so what, the point is - THOSE PEOPLE HAVE COVERAGE. leave them alone, the problem with the system isn't people who have coverage, ITS PEOPLE WHO DON'T.
"so what, the point is - THOSE PEOPLE HAVE COVERAGE. leave them alone, the problem with the system isn't people who have coverage, ITS PEOPLE WHO DON'T."
Thank you, oceanview, for a breath of sanity into this discussion. You get it. Wish others had the capability to figure out what you have so succinctly put forth. Geez, and I thought this point would be SO obvious to Freepers.
I thought the problem was the out-of-control inflation in health care costs....
But isn't the real problem that our government, rather than limiting itself to those specific tasks set for it (which are hard enough that government isn't doing them adequately), has set itself to solving all of the people's problems?
If congress holds hearings, we can hear from participants in the current system how this proposal would effect plans. I doubt companies would drop their plans, they would probably cut them down to size, or at least offer plans that were cut down to size. Then the workers could decide for themselves if they want a cadillac or a ford plan, and if they want a better plan than 90% of the country, they wouldn't get tax incentives for that last few thousand.
That allows the government to provide the same tax deduction to those who choose their OWN health care plans as is currently given only to people who choose government-favored employer plans.
I've been saying for YEARS that the solution is to forbid companies to offer health care plans, or at least to tax it as ordinary income, and then provide the tax deductions to individuals, but only to a limit . That gives people the incentive to look for the most cost-effective insurance provider, gives the insurance companies a direct stake in pleasing the people who are USING the insurance (right now, employer plans primarily are focused on pleasing the company).
Sure, it's a paradigm shift, and could be painful in the short run, but in the long run we will be better off if every individual picks their own health plan the same way they pick their own car insurance and homeowners insurance, or for that matter their own cars, houses, and TVs.
When government says "We'll give you other people's tax money if you spend it the way WE want", that is government control and socialism. We'd be better with a flat tax and virtually no deductions. Let people spend money based on their own perceived value, without government skewing the valuation using my tax dollars.