Posted on 05/13/2009 10:14:47 AM PDT by curiosity
The time for universal health insurance coverage has come. Everybody seems to know that -- except for the Republicans, all too many of whom cling to traditional denunciations of universal coverage as socialism... The Republicans could instead offer a consumer-controlled universal coverage system, like that in Switzerland, in which the people, not the government, control how much they spend on health. There are no government health insurance programs. Instead, the Swiss choose from about 85 private heath insurers... This consumer-driven, universal coverage system provides excellent health care for the sick, tops the world in consumer satisfaction, and costs 40 percent less, as a percentage of GDP, than the system in the US...The Republican choice is clear. They can whine while the Democratic Congress enacts a government-controlled system, or they can embrace a Republican approach to Universal Coverage.
(Excerpt) Read more at business.theatlantic.com ...
New tagline...
I would argue that one of the key premises of your argument, the inevitability of universal coverage, is flawed.
The Swiss system sounds a lot like the once vaunted but now more clearly seen as failed Romney-care program in Mass.
It is government funded and government controlled. The states decide who the health care providers are - take the national billion dollar scam that we call Medicare and apply that across the board - nepotism, croneyism, and corruption run wild within the existing system, how much worse would it be if they had more influence on who could and could not participate?
Enrollment in Switzerland is 99 - due to enforcement by their tax administration. So what you are saying amounts to this - you want the IRS to be the muscle to make sure people do what the govt says regarding health care.
How about Republicans embrace conservatism?
How’s that for an idea?
Yet another “What The Republicans Should Do To Save Themselves” story from the liberal media. Our enemies have our best interest at heart and only want us to succeed don’t y’know.
The population of Switzerland in 2003 was estimated by the United Nations at 7,169,000, which placed it as number 93 in population among the 193 nations of the world.
The United States has a population which is close to 30 times as large as the population of Switzerland. If there is hard evidence that a Swiss solution would work in the U.S., I'd like to see it.
In general, I would say that the belief that comprehensive solutions to incredibly complex problems scale up from small systems to large ones is both naïve and dangerous.
Pretty much sums it up.
Additionally, why should a single employed male or widower have to buy a package that includes obstetrics care as part of the compliment of services? I have to agree that a completely free market in health insurance is unattainable, but involving government further into the sector will offer little except more complaints.
Whose paying for it now? Easy. You and I and a heck of lot like us.
We the people need to speak out. NOW & LOUD!!!!
NO!!!!!!!!
My husband is the only one with insurance. We can pay a boatload a month (more than our mortgage) for insurance to cover us or pay when we need it. My youngest ripped open his hand and we had to take him to urgent care. Cost in cash $189. A few weeks later we got a bill for over $700. When I called on it, they said my balance was $0. The only thing I can think of is the $700 is how much would have been charged to an insurance company.
You are correct!!!
Chile Has a national scheme and the same sold by Private sector with More benefits... they did the same with Social security.. The returns are reported Monthly in a savings accounts with Disability Included.
Singapore has a central provident fund You can take out Funds under 40 years of age for a Downpayment on a 1st time purchase of real estate..
hong Kong has a Flat Individual and corp Income Tax of 12.5 and you do your Own purchase of Private Social security!!
The first step to any serious healthcare reform in the US is tort reform. The next step is opening up medical schools to educate more doctors. Have incentives for doctors to go into general practice. By reducing the operating costs of doctors, clinics and hospitals, and by increasing the number of doctors serving the population, overall medical expenses would go down. States could act as experiments in test programs by opting out of the Medicare system and instead having insurance companies compete to provide socialized healthcare, like Switzerland. State government agencies, the educational system and so on could all opt into the same system, while private citizens and business can do what they want, join the state or not. ...Rest assured, the fascist in charge now are going to give us an expanded Medicare type system that is regulated like VA hospitals. We would be far better off to just leave things alone.
You hit the nail right on the head. Also, the Swiss system isn’t socialized medicine, it’s what US companies are experimenting with as we speak: consumer-driven healthcare. It works because it functions on exactly the opposite principles as socialized medicine.
You call this wisdom? It's moronic. You want to set prices, you want to set insurance premiums, and you want to set profit margins. The only way to enforce those ideas is with government power. The only kind of government with that kind of control is an authoritarian government. These are the exact policies that the far Left want... and as you posit, there are hundreds of more examples for them to exert their authority and ocntrol.
"Wisdom"? Are you missing a sarcasm tag somewhere? Jeesh.
I question your 90% figure. Please cite your source.
March 18, 2008 - Fiscal Fact No. 119
U.S. States Lead the World in High Corporate Taxes
(http://www.taxfoundation.org/publications/show/22917.html)
Federal Rate Adjusted - Top State Corporate Tax Rate -
Combined Federal and State Rate (Adjusted) (a)
Switzerland - 8.50% - 14.64% - 21.32%
United States - 35% - 6.57% - 39.27%
(a) Combined rate adjusted for federal deduction of state taxes paid
Source: OECD, http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/26/56/33717459.xls
Or that our current health care system does not operate in a self-correcting free market. How are health care providers and insurers, under the current system, going to cut billions, let alone trillons of dollars when the system is overburdened with expensive regulations that do little to advance health care?
This is my issue. I have gone to a wonderful naturopath that will spend about 40 minutes with a patient. You know that she will spend that amount of time with every patient. Cash is usually about $50 per visit.
The "Spruce Goose" looked great, but it wouldn't fly worth a damn. After its maiden flight, in which it barely got off the ground, Howard Hughes had enough sense to never try to fly it again.
Are we going to allow Obama and his compliant Congressional boosters and MSM cheerleaders stampede the United States into a Spruce Goose universal healthcare system?
As soon as you show me the Enumerated Power in the United States Constitution that gives the Federal Government any jurisdiction over “health care” maybe we can have a conversation. Until then, I’ll stick with limited government and liberty.
It just might be a mistake to assume that the populations will respond identically to the same model.
You are 100% correct. If this "swiss model" catch phrase makes it into the endless left wing sound byte feedback loop then we conservatives should say: Ok you want to be just like the swiss? When do we get massive gold reserves to back the currency, bank accounts kept secret from the government, total neutrality in international affairs and the ability to keep FULLY automatic rifles at home. You really want to be just like the swiss? BRING IT!
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