The only way it will work is if everyone who has the means to pay for it does. Whether this is through taxes or insurance premiums is the question. Of course, the only way to keep costs down is to eliminate the insurance companies from the formula, so there I agree.
Sadly, the insurance company lobbyists got in there and messed everything up, bigtime. As it is, this new mess is a slight improvement over the mess it replaces, despite the fact it doesn't go very far to solve the underlying crisis.
Those who can least afford to pay for health insurance - the Medicaid crowd, the people who qualify for assistance of various types, will probably not have to buy anything. This includes those on Medicare who qualify for a subsidy to pay their monthly Part B premium. It's the next level up - where I'm at - that has to worry. My retirement subsidizes a percentage of my health care premium, but because I retired early, they're still taking about $300 out every month for health insurance, from the $1889 that I make, gross. My mortgage, at the moment, is $1119 a month. Do THAT math!
In theory, if everyone who could afford health insurance was buying it, my premium would drop substantially. No, my glasses aren't so rose-colored that I actually believe this will ever happen. I do qualify for a state program for the medically indigent, and I could rely on that and drop my health insurance, but there's no guarantee I could get it back, and I like the doctor on my plan. Also, I've met countless people who did rely on that state program, and were victims of the loopholes. It only covers a very short list of public hospitals. If one is taken by ambulance to a private hospital, one can get stuck with some gigantic medical bills and lose everything. Perhaps it might be worth taking that risk in 5+ years when I turn 62, if I do a reverse mortgage and I'm not risking my house in a bankruptcy. I'm uncertain of the bankruptcy law on that one.
Bottom line (my opinion) this thing shouldn't be tossed out, but there are a few things that could be done to improve it. (1) Eliminate profit from the picture. (2) Cap salaries for those who derive income from it. The CEOs of non-profit HMOs are making way too much money. (3) Up to 250% of the FPL, base premiums on a percentage of net (not gross) income. With zero premiums for those at 100% and below. So, for instance, someone like me whose entire gross income is eaten up by mortgage and utilities could slide by without paying a premium. (4) Add mental, dental, chiropractic and other non-covered stuff to the plan. (5) Cap copays at some ridiculously small amount. 25 cents would be good. (6) Guarantee access in terms of being able to get any kind of appointment within a reasonable period of time. (7) Establish a simple process for waiving copays (if any) for those seeking care who are actually ill or injured and have no money. (8) Require all caregivers and facilities to accept all patients regardless of income or financial status. (9) Guarantee reasonable payment to caregivers for services; this should be considerably more than is now guaranteed, for example, by Medicaid. (10) Establish a government malpractice insurance program to replace private malpractice insurance, and substantially lower the premiums paid while simultaneously requiring caregivers to lower their charges proportionally. (11) Simplify the billing process, reduce costs for clerical workers, and at the same time increase the penalties for caregiver fraud by making it a federal crime with a gigantic minimum sentence on conviction.
The plan as it is is not a solution to the problems we have, but neither is going back to square one.
no subject
The only way it will work is if everyone who has the means to pay for it does. Whether this is through taxes or insurance premiums is the question. Of course, the only way to keep costs down is to eliminate the insurance companies from the formula, so there I agree.
Sadly, the insurance company lobbyists got in there and messed everything up, bigtime. As it is, this new mess is a slight improvement over the mess it replaces, despite the fact it doesn't go very far to solve the underlying crisis.
Those who can least afford to pay for health insurance - the Medicaid crowd, the people who qualify for assistance of various types, will probably not have to buy anything. This includes those on Medicare who qualify for a subsidy to pay their monthly Part B premium. It's the next level up - where I'm at - that has to worry. My retirement subsidizes a percentage of my health care premium, but because I retired early, they're still taking about $300 out every month for health insurance, from the $1889 that I make, gross. My mortgage, at the moment, is $1119 a month. Do THAT math!
In theory, if everyone who could afford health insurance was buying it, my premium would drop substantially. No, my glasses aren't so rose-colored that I actually believe this will ever happen. I do qualify for a state program for the medically indigent, and I could rely on that and drop my health insurance, but there's no guarantee I could get it back, and I like the doctor on my plan. Also, I've met countless people who did rely on that state program, and were victims of the loopholes. It only covers a very short list of public hospitals. If one is taken by ambulance to a private hospital, one can get stuck with some gigantic medical bills and lose everything. Perhaps it might be worth taking that risk in 5+ years when I turn 62, if I do a reverse mortgage and I'm not risking my house in a bankruptcy. I'm uncertain of the bankruptcy law on that one.
Bottom line (my opinion) this thing shouldn't be tossed out, but there are a few things that could be done to improve it. (1) Eliminate profit from the picture. (2) Cap salaries for those who derive income from it. The CEOs of non-profit HMOs are making way too much money. (3) Up to 250% of the FPL, base premiums on a percentage of net (not gross) income. With zero premiums for those at 100% and below. So, for instance, someone like me whose entire gross income is eaten up by mortgage and utilities could slide by without paying a premium. (4) Add mental, dental, chiropractic and other non-covered stuff to the plan. (5) Cap copays at some ridiculously small amount. 25 cents would be good. (6) Guarantee access in terms of being able to get any kind of appointment within a reasonable period of time. (7) Establish a simple process for waiving copays (if any) for those seeking care who are actually ill or injured and have no money. (8) Require all caregivers and facilities to accept all patients regardless of income or financial status. (9) Guarantee reasonable payment to caregivers for services; this should be considerably more than is now guaranteed, for example, by Medicaid. (10) Establish a government malpractice insurance program to replace private malpractice insurance, and substantially lower the premiums paid while simultaneously requiring caregivers to lower their charges proportionally. (11) Simplify the billing process, reduce costs for clerical workers, and at the same time increase the penalties for caregiver fraud by making it a federal crime with a gigantic minimum sentence on conviction.
The plan as it is is not a solution to the problems we have, but neither is going back to square one.