Why not just make COBRA permanent? If you lose your job, you get to keep the insurance you had, as long as you are willing to pay for it, until you get new coverage through a new job or you qualify for Medicare. Seems pretty simple, and it would eliminate the thing that Americans fear most in our system: losing coverage when thy lose their job.
Moral hazard.
Incentives.
These are the things that liberals always leave out of almost every debate.
If we eliminate the “preexisting conditions” issue, on individual health plans, it is certain that many will refuse to buy coverage until they are sick, with the knowledge that they can not be turned down.
Every State has “high risk pools” or some way to deal with such people, already.
It is my experience that those who “work without a net” are often not willing to accept the consequences of refusing to buy insurance, once illness hits.
Government will only make this problem worse if we tell the public that they don't have to worry about having coverage until they “need” it.
No, I do not want mandates.
I want a free country where people can refuse insurance coverage, if they wish.
I also want a reasonable country that tells those, who refuse to buy insurance, that they must accept most of the risk, should something go wrong!
I wish we would quit using the word REFORM when talking about health care, and start using the word IMPROVE.
Reform implies we want to reshape or remake the system into something different.
Improve implies we want to keep the current system, but fix the parts that aren’t working.
Making COBRA permanent would be an improvement, not a reform.
Our health care system doesn’t need to be reformed, it has some areas that need to be improved.
Those g****ed Republicans with their racist bile, again! Such haters, they should be lined up against a wall and forced to listen to all of George Bushs’ speeches in an endless loop until they request waterboarding as “mercy torture”.
by Ted Tally
“With President Obama’s dream of a single-payer healthcare system going down in flames...”
See, that’s racist. A clear reference to the riots in the 60’s.
“....it is now time....”
that’s racist, only white people can afford watches.
“...for our elected leaders to look at the system again, with a goal of providing.....”
racist.
“...a better...”
racist, elitist scum
“..overall healthcare system for all. While those of us...”
racist BS, some oil company sent him out there
“...on the right continue .....”
also racist, they are so predictable and consistent
“....to attend town....”
racist. Black people live in villages.
“....hall meetings to let our voices be heard (and they have been) to kill....”
do I have to even say it? Never mind. I will. Racist.
“....socialized medicine, that does not discount...”
Racist. Only white people pay full price because since the 1700’s blacks have had to do with less.
“...the very fact...”
There it is again. Only racist white people use facts.
“...that some reform is necessary. However, responsible reform is what is needed, not the pie-....”
Can you honestly get more racist than that?
“....in-the-sky....”
Ever since the Tuskegee Airmen flew missions in WW2, whites have been trying to prevent blacks from flying. Racist.
“....plan sponsored by the nation’s liberal leaders.
One paragraph, one solid dozen clear racist statements. Pardon me while I boil with rage and digust.
Many people’s unemployment barely pays their health care even if they were allowed to keep it.
A subsidy to unemployment to help defray the cost would be expensive, but not near as expensive as the debacle we are viewing coming down the line.
What is needed is for the government to totally get out of the health insurance business and require the insurance companies to offer a range of plans, starting with catastrophic coverage only with endorsements that may be selected according to need and ability or desire to pay.
With competition across state lines.
Identical to our auto insurance plans.
The consumer should pay for drugs, physicals, minor stuff like trips to the doctor or emergency ward for minor injuries unless there is an endorsement for those conditions.
Your auto insurance does not pay for flat tires. Neither should your health insurance pay for fixed flats.
A reduction in payroll tax would allow the consumer to purchase this insurance.
As for those on medicare already, I have no idea how to fix that problem other than to bounce those on medicare based on their tax level. In other words, those in upper tax brackets would be bounced and forced to purchase their own.
Those below those brackets would continue to be covered until they are dead.
Covering those that would remain on medicare would be expensive because the payroll tax would end. However I suspect that the deficit would be less than what it will be under our present system.
The one remaining problem: None one has the balls to even discuss, much less implement any meaningful change. "me too, better" is the cry of the rino.