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Was chatting with my father (lives in MA) and he was frustrated doing his and my sister's taxes because he had to go out and find the special forms now required by the MA DOR to prove they all had health insurance. Huh? Well, yup, it's now mandatory that everyone have insurance or pay a fine -- this year it's $219, next year it'll be $1,000, and after that who knows.
Coincidently, CNN is running a segment on "Broken America" this morning that is highlighting the healthcare crisis, and lo and behold, up comes a report on Massachusetts's new law (enacted in 2006 and in place last year).
What I gather is that if one makes $30,000 or less there are subsidies to help buy the insurance. If a business employs 20 or more, it has to provide healthcare insurance.
One person interviewed was a self-employed musician who now, to remain a law-abiding citizen, has to shell out $700 per month with no subsidies because he makes more than the $30,000 - but not much more. He doesn't want to go without health insurance but he's not eligible for Medicare, Medicaid, Mass Health, and as you can see, buying insurance on his own is unaffordable.
The Massachusetts law is being toted as another "shot heard round the world" and the reporters said many, many other states are looking at the MA model to embrace one of their own.
Obviously there is a crisis in the healthcare system, but is Massachusetts's mandatory insurance law the right solution? Your thoughts?
If the rest of the USA was covered, the musicians cost would go down.
I support universal insurance. I can't afford insurance now. When I had it, it was $700 a month for me alone (and I'm under 50 with high blood pressure that I have had for over 25 years and it's stable!)
The way it stands now, I can go to the county for care. That costs taxpayers a fortune since they bill like $600 just to make an appointment even if you don't see a doctor. They also bill for every single step of the process so it isn't cost effective at all. The other weird thing is that they will only see you for one specific thing. In other words, if you are having a heart attack and you have an infected cut on your finger -- they will only take care of one or the other. It's really quite nutty and very expensive.
I don't believe the public knows this is how medical care is handled for those who don't have insurance.
If the rest of the USA was covered, the musicians cost would go down.
I support universal insurance. I can't afford insurance now. When I had it, it was $700 a month for me alone (and I'm under 50 with high blood pressure that I have had for over 25 years and it's stable!)
The way it stands now, I can go to the county for care. That costs taxpayers a fortune since they bill like $600 just to make an appointment even if you don't see a doctor. They also bill for every single step of the process so it isn't cost effective at all. The other weird thing is that they will only see you for one specific thing. In other words, if you are having a heart attack and you have an infected cut on your finger -- they will only take care of one or the other. It's really quite nutty and very expensive.
I don't believe the public knows this is how medical care is handled for those who don't have insurance.
Hi UB
700 is nuts. I live in Italy and am covered under their system.
The problem in the US is that the individuals like you and I actually have to pay the premium. Most people who are covered by their employer or receive govt assistance never see a bill.
Like Housing and Education, costs in medical care have skyrocketed because ridiculously easy financing (free in the cases of employer or govt payer), scare tactic marketing and a majority of the public who has no interest seeing costs go down.
Let's face it, homeowners love the idea that their houses are ridiculously priced. Patients who do not pay health premiums, brag about how much a procedure would have cost had they had to pay for it. Students are proud of their 100k educations and use it to justify doing some pretty lousy things to make society pay them back.
Was chatting with my father (lives in MA) and he was frustrated doing his and my sister's taxes because he had to go out and find the special forms now required by the MA DOR to prove they all had health insurance. Huh? Well, yup, it's now mandatory that everyone have insurance or pay a fine -- this year it's $219, next year it'll be $1,000, and after that who knows.
Coincidently, CNN is running a segment on "Broken America" this morning that is highlighting the healthcare crisis, and lo and behold, up comes a report on Massachusetts's new law (enacted in 2006 and in place last year).
What I gather is that if one makes $30,000 or less there are subsidies to help buy the insurance. If a business employs 20 or more, it has to provide healthcare insurance.
One person interviewed was a self-employed musician who now, to remain a law-abiding citizen, has to shell out $700 per month with no subsidies because he makes more than the $30,000 - but not much more. He doesn't want to go without health insurance but he's not eligible for Medicare, Medicaid, Mass Health, and as you can see, buying insurance on his own is unaffordable.
The Massachusetts law is being toted as another "shot heard round the world" and the reporters said many, many other states are looking at the MA model to embrace one of their own.
Obviously there is a crisis in the healthcare system, but is Massachusetts's mandatory insurance law the right solution? Your thoughts?
Affordability AND mandatory need to go hand in hand..until health insurance is affordable for ALL.. then it shouldn't be mandatory!!!
I pay $800/month to cover me and my son and that's becasue I have a "small business" . I dont' have coverage for my husband because thefamily plan puts the bill over $1000!
This is why I'm all for UHI... similar to Britians plan, which we just had another thread about that was closed because it reached the end of it's life.. this will probably turn into that again..
Hillary's plan is a step in the right direction.. Great health insurance shouldn't only be available to the wealthy!
The CNN healthcare report this morning said that France has the best healthcare system in the world. It said that someone who goes for treatment for anything from a cut finger to a heart transplant pays nothing for the procedures, that healthcare is funded by taxes. This kind of universal healthcare may indeed be the way to go, but some questions I had weren't answered: does it take forever to have a procedure done (like I hear it is in Canada)? what exactly are the amounts that individuals pay in taxes to support universal healthcare--are they graduated based on income or are they a flat amount per person? (A quick google didn't give me the answers either darn it.)
If indeed the French model is ideal, wouldn't it make sense to clone it here in the USA?
