Replies

Who can’t afford $100 to $200 per month? THAT’S what should have been the national plan from day one.

It's not the $100 to $200 a month, it's the $10,000 for the HSA. And if you have a medical emergency in year 1 that drains your HSA then where do you come up with the $10,000 for year 2?

You can buy your policy anywhere- across state lines. Watch costs come down dramatically.

Fantasy. Five or six states allow purchase of insurance across state lines and it's been a complete failure in each case.

You can buy your prescriptions anywhere- across country lines. Buy your prescriptions in Mexico, Canada, or Switzerland- wherever it’s cheapest. Watch costs come down dramatically.

Took four proposals for one to make sense.

#5) Mandate that doctors and hospitals post prices for every procedure online- so you can pick your doctor based on affordability. Watch costs come down dramatically.

Cost comparisons for hospitals are already available online. If people aren't making use of it now then why should we expect it to change?

Tort reform- limit the lawsuit rewards. Patients have a right to sue, but not win the lottery. Watch costs come dramatically down.

Tort reform capping awards has been enacted in about half the states in the country. And in none of them has there been any impact on health care insurance premiums. Malpractice insurance, yes. But not health care.

Everyone who gets free government-run healthcare must work. Just as many states have put a work requirement on welfare or food stamps. Guess what happened? The rolls dropped by 50%, thereby saving taxpayers billions of dollars.

Including children, elderly, the disabled?

Regarding the “cross state lines” thing: I live on the border of three states: MA, CT, and NY. It would be wonderful to be able to drive half an hour and be able to chose between three decent hospitals. As it stands now, I am bound to a health system that is OK, but it is not as robust as it could be.

The real trick to fixing health care: Tax it. Get the government out of it, and tax it like income.

When you realize how much your employer is paying...you will rebel. MOST people get insurance through their employer. Tax that stuff and the world will change.

The market works. When you allow it to work.

#5) Mandate that doctors and hospitals post prices for every procedure online- so you can pick your doctor based on affordability. Watch costs come down dramatically. Cost comparisons for hospitals are already available online. If people aren't making use of it now then why should we expect it to change? Almost all medical costs payed by insurance companies are based on in-network and out-of-network rates. These rates are negotiated rates and are not advertised. The hospital may list the cost of a room at $400 per day and charge the insurance company $120 per day. My wife's open heart surgery has a list price of $500,000. The total cost charged through the insurance company was less than $100,000.

The proposal would basically eliminate negotiated rates and the true cost would be the displayed price.