Health care

steveinaz

My brother (David Rose) has another article published on his views of the health care "overhaul". Earlier, he proposed a voucher system supported by a federal sales tax that I find brilliant. He's appeared on a number of radio talk shows in St. Louis, on KMOX with Mark Reardon. I'll see if I can track down some of the interviews.

Here's his latest article:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20091110/cm_csm/yrose

steveinaz

Here's the voucher plan he developed with the details:

http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0810/p09s01-coop.html

steveinaz

I've discussed the voucher-health care plan with him extensively, and was able to get him to dumb it down for me, and explain some of the details. If you have specific questions, I'm pretty confident I have enough of handle on it to answer them.

Shizelbs

What is your brother's professional history?

Shizelbs

Nevermind, its says at the end of the article.

POIDOG

steveinaz wrote: »

Here's the voucher plan he developed with the details:[/url]

Your brothers logic is so simply brillant.:D

My concern is the national sales tax, not that it wouldn't work, it's the future political "fussing" that is problematic.

A flat tax might be a good partner with this national health sales tax, along with term limits for the yahoos in Washington.

Overall, IMHO, I like the idea. It provides proper HC for all segments of society, from cradle to grave

dkg999

Good idea, but you are now enemies of the state. Nancy's people will be in touch!

Shizelbs

My concern with the voucher proposal is who is to say that the government wouldn't put restrictions and stipulations on for what and where vouchers could be used.

steveinaz

Part of the proposal would assume you could apply your voucher to whomever you choose. Keep in mind the voucher just covers catastrophic health care, the vast majority of people would opt to get additional supplemental coverage--however, rates would be far lower due to competition for your business.

The big plus is eliminating the tie of your insurance to your employer. It's a plus both for the consumer (if you don't like your insurance, FIRE them!), and the business owner. You also would NOT lose coverage between jobs (or job loss/layoff) since it's no longer tied to your employment. This also encourages health insurance companies to do the right thing and provide quality care, or you will take your money elsewhere.

The hidden benefit: Illegal aliens, through purchasing of product in the USA would be helping to fund the voucher program thru the federal sales tax, wether not they want to! They would not be eligible for a voucher, however. This would at least assist in recovering some of the monies lost to illegal alien health services rendered. Right now they pay NOTHING. Anyone who lives in a border town (ME for example) knows that Mexicans buy a ton of stuff from local Walmarts, grocery stores, clothing stores, etc.

The slam-dunk: Every single American citizen would be covered---everyone, by default.

tonyb

Personally,I could do without leaving the gov. in charge of anything to do with HC. Give them an inch and they take a mile. A national sales tax is an open door for corruption. Before you know it,some other welfare program will be added to that sales tax,then that tax will rise,then a single payer system,and so forth. The less money they have control over the better.

steveinaz

...and the existing system, with it's hidden/complex setup isn't corrupt? It's a fact that the government will have involvement to some degree--to think otherwise is naive. If you base solutions on what "could" possibly happen, you'll never find a solution, no?

The national sales tax approach ensures that everyone is covered, by default; you can't escape being enrolled in the program---even those who don't make an election for their voucher, will have an election selected for them randomly in the case where they are seriously injured/cannot respond type medical emergency. This ensures that no one goes without timely treatment.

Anyone can nitpick a solution, question is: do you have a better solution that is all at once so comprehensive in its approach?

- Every American is covered
- YOU select your insurance company
- You will never be without catastrophic coverage (YOU'RE not going to lose your home over an illness)
- Pre-existing conditions cannot disqualify you
- Lose your job, keep your coverage
- Those receiving free healthcare will now share some burden finally (tax)
- Insurance rates for supplemental plans plummet due to competition
- Tired of your insurance company screwin you around? When the policy ends, fire them.

What does all this cost us? About a 6% national sales tax. I'm not seeing a downside.

obieone

LOL. Steve, please don't take my post the wrong way, but, you don't seem to get it.
I fully support ANY idea, other than the current one's being shove down our throats, but....
Opposing views, and alternate ideas simply aren't ALLOWED!
Those in power are NOT trying to fix anything, but just grab MORE control of our lives.
Anyone with a dissenting opinion has been on 'ignore' since Jan. 20th.

steveinaz

I'm not defending Daves' proposal because he is my brother, I'm defending it because it is a brilliant idea, IMO. I also know the ins and outs of him, he wouldn't propose anything he hasn't thought through completely. I also know that he came up in a union labor family, headed by a wonderful father who happens to be a Democrat (albeit a conservative Democrat). Though Dave and I are conservatives, we haven't forgotten where we come from, and we know first hand the struggles of a blue collar life.