This is a BAD place for you to find some REAL answers
Quote:
Originally Posted by mawipafl
The CNN healthcare report this morning said that France has the best healthcare system in the world. It said that someone who goes for treatment for anything from a cut finger to a heart transplant pays nothing for the procedures, that healthcare is funded by taxes. This kind of universal healthcare may indeed be the way to go, but some questions I had weren't answered: does it take forever to have a procedure done (like I hear it is in Canada)? what exactly are the amounts that individuals pay in taxes to support universal healthcare--are they graduated based on income or are they a flat amount per person? (A quick google didn't give me the answers either darn it.)
If indeed the French model is ideal, wouldn't it make sense to clone it here in the USA?
Bob the Builder -- how does it work in Italy?
This forum is such a BAD place to ask such questiosn..
I had a thread that was started by a BRIT called Fear of Universal Health Care.. you'll find it a few pages back I'm sure.. It was a good thread about the UK plan.. which is also very good (I don't know the details of the French Plan). It's been in operation their since 1946. It has met with some challenges as Britian has an illegal immigration problem lately as a result of their strengthening and well performing economy... which is putting a strain on the system.. so we would need to take care of our illegal problem here so as not to put as tight a strain..however we have a population 10x's larger than Britians.. etc.
Problem is.. many American's are Ill informed about UHI. .. FIRST you have a lot of paranoid people who are "ooh it's socialist and the government's going to control my life".. which is FEAR NOT FACT.
Also.. American insurance companies spend ALOT of time, money and energy trying to defeat any thought of UHI.. because even though they could co-exist together,their business would be scaled down so much they are fearful of it. As a result they have put the propoganda in everyones head that the wait times are long .. blah blah blah.. That's just not true. Back in the 60's I believe, they actually had a record with Ronald Reagan's voice full of propoganda against any UHI..then it was even easier to put the fear of "socialism" or even "communism" into people's heads.
A good film to watch is Michael Moores Sicko.. it really will **** you off at how horribly our healthcare industry, particular insurance companies, behave to make their bottom lines bigger!
I believe the British system taxes a flat percentage based on income to all. but not sure of the details.. so while they all pay into the system .. some more than others based on income.. it's not disspoportianate..
For example.. in our system of buying health insurance ifa person making $200K is self employed theyll pay $9,000 for a premium and it will be approx 4% of their income.. someone making around the $50K mark will be paying 3x's that or 16% of their income .. same price for the plan but so dispproportionate to their income!!!
I'm sure we're going to star the whole debate we already had on another thread all over again here.. but I'm not going to get bated in.. I made all my EXCELLENT points in the other thread..but I did want to share that with you!
Although this is close to semantics, what I believe the politicians' discussions are missing is the difference between affordable healthcare and affordable healthcare insurance.
I'm not so selfish to feel that my premium payment shouldn't be "subsidizing" the healthcare of those who are very sick and whose treatments run into the thousands. But I strongly believe our current insurance system is broken beyond repair, so any talk about universal insurance makes me want to run away with my hands over my ears.
Here's one example: Dentist Jones charges $100 for an xray. Dentist Toothaker charges $75. Both dentists honor two completely different insurance circles: Acme Insurance and XYZ Insurance. Acme and XYZ tell both dentists that they will only pay $50 for that procedure. Patient Smith can choose either dentist. Regardless, he will be balance-billed for the difference if he has Acme, but won't be balance-billed if he has XYZ - in the latter case Dentists Jones and Toothaker have the agreement to eat the difference. Names changed to protect the innocent, but this is a real-life experience.
This kind of complication needs to be removed. If with XYZ Insurance Dentist Jones has to eat $50, then it's obvious he has to charge a higher price on something else to cover the loss. Same with Dentist Toothaker except his "meal" is only $25. Therefore, allow dentists, doctors, whomever to base the cost of their procedures on the marketplace and remove the idiotic insurance rules that they have to consider first.
It's my opinion that step one to affordable healthcare is to remove the insurance rules from the mix. Step two is to create a universal "pool" that's sustainable over the long term (so that down the road there are no concerns like we're now seeing with Social Security). Should funding come from a new tax on something? a flat head tax? budget cuts from existing federal programs and slide the funds to a new line item for universal healthcare? established co-pays or graduated co-pays based on income? Honestly, I have no idea - I'm not that smart.
The CNN healthcare report this morning said that France has the best healthcare system in the world. It said that someone who goes for treatment for anything from a cut finger to a heart transplant pays nothing for the procedures, that healthcare is funded by taxes. This kind of universal healthcare may indeed be the way to go, but some questions I had weren't answered: does it take forever to have a procedure done (like I hear it is in Canada)? what exactly are the amounts that individuals pay in taxes to support universal healthcare--are they graduated based on income or are they a flat amount per person? (A quick google didn't give me the answers either darn it.)
If indeed the French model is ideal, wouldn't it make sense to clone it here in the USA?
Bob the Builder -- how does it work in Italy?
We pay 9 bucks a gallon for fuel and about 20 in VAT on everything. In addition we are required to pay about 600 bucks a year.
Tests, we pay for. Drugs we pay for.
If you are pregnant, do not count on an epidural being available.
If you have some extra tricky surgery that is needed like micro surgery to reattach your fingers. Think amputation.
Sorry that I turned my Massachusetts question into a revisit of the previously well-discussed topic of universal healthcare. I guess it was because it really got my goat that Massachusetts folks have been forced to buy into a system that I feel is busted.
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This is a BAD place for you to find some REAL answers
oops - unintended stray from original subject
