No matter what happens with Obamacare, employers will still be unable to profitably operate forever when medical costs exceed inflation. Many have already reached that point. So, again, then what? I would say trust the marketplace to come up with affordable products. We can use tort reform, Health Savings Accounts, and allowing access to out of state health insurance to level the playing field. We can offer tax breaks for individuals to purchase health insurance similar to what employers get. And we can allow the individual more freedom in the kinds of coverage they want and need. In addition, employees will have to pay more for such plans.
There are really all kinds of proposals out there on how to fix the health care system. Medicare is the real problem and the most difficult to fix. People receive three times what they contributed to the system.
“I would say trust the marketplace to come up with affordable products”
I agree with you completely here, too. The problem is that the marketplace is distorted by Medicare. Medicare drives demand for services - but then does not pay for them - providers have to make up the gap by cost-shifting.
That should be illegal. If providers cannot be profitable with medicare, they should go out of business or not accept medicare - and not be allowed to cost-shift.
So the marketplace cannot come up with affordable products when demand/cost is driven outside of the very same marketplace
“Medicare is the real problem and the most difficult to fix. People receive three times what they contributed to the system. “
Exactly. But it’s exactly this same issue that makes it such a great “value” for the voters that get it (and therefore difficult for politicians to change). If you insist people pay for the services consumed, they claim you are “trying to kill them”.
The other potential solution is to disallow charging different prices for the same service - again, providers will have to charge their cost of providing - it’s up to the consumer to work out terms of payment - whether cash, insurance, or some other method.
this again distorts the marketplace.