Posted on 11/10/2016 10:09:15 AM PST by Brad from Tennessee
WITH THE OBAMACARE exchanges collapsing and millions of people being battered by ghastly increases in health insurance premiums, what’s to be done?
Forgetting that socialism doesn’t work–never mind that it’s deeply immoral–Democrats are addicted to the idea of government-dominated health care. They see ObamaCare’s terminal crisis as the perfect opportunity to realize their age-old ambition of socialized medicine, hence the current mouthing of such slogans as “a single-payer system,” “Medicare for all” and the offer to consumers of “a public option,” i.e., subsidized policies from a health insurance company run by Uncle Sam.
Republicans should be ready with proposals that will help health care ultimately become a normal market, where patients are in charge, not such third-party payers as health insurers, Medicare and Medicaid. Currently, the patient isn’t the “customer,” which is why so many thousands of them die unnecessarily from infections received at hospitals or from medical errors. The current system works to make the patient as passive as possible. A consumer revolution won’t be achieved overnight, but several ideas will help.
– Nationwide shopping for health insurance. Bust up the Balkanized, state-by-state arrangement we have today. We’re one country, after all. There’s no reason that a resident of, say, New Jersey shouldn’t be allowed to buy a policy offered in Wisconsin. Let scores of companies compete for your business instead of the handful you now have. . .
(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...
Hyperbole aside, what you are talking about is a government mandate and not an entitlement. Government doesn't reimburse the full cost of that plan; it's passed on to paying customers. And that's fine since it prevents your doomsday scenario of streets carpeted with dead people.
I am trying to create a stem that will actually work and restore a private option and a public option.
Look at the three public options we now have - Medicare, Medicaid, and the VA system. Then look how much we spend on it each year. Then add the cost of your government provided health insurance and you tell me how we as a nation will pay for that?
Ill tell you one thing— we better put up or shut up because we are going to repeal obamacare- Not fix it!!
Which is pretty much what I've been saying all along. Repeal Obamacare and be done with it. The government cannot provide a replacement that will do anything but make the situation worse or be horribly expensive.
What if competition isn't interested?
For example?
It is why healthcare elsewhere, is cheap.
In most countries healthcare is comparatively cheap because it isn't a private, for profit industry.
"If you think HC is expensive now, wait until it is free."
Every where there is 'cheap' HC you will find a people with constricted disposable income.
“Here’s a novel idea - if you want something, pay for it.”
The problem with that is that government interference has driven costs far beyond an ordinary man’s ability to pay.
“Here’s a novel idea - if you want something, pay for it.”
The problem with that is that government interference has driven costs far beyond an ordinary man’s ability to pay.
We should let them pay the premiums for at least 6-12 months just to make the bloody point about their love for Obama-who-doesnt-Care
The government is far too involved and should be out of damn near everything. Nevertheless, if they must be covered you are either advocating the totalitarian Obamacare mandate or requiring that Peter be robbed to pay Paul, which is socialism. Do you think that SS is anything other than a welfare program?
I just watched Al Franken making the same arguments for socialized medicine. I believe we are witnessing his presence at Freerepulic.
“Everyone should have a BMW.”
No, I would much rather have an automobile than a BMW.
There are a lot of people who somehow think they are conservatives who want to save or “reform” the welfare state and government schools. At some point people need to begin thinking clearly about principles and cause and effect.
Do you want healthy young people who never get sick and don’t want to buy insurance to be forced to do so? Or do you prefer others are forced to pay for it? I mean, if everyone must have coverage then you have to pick one or the other.
Pretty good article.
Been thinking today about what to do with the healthcare mess that exists in this country. Some thoughts:
1. Issue an obamacare waiver to all US citizens. Nobody has to pay a fine for not having health insurance.
2. Repeal HIPAA and the HiTech act. Easy and welcome way to demonstrate a commitment to reducing government regulations.
3. Establish a pilot program of say 1,000 employers where they will no longer be able to deduct health insurance premiums and their employees would buy health insurance directly from the insurance company. This test market would be as free of government intervention as possible. Provides a test environment for moving the entire private health insurance industry to individual policies as opposed to the current employer policies.
The idea is to return the power to the people and create a private marketplace free from government intervention. Get my government and my employer out of my health care.
It would seem to make perfect sense to get healthcare & insurance completely out of the realm of the federal gov’t. The money spent in that area is mostly a waste.
Rand Paul has the best idea I’ve heard. Health insurance analogous to whole life insurance. At age 18 or 22, people should be able to purchase 40-50 year health insurance plans.
This solves most of the problems with pre-existing conditions.
The coverage would be true catastrophic insurance, so premiums would be reasonably priced.
The difference could be paid in a number of ways, from out of pocket to supplemental insurance.
Writing these policies would be enormously complex, but that’s what actuaries and medical experts are for.
And plans could be rated by independent PRIVATE accrediting agencies to facilitate informed shopping.
After age 72 people could be covered by charity or Medicare.
I want doctors, medical institutions,pharmaceutical companies and insurers who compete for my business.
Proposed legislation:
“The Affordable Health Care Act is hereby repealed in its entirety.”
Find the Democrat sponsors of Obamacare.
Put them in prison for life.
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