Shizelbs

So what does the voucher system as proposed do to curtain the abuse of the uninsured illegals using emergency facilities as their primary care?

steveinaz

They will still receive care I would imagine, but at least we would be recouping some of the money via the sales tax paid by illegals.

tonyb

steveinaz wrote: »

They will still receive care I would imagine, but at least we would be recouping some of the money via the sales tax paid by illegals.

So it's illegals under your skin? No biggie,me too. But my point being that instead of addressing the problem head on,such as illegals,HC,you are circumventing the real problem. In other words,since we won't secure our borders,won't kick the illegals out,we will tax them,and everybody else to pay for them. If you can't dirrectly fix the reasons why HC costs keep rising,tax everyone so they can all pay for eachother. If you can't afford a car,an appliance,a cell phone,or a house,the collective will be taxed so you the slacker,can have what they have. Steve,You have always seemed a man of reason,common sense....anything that raises taxes is not common sense, in my book anyway,when most of the high costs of HC can be beaten down with simple legislation. Torte reform,letting HC companies compete across state lines,owning your policy much the same way as your car insurance,letting generic drugs compete sooner than 10 years, just some idea's to start and it doessn't cost you the taxpayer a nickel. May cost some big drug company but then again,who owns the way congress votes? It has always been my contention that the more money I keep in my pocket,the better off I am. Not willing to settle on a solution that takes more money out of my pocket just so the issue of HC goes away and we move on to the next issue, that will again relieve me of more off my hard earned dollars.

I have always believed ,as a society,we need to take care of those who cannot for themselves,the elderly,handicapped,children,not those able bodied adults who chose to raise a family of 5 flipping burgers at Mickey D's or those who aren't even a citizen.

steveinaz

No, I'm not an illegal hater. I do believe we should secure our borders, and believe businesses hiring illegals should be dealt with harshly, but I don't believe anyone should go without emergency medical care. Again, right now illegal's pay NOTHING for the health care they receive; under the voucher system they are at least paying something....lets see, something vs nothing? Come on, where are your reasoning abilities?

Tony, you are talking 2 different issues. Border security, and health care. When you are attempting to solve an issue, you've got to focus on the main priority, right now that priority is health care for Americans. The money has to come from somewhere, why not setup a competitive market environment and use a sales tax as a way to fund it. Do you think this funding will fall from the sky? Your gonna pay, one way or another--a tax simply ensures that everyone pays.

Want to talk reason? Do the math. Add up what you'd pay in a national sales tax @ 6%, then the fact that you have catastrophic health coverage, then the much smaller cost of a supplemental plan since competition will be fierce if such a plan was made law. That medicare payment coming out of your check every payday---yep, but that back in your wallet, you won't be paying for that anymore. I make $61,000 a year and pay $68 a month in Medicare withholdings.

You're also missing another MAJOR detail; Medicare/Medicade would go AWAY. There will be no need for either program under a voucher system, and the fraud associated with those systems.

steveinaz

There's another element at play here as well. You have to have some sort of desire for the country as a whole to benefit. I don't need health care reform, I'm Government, I have a wonderful health care plan. I pick my provider, Uncle Sam pays 66% of my premium, I pay the rest. I get 13.5 paid sick leave days every year, and what I don't use, gets forwarded to the next year.

Why should I care about the US health care system? Because it needs to be fixed. I have families, friends, ect that don't enjoy the same benefits that I do. Now, if I want to sit around and just be all about ME, shoot that's easy. But that is not the kind of person I am. Just like I won't sit and watch an illegal die in the desert from exposure because I don't like him/her in my country; those judgement calls are not mine to make.

tonyb

" Emergency" care is a different thing. Anyone can get emergency care right now. So why should we pay more for something that allready exists? I do have a desire for the country as a whole to benefit,which ties into your other thread,teach people personal responsibility,vote people into office who are of character. Yes,you may have friends who don't enjoy the same level of HC that you do,but they also probably don't enjoy the same house,car,toys,that you do either. Should we foot the bill so everyone is on the same playing field ? If so,where does the desire to achieve go? Where does it end? I'm not saying the plan doesn't have merit,but before someone does a reach around for my wallet,lets try other options first,thats all I'm saying. Raising taxes should be a last resort,not the first.