Frist Proposes Health Insurance Reform

The Washington Post ^ | July 13, 2004 | Ceci Connolly

[neverdem]

Senator Supports Forcing Wealthier Uninsured to Buy High-Deductible Policies

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), in a wide-ranging health policy speech yesterday, said he wants to use the federal tax code to force wealthy uninsured Americans to enroll in high-deductible "catastrophic" plans that would cover the most severe illnesses or injuries.

Noting that close to one-third of the 44 million uninsured people in this country live in households with incomes above $50,000, Frist said it is unfair to expect taxpayers to pick up the tab for their care when an unexpected, expensive problem arises.

"I believe higher-income Americans today do have a societal and personal responsibility to cover in some way themselves and their children," he said in a luncheon address at the National Press Club. High-deductible insurance plans generally cost less than comprehensive insurance and do not kick in until after a person has spent $5,000 or $10,000 out of pocket on medical care.

Frist offered few specifics, acknowledging in an interview afterward that he was being intentionally vague about a notion that could be easily interpreted as a government mandate. He and aides hinted that one way to accomplish his goal would be to reduce the current $2,500 personal income tax exemption for upper-income people who did not submit proof they had at least catastrophic insurance.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Get the government out of health care, Frist - problem solved.

[neverdem]

PING on health insurance for a change

[c-b 1]

Force people to buy health care insurance.

The insanity never stops with these people.

[what's up]

So now people with incomes over $50,000 are going to be forced to buy health insurance?

Great.(/sarcasm)

[Torie]

The personal exemption is phased out for higher income tax payers anyway. I just checked my tax return. The personal exemption equalled a big fat zero. Back to the drawing board. I am not sure how huge a fiscal problem this is, and Frist doesn't say, ie those with higher incomes, without insurance, who crash and burn, and after their assets are exhausted, have the government pick up the tab.

[xzins]

IMO, the problem with medical costs IS medical insurance.

If auto homeowners had to have insurance that took care of everything that went bad with their house, then costs would skyrocket.

Concrete companies, lumber yards, cabinet makers would all increase their prices because they would KNOW that when Mrs. Jones' house had a problem, then it would be Mrs. Jones + thousands of others putting money in a pot that they could charge against.

If it were just Mrs. Jones and her small pot of money, then services offered would match Mrs. Jones' ability to pay.

Let Mrs. Jones only cover her house for catastrophes.

Anything short of that comes out of her own pocket.

It'll go serious distance in holding down the increase in costs.

[GVnana]

I used to date this lawyer who was pretty well-heeled. When I found out he had no health insurance I asked him how he expected to handle any hospitalizations or illness late in life. His answer: "Let the government pay for it."

Needless to say I don't date him anymore.

[GVnana]

Get the government out of health care, Frist - problem solved.

Bump.

[secretagent]

Get the government out of health care, Frist - problem solved.

Yes.

[GeronL]

GOP Senate leader backs GOVERNMENT COERCION!!!

STOP FRIST!!!

The GOP wants government healthcare too. Just remember that.

[GeronL]

Frist wants government healthcare. Thats the road he's headed down.

[MarkL]

$50,000 is now "high income?"

The "rich" keep getting poorer!

Mark

[Spirited]

Income of $50,000 makes one "wealthier" in the view of Republicans and therefore fair game to be plucked for whatever favorite thing they want to fund.

I guess we had better buy stock in insurance companies.

[PersonalLiberties]

That is what I was thinking "wealthy?" Add two children to the mix and I would hardly classify it as wealthy (isn't that what demoncrats do?)

[PersonalLiberties]

Also I'm sure the fact that Frist is a doctor has nothing to do with this ;-)

[steve-b]

With Republicans like this, who needs Democrats?

[GeronL]

we need to get his email address an start writing this letter:

Dear Senator Frist
Get out of my wallet
Get out of my life
Leave me alone
and go to Hell!!

Yours,

[DennisR]

You are SO right. If we all had to write out a check each time we went to the Dr's office, we would be so much more responsible in what we do. As it is, a Dr can raise his/her rate by 50%, and what does it cost me? Very, very little. I would almost guarantee that medical costs began spiraling out of control when LBJ created just one more, stupid, utopian entitlement: Medicare.