Comments on: The health insurance reform stakes begin

By: Daniel Ferris

Daniel Ferris — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 04:11:07 +0000

The basic point of the original post is simple and realistic. Most people can afford to take care of their regular doctor visits without using insurance. The doctor provides the service, the patient pays for it. The original idea of insurance was supposed to cover only major expenses, like cancer, that most people couldn’t afford. We got into this mess because of tax laws that encouraged people to get “pay for everything” medical coverage through their employer, and thus separated them from paying most of their own medical fees, which encourages both the doctors and the patients to spend more. The problems that we’re facing come from too much insurance, not too little. More accurately, it comes from most people having the wrong kind of insurance.

Congress needs to decide either to tax all medical spending, or not to tax it. That way, people can, once again, decide for themselves what kind of insurance that they want to buy.

By: Mike Oliphant

Mike Oliphant — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:37:08 +0000

I sit on the board with Utah association of Health underwriters and http://www.BenefitsManager.net for health insurance reform. Several interesting changes took place with H.B. 188 passage earlier this year. The spirit of the bill allows private market place remedies. It essentially guarantees insurance providers a “no loss” or “no gain” over competing carriers in the insurance exchange portal which is http://www.UtahInsuranceExchange.info. On the surface it seems not to be attractive to participating carriers (voluntary at this point). But you have to understand the carriers goal is to cover their administration fees. That can be accomplished now. The other half of the equation is providers and their billing practices that needs to be reformed. That is on the agenda. Keep an eye on Utah because the national health care debate seems much the same ground we have already covered.

By: Gale Spencer

Gale Spencer — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 17:35:27 +0000

A less complicated cure for the health care system is needed: break up the Big Business hospital and/or Nursing Home monopolies; forbid outrageous profit mark-ups on the costs of treatments and meds to patients by hospitals and pharmaceutical firms alike. This has not been done re: oil companies and probably won’t be done; so, remember that employer contributions to group medical insurance is part of the pay package; when this becomes taxable more pay will be required by same employee and the never corrected/simplified tax laws remain.

By: C. D. Walker

C. D. Walker — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:47:31 +0000

As Rome faced mounting pressure from Barbarians and other hostile nations, the senate began raising taxes and applying taxes on anything and everything trying to keep enough money in the treasury to pay its Legions. Of course if they (Roman senators) quit being so Corrupt and stopped funneling money to their secret accounts, they wouldn’t have been in the problem they faced. But once you get your hand in the Cookie Jar, the greedy nature of those Senators would not let them stop stealing.

Look at the Expense Row over in England. How many American Senators use earmarks and other methods (Like Murtha) to funnel money to their friends, thus themselves. Instead of these Businessticians (Businessman Politicians) cutting their pay (Which a good leader would do, because money is not the most important thing in running a country) they continually keep adding TAXES onto the People they are “Sworn” to protect and represent to the best of their ability.

We, the American Public, already pay for healthcare, its called Medicare. It is just “Health Insurers” who have influenced Businessticians into making this into a “Money Making” Business for these “Insurers”. Why else do we as Americans pay the most for Health Care, and yet we are below 40th on the list of nations with the best Health Services? Follow the money people.

I propose to roll Medicare and Medicaid together, then split the combined pool into 50 funds, one for each state. Every Casino in every State is already attached to the States Tax system, we simply direct the taxes(increase them of course - the money lost in Casinos is already Americans Money, I simply wish to use our vice to pay for health care instead of letting a small group of Mafia types makes billions)

The money to pay for this is out there, its just a small group of rich powerful people who don’t want to give up their Profits, even though it will benefit ALL of America. To me, if you are running a country of 300 million diverse people, you need to advance what will help the majority of the people you “Swore to Defend and protect”. What does it say about our current leadership when they favor a small part of society over all else?

This system that is created to benefit the “Rich” isn’t it really a “Monetary Aristocracy” instead of a “Democratic Republic”?

If I was President, I would hold out two hands and count the number of my Countrymen in the separate groups.

In one hand my idea for Health care would benefit 298 million Americas since they would have more money to spend on Food, Shelter, and Energy (all over priced of course)

Maybe 2 million in the other hand, who already have enough money to feel like they are God? I don’t think they need my help, they can help themselves.

By: mike

mike — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 04:27:08 +0000

Let’s [1] expand this issue to include RETIREMENT as well as HEALTH, and [2]level the playing field just a bit, before we venture too far into this health and social security quagmire.

FIRST, let’s balance the health and retirement benefits afforded congress with those of the average worker, by extending the government’s health and retirement benefits to EVERY American. If it’s good enough for the people’s servants in congress, it ought to be appropriate as the basis for the new national health and retirement package. (And make sure we get a CBO/professional accounting of the true long-term costs, along with tough federal regs that ensure the new plan is PAY-AS-YOU-GO.)

SECOND, let’s make sure BOTH the government folks AND the domestic labor force receive EXACTLY the same tax treatment.

It seems pretty clear that addressing these two issues properly will provide an appropriate framework for discussing what we should do about health care and social security in this country.

By: Jose

Jose — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 03:56:18 +0000

The healthcare issue is turning America into something that is not “traditionally” America. I thought the boneheads in Washignton were supposed to be able to come up with ideas that did not infringe on the rights of others. Whatever “idea” Barack Obama maybe trying to pass off on the American people is a bad one. Barack Obama was supposed to be smart. Smart enough to come up with common-sense solutions to our countries growing problems. His healthcare plan is not smart and is going to turn the word “monopoly” into something neccesary and “moral”. If he wants to make a difference, why not come up with a plan that gives those who want and need insurance a break. Not one that actually gives the people something. It’s not the U.S. governments’ job to give people free healthcare insurance but they can make things easier for the people by coming up with ways to make healthcare more affordable, with better quality.

Here’s an idea, HOW ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT STOPS TAXING INSURANