Originally Posted by
MarylandMark
Health care IMHO is broken, however the proposed "fixes" will break it more than it already is.
I'm not a fan of mandates but since those that aren't covered costs us that are covered, everyone should be mandated to have some coverage. Not a runny nose but for a helo to the ER or some thing like that, the big stuff. Like point #2, you put up the first $10K and then the insurance covers the rest or some thing along those lines. That or have a microchip implanted that you waive coverage and some thing happens to you, you're on your own/no treatment/die/whatever; just not going to cost ME money.
I keep high deductibles on every thing I have to keep the cost down. Home? I'm not making an insurance claim if my power goes out and the stuff in my freezer goes bad anyway. If my house burns down and they take 5% out of the claim for my higher deductible it's not that big of a deal, especially since I have adequate covered. Truck? $1K vs $500 deductible, savings of the $500 deductible difference in about 18 months so every day after I'm not in an accident I'm saving money. Back to adequate coverage-I run agreed value on most things so if some thing does go wrong, I'm more than covered. Same standard should be for health care, if you are higher risk for some things- say smoke and eat McDonald's every day- then you should be held accountable for a higher cost, like instead of $10K make it $50K.
Responsibility of the insured? Like a points system on a drivers license would be my vote. You smoke, minus 1. You log 500 miles a year on your treadmill, plus 1. You drink, pour me one for me as well, I mean minus 1. Get a check up twice a year, you have preventable issues and don't take of them then your points are adjusted accordingly. Fuzzy here- not sure where to draw the line on what is preventable or not but eating McDonald's and smoking 3 packs a day puts you in the negative. But if you get Lyme Disease, should points be deducted because you go hiking in the woods every day and a tick bit you? I'm not sure how to do this one, just know there should be rewards for good health habits. You don't get speeding tickets, you car insurance doesn't go up. You don't smoke, your life insurance doesn't go up.
Point 4- The dumb dumbs in DC don't realize that a lot of business are just trying to keep the doors open and the lights on. Worst recession in history and they want to worry about health care? Stupid, stupid, stupid! Shouldn't even be an issue right now. When someone is treading water, don't throw a mattress on top of them.