$400 billion, a year... that's $10,250 per man woman and child, prolly low balled at that
Posted on 06/03/2017 8:07:48 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
And you thought House Republicans dumped a mess into the hands of their Senate counterparts with the American Health Care Act. At least Congress put together some sort of fiscal plan to fund the changes in the AHCA at the federal level. In California, supermajority Democrats in the state Senate passed aSB562, a single-payer health system law, with not even any proposals to find the $400 billion a year it will cost the Golden State.
That, by the way, is almost three times the state budget that goes into effect in four weeks:
The California Senate voted Thursday to advance a longshot single-payer health care plan that would replace insurance companies with government-funded health care for everyone in the state.
The move came even as proponents acknowledged they don’t know how to pay its huge $400 billion price tag. But supporters say the measure means big savings for families.
So why move on it now? According to the rules in the state legislature, Democrats had to play Beat the Clock to keep the bill alive:
The measure would have died if it failed to clear the Senate this week. Democrats said they wanted to keep it alive as the Assembly tries to work out a massive overhaul of the state health care system.
In other words, Democrats in the upper chamber didn’t trust themselves to pass it again … or to figure out a funding plan. That leaves their colleagues in the lower chamber to craft a funding plan that comes up with at least $200 billion a year to pay for it, and that’s only if the federal government provides a waiver to use Medicare and Medicaid funds to pay the other $200 billion a year.
It also assumes that California can properly manage a single payer system. State senator Janet Nguyen isn’t optimistic based on the state’s track record so far:
“This bill idealistically assumes California can deliver on its promise to 40 million people,” said Sen. Janet Nguyen, a Fountain Valley Republican. “Yet… the state is failing to sustain the current government-funded system, Medi-Cal, that only serves 14 million people.”
That doesn’t include failures on a variety of other programs, such as the high-speed rail system that has yet to build any length of track despite being under way for almost a decade since its 2008 approval by referendum. Or, for that matter, properly funding and reforming the state’s pension system, which is bankrupting local communities. Perhaps funding these projects should take precedence over the seizure of a major part of the economy, the resources for which the state has no idea to acquire.
Just what happens in a single-payer system to provider access? Let’s let the LA Times and USC health care economist Darius Lakdawalla provide a little fantasy-to-reality contrast:
“Doctors would no longer have to deal with…hundreds of payers,” Lighty said. “You now have a single payer who will pay reliably or swiftly.”
Depending on how the program decides to reimburse for care, that could affect how much providers get paid. Lighty said the program would likely use the same rates as Medicare, which is less than what commercial insurers pay but more than Medi-Cal.
“Imagine what will happen if physician reimbursements fell by 15 to 20%, and those same reimbursements did not fall in Washington, Oregon, Arizona — [states that] are not implementing single-payer,” Lakdawalla said. “What happens to the population of doctors practicing in California?”
The question right now is even more basic. How can advocates claim that government will pay swiftly and reliably with less red tape by adopting a Medicare model — for a system that the legislature has no idea how to fund? Insanity, thy name is California.
Please tell me there is no way to bail them out $$$ without president Trump’s approval.
They are going to foist that part off on the Assembly. How to go broke in one easy lesson.
Real headlines have sounded like they’be been ripped off from
The Onion for years now. But this one takes the cake!
California is going through menopause.
We can expect some days that won’t go too well.
We can expect some moodiness.
We can expect some emotional outbursts and anger.
What we shouldn’t expect is a return to rationality, sweetness, and love for political partners.
Worst case scenario, this may wind up with a sex change for the capital.
Hunker down folks. This will get worse before it..., well, does it get better from here?
Stay tuned.
It’s only $27,000 PER CALIFORNIA TAXPAYER, no problem!
Hollywood can pay for it.
$400 billion, a year... that's $10,250 per man woman and child, prolly low balled at that
what they need to do is tax the working middle class White folk that are left.
Wrong on this one your Nullness. May the Void be with you.
ROTFL! “Free” healthcare for everybody!!! Woo Hoo!!!
I think it was Dilbert that featured the "Underpants Gnomes" and their brilliant plan to reap millions of dollars through a simple 3-step plan:
1) Steal underpants
2) [details of step 2 will be worked out later]
3) Reap millions of dollars.
I am glad you used the word “Taxpayer”. That makes me so happy./S
Did not see your addendum most honorable Nullness. You are correct. The Void is with you.
Compare Cali single payer with: The Doctor Is In. Co-Pay? $40,000.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/03/business/economy/high-end-medical-care.html?_r=0
A physician not working up scale, cannot afford to stay.
If you like your doctor, you can move elsewhere with him.
Taxes Taxes Taxes.
As long as people have breath in their lungs, CA will continue to raise taxes.
Venezuela on the West Coast.
Don’t just tell me I’m wrong, educate me as to what is right. $26,000?
Moonbeam and his merry gang of Liberal scumbags will pay for it out of their own pockets, ya think? Like they hijacked the money that was meant to fix the Oroville Dam. Follow the corruption.
Doesn't sound like that's what they have in mind.
...if the federal government provides a waiver to use Medicare and Medicaid funds to pay the other $200 billion a year.
They intend to tap Uncle Sugar, which is you and me. Now how would that work? There would be one state in the nation where Medicare/Medicaid covers every medical expense, while the other 49 states have different rules?
Imagine the possibilities - what if they decided they didn't want to work so long, and passed a law so they could draw Social Security benefits at 50? Why not, it worked so well in Greece...
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