What are you personal thoughts on healthcare coverage for Americans? What role do you think the government should play in that (if any), and how can we truly make healthcare more affordable to more people without crippling the basic, capitalistic, free enterprise system that makes this the greatest country in the world?

Open it up to competition nation wide instead of a handful of choices in each state.

 

I have no problem with government helping some afford health care that can't...but I think everyone should have to pay something and have a stake in their health care expenses.

 

I know personally a few families I know that pay zero for thier Healthcare go to the ER, Urgent Care or Doctor nearly weekly it seems like. Tummy aches, rashes, diarrhea, head aches things that most of us would take something over the counter for, they run to the doctor.

Which 'market' do you start with?

 

And how 'free' is each market?

 

There is medical supplier market - doctors, hospitals, nurses, urgent treatment centers, etc.

 

There is the insurance market - basically the money changers that take your money and pay the suppliers above based on rules, policies, etc.

 

There is the employer market - companies paying insurers or providing insurance as their own overall pool.

 

Are any of these markets 'free' in the classic Adam Smith definition? Are they price sensitive? Are they elastic? Do the markets behave in a classic free market method with players entering and leaving the market as prices and profits change?

 

Do we, as consumers, shop insurance companies as we do a car or other consumer product? No. Most get their insurance from their employer and have no direct control at all. So the insurance market is not really 'free'.

 

Do we, as consumers, shop ER cost before we take a child with a broken bone to an ER? No, we go to the closest (and in may cases the only) ER available. Do we shop other medical services agressively? No, usually the company policy dictates who is 'in plan' (and much cheaper). So we go there and use those doctors.

 

I think the 'free market' as a 'simple' alternative argument is mostly hollow. That is not to say it should be ignored but the health care 'market' is not a classic Adam Smith model.

 

This is not an endorsement of totally government run, single payer, universal medicare type approach. More on how government may and maybe should be a player when there is more time.

Great post, and add in the unfettered litigation for liability in some states and that drives the willing competition out of the area, see WV for exhibit A.

I'm in the same boat as most of the politicians...........I don't really have a clue, but at least I am willing to admit it.:sssh:

The government should have only 2 jobs when it comes to health care: Try to create policies/incentives to help keep the cost of health care down...that's why we are in the mess we are in now, health care costs are increadlibly expensive and many times needlessly so; help those with health care that can't (not those that won't) help themselves.

 

I'm not sure why the original AHCA was written, or why government got involved the way it did in the first place. Multi hundreds of pages document that most everyone can't understand, spending hundreds of billions of tax payer dollars...only to see most everyone's health costs go UP, significantly for some...and coverage go down. I just don't get it. Can someone explain my the Gov is involved in this to this level in the first place?

To me it is really simple, but hard to do. Everyone should have an opportunity to have health care premiums no more than 5% of their income as claimed on their W-2. Dedutables not to exceed 3% of a person's income. We are the richest nation on Earth, the government should pick up the rest.

 

That's the premise/concept, not the details. Again, not easy, but doable in my mind.

 

We also should not make anyone get it that doesn't want it (except their children).

People should be able to provide for their healthcare as they see fit. Not a one-size fits all government mandated plan.

 

Some people would be better served with an SHA vs. traditional insurance combined with a major medical plan for big things.

 

Some people need and/or want full comprehensive coverage.

 

Some people won't want any coverage at all.

Fundamentally I feel everyone is entitled to the same level of health care. Why should your kid who has a heart condition not receive medicine because you make a middle income salary but a rich kid (speaking in general terms here) is given all of the care needed?

 

Problem is our health care is so tied with insurance. Every post in this thread is about premiums and health insurance. Not the care of health.

Fundamentally I feel everyone is entitled to the same level of health care. Why should your kid who has a heart condition not receive medicine because you make a middle income salary but a rich kid (speaking in general terms here) is given all of the care needed?

 

Problem is our health care is so tied with insurance. Every post in this thread is about premiums and health insurance. Not the care of health.

 

Agreed. People have become to accustomed to comprehensive coverage. Health care costs exploded when insurance became so entwined into the system.

To me it is really simple, but hard to do. Everyone should have an opportunity to have health care premiums no more than 5% of their income as claimed on their W-2. Dedutables not to exceed 3% of a person's income. We are the richest nation on Earth, the government should pick up the rest.

 

That's the premise/concept, not the details. Again, not easy, but doable in my mind.

 

We also should not make anyone get it that doesn't want it (except their children).

Hogwash. 20 trillion dollars of national debt. The last thing the government needs is paying for more than it already does.

Hogwash. 20 trillion dollars of national debt. The last thing the government needs is paying for more than it already does.

 

I am not debating anything. You asked my thoughts they are there.

Hogwash. 20 trillion dollars of national debt. The last thing the government needs is paying for more than it already does.

 

That's the problem I have in National Politics forums. I thought this was "what are your personal thoughts?" Those are mine. I didn't expect agreement.

 

I really thought I'd read people's thoughts, maybe get a perspective I hadn't thought about. Not challenging what I was thinking.

 

What was I thinking....I'm out.

Hogwash. 20 trillion dollars of national debt. The last thing the government needs is paying for more than it already does.

 

Let's not act like national debt matters to our leaders. We are jacking up military spending, building a wall, and doling out tax cuts.

 

My thoughts:

 

Medicaid for all. Everything else just yokes the middle class. Health insurance premiums and deductibles ain't no thang if you are making 200k plus.

 

If you make under the poverty line you get Medicaid, so who's left behind?

 

The common man. Middle class.

Let's not act like national debt matters to our leaders. We are jacking up military spending, building a wall, and doling out tax cuts.

My thoughts:

 

Medicaid for all. Everything else just yokes the middle class. Health insurance premiums and deductibles ain't no thang if you are making 200k plus.

 

If you make under the poverty line you get Medicaid, so who's left behind?

 

The common man. Middle class.

 

You got that right.