest of our lives. Oh, and we get to guarantee their obscene profits, at our further expense and the slow death of SS & Medicare.
:grr:

[OHdem10]

9. Single Payer--each person is taxed accoring to his/her annual income

A person who earns 20K will pay less than someone who
earns 50 K. Graduated like Income Tax.

There is no such thing as Free Health Care. Some people
may have misconstrued this because you just go to Doctor
or Hospital and there is no bill. or payment you make
at the time of visit. However you taxes are paying for
it. It is like Insurance but all cost of running
a company are gone. The Government collects the money
'and pays the bill. This is why some people think it
is free. They never see or pay any bills.

[Way2go]

12. Federal sales tax?

No? How does the gov. pay for anything?

[jtrockville]

13. We already pay for it. Just cut out the middle-man and we're all set.

[BeFree]

14. We?

I have never paid a dime to health insurance. Except thru car insurance.??

[jtrockville]

27. Your car insurance would much less, without injury insurance.

If we had universal single payer, you (and everyone else) would pay far less for your car insurance.

Add that to what those who are paying for the RACKET we call health insurance, and we don't need to add anything more to provide universal single-payer.

[maryf]

15. Expanded Medicare for all...

with a medicare tax expansion, progressive for the wealthier; plus with a tax on stock transactions...Tax the rich...HR676 pretty much has written it...

[amborin]

16. $57,000 per minute on Afghanistan War ---Mother Jones n/t

[area51]

17. Cut the military budget.

We're already paying enough in taxes as is.

[invictus]

20. Expand the existing Medicare tax (part of FICA).

[Chisox08]

21. I don't know

How do we pay for endless wars in Iraq and Afghanistan?
How do we pay for bailouts for the greedy bankers and wallstreeters?
How do we pay for the mercenaries that are in Iraq and Afghanistan?

[BeFree]

23. Short Answer?

We borrow that money.

What sucks is that most people don't mind borrowing to bomb, but don't want to borrow to have health care for all.

It is a matter of priorities, I guess.

[kctim]

22. Only way is to tax it to the max

If it is to work, it will need to be taxed at least ten times the rate as Medicare is now or it too will go broke.

[BeFree]

24. maybe

What do you think about a war tax?

A health care tax is one way to pay the bills, agreed.
How about a war tax, then?

[kctim]

25. I think it is a good idea

and that it should be implemented the first day of hostilities.

[BeFree]

26. So

How much of a tax should we be paying for Afghanistan, today? Retroactive?

[kctim]

29. Its probably too late for Afghanistan

and I have no idea how the numbers work out. Waging war on credit is a terrible idea and we are going to be paying for it for a real long time, but raising taxes during this downturn would be just as bad. To be honest, I have no idea what would be best for us at this time. President Obama was left a huge mess he is going to be damned if he does and damned if he doesn't.

[BeFree]

33. So

Are you in favor of the actions in Afghanistan?

If you are, then why not be for a tax to pay for it? Waging war on credit is a terrible idea. But we are doing it on credit. So being that it is true that we are to be paying for it a long time, why not raise a tax for it?

[kctim]

34. I would prefer that we begin a phased withdrawal

and exit Afghanistan.

I did not say I was against a tax to pay for it. What I said was that it has gone for so long without us paying for it and when you combine that with the sorry state our economy is in, raising taxes right now to pay for it may hurt millions of Americans. Maybe a small tax to begin paying on it for now and then raise it as our economic conditions improve? As I said, I do not know what the answer is.

[Edweird]

28. Increase payroll deductions a tad. Luxury Item tax. Tax the bejesus outta the rich.

Cake.
The Canadians have a good thing going.

[timtom]

30. Just to get a good jump on it

let's get the hell out of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan...and Yemen. Let's quit bailing out "too-big-to-fail" corporate nabobs.

Hmm. That oughta get us started in the right direction.

[Fading Captain]

31. Tax everyone more -- Anyone who claims to be for it, must acknowledge this

I am for it. I am willing to pay higher taxes.
Businesses must pay higher taxes.
We all must pay higher taxes.

It's that simple.
We lost the Democratic Party the day Dems became ashamed to be called "tax and spend."

[lefthandedlefty]

32. Cut whatever it costs from the military

Cut them back to pre 1981 levels that should be plenty to pay for healthcare.

[johnaries]

35. Taxes, of course. Which is why it's so unpopular.

As soon as most Americans hear "increased taxes" they vote "no". Never mind they would actually save money since Medicare has a 95% MLR whereas most private companies have a 70% MLR because they have to make a Profit. Their eyes just glaze over when you try to explain it. Plus, many of them are convinced that the government just can't function as well as a private company. I had that conversation with a co-worker, recently. I pointed out fucked-up our own company was with it's own bureaucracy, but he insisted the government would be worse.

*sigh* Hence, we have to get what we can when we can. It's not Obama's fault, it's not Rahm's fault, it's not any Dem's fault. It's the fault of idiots like my co-worker.

[ljm2002]

36. Taxes. n/t