Health Insurance Debate

[LaughingCat]

[QUOTE=Ratickle;300942]

Why is it that everyone seems to think taking more away from working Americans to pay for things for those who do not work, or currently pay, fo them is a good thing. It's the number one problem in this country.

QUOTE]

I haven't read all of your posts, but will later today. i really do enjoy debating this with you and hope we will keep it going so we both reach better enlightenment.

In the meantime, your question here seems almost rhetorical. For the simple answer is by installing aconsumption tax in stead of an income tax, we remove the agrument of taking from the worker and giving to the non-worker. The non-worker would pay taxes if every item they buy has an imbedded tax associated with it.

Let's not assume any who doesn't work, but get government cheese is simply living off the fat of the gov't. They are the drug dealers, loan shark, criminal mind, black market retailers, etc that simply operate int eh parallel economy that does not tax it's workers. If we stop relying on the people who play by the rules to fund our government and start relying on anyone (legal, illegal, criminal, etc) who consumes to pay their fair share, we will have a huge increase in tax revenue. Hell, they can even reduce our property taxes significantly because of it.

The people who game the system for HI coverage would be paying when they buy gum, condoms or whatever else they buy. (Lamborghini with drug money).

So instead of fearing change, we should be looking at the opportunity. I'd rather Comrade Stoli pays a higher tax on the stuffed animal at Disney so Florida can drop the property tax millage rate.

I'll read more and offer thoughts. But if we are step back from the tree and look at the forest (or is that Forrest ) we are all talking about the same thing. Less money out of my pocket and more from the people who are getting free benefits from the government.

[Ratickle]

I have zero reasons to not switch to a consumption tax. The fairest tax in the worlds history of taxes.

I would also make some common sense laws though.

If you, as a foreign entitiy, tax our imports at X%, so do we on your imports. Period

If I, the Federal Government, require a manufacturer here to have pollution control, so will you as someone who exports to the US, have to meet the same pollution control requirements.

It's not all that difficult to not balance the worlds problems on the backs of American manufacturers. Why do you think they are all gone?

[2112]

I don't know about you guys but I could call up my doctor and see him in about 2 hours if I needed to. It cost me 20 bucks out of pocket when my son was born and my wife was in the hospital for almost 1 month out of that time with kidney stones. Honestly the health care "crisis" is a little dramatic. We have a lot of poeple in this country that would rather drive a Lexus with pimpin rims then buy insurance. Well if your priorities are that screwed up then you get what you get as far as I am concerned. We were at one of my customers places in Hartford back when I worked on store fronts and my father was with me. He looked at all the kids in the store with babies and said "I can't afford to put the stuff in my car that these guys are how can they afford to." My father is a lawer! I said "the difference is that I wanted for nothing as I grew up. If I needed a special school I got it, when I had to have a serious surgery you got me into the best doctor, out of school with out any debt. These kids will be lucky if they even get out of high school, but hey dady will have a pimping sound system in his car". We do not prioritize things well in this country simple as that.

I listened to Obama yesterday with his interview with Michael Smirkonich and what he said sounded so nice but when you get down to brass tacks IT WONT WORK!!! He uses Medicare and Mass Health as examples of how things can be better. Great example Mr. President, those systems are failing big time! I am willing to bet that most doctors would rather not have to deal with Medicare because it pays out at such a small percentage of the bill.

There are problems with the system and the only way that I see them being able to cut costs is go get all the 20-30 year olds who go with out insurance to get involved. This will help spread out the costs. Maybe some tax incentive for the 20-30 years olds to have health insurance. Make tricks like pre tax dollars for medical costs more well known. We simply can not afford another free ride for the 50% of the coutry that does not pull the wagon.

+1 Well stated. People will pay for want they want and want others to pay for what they need.

Oh and for Pullmytrigger...A COPAY is an agreement between you and your 3rd party private insurer to reduce your premium in exchange for a little out of pocket expense. Want no COPAY? You can get it but the premium might be twice as expensive as one with a copay and say a $1000 deductible.

A copay and a deductible also put some responsibility on the patient to choose wisely when making treatment decisions.

Far from perfect but much more fair than socking your neighbor with a huge tax to make it "no out of pocket expense to you".
.

[Ratickle]

a question.....
what in Gods name is a "CO Pay"????????????
you mean you pay for insurance to be covered then you still have to pay part of the bill????......wtf is that??
is it the same if you smash your car up down there?.....you pay insurance, then still get stuck with part of the bill?.......is that the way your "insurance" works?

Yes, attorneys have driven up the cost of every insurance known to a US citizen.

[MarylandMark]

I have a headache and am broke. I call 911, they give me a free ride to the ER vs paying bus fare, give me drugs and then I catch the bus home.

I saved $15-$50 co-pay, saved bus fare one way, saved walk in clinic payment of whatever that would be if I went that route vs Doctors office, saved $10 not having to buy aspirin.

So- I hate the plan on the table but there is some thing wrong when it cost us all $500 for a ER visit to save me $25 when I get a headache.

I get a headache every Saturday & Sunday morning; some times on Fridays and Mondays as well with the occasional Wednesday thrown in for good measure. Each of you send me $100 and I just saved you $400 every time I get a headache.

[Ratickle]

I have a headache and am broke. I call 911, they give me a free ride to the ER vs paying bus fare, give me drugs and then I catch the bus home.

I saved $15-$50 co-pay, saved bus fare one way, saved walk in clinic payment of whatever that would be if I went that route vs Doctors office, saved $10 not having to buy aspirin.

So- I hate the plan on the table but there is some thing wrong when it cost us all $500 for a ER visit to save me $25 when I get a headache.

I get a headache every Saturday & Sunday morning; some times on Fridays and Mondays as well with the occasional Wednesday thrown in for good measure. Each of you send me $100 and I just saved you $400 every time I get a headache.

Checks in the mail.......

[LaughingCat]

I have zero reasons to not switch to a consumption tax. The fairest tax in the worlds history of taxes.

I would also make some common sense laws though.

If you, as a foreign entitiy, tax our imports at X%, so do we on your imports. Period

If I, the Federal Government, require a manufacturer here to have pollution control, so will you as someone who exports to the US, have to meet the same pollution control requirements.

It's not all that difficult to not balance the worlds problems on the backs of American manufacturers. Why do you think they are all gone?

Bro, you and I just landed on the same page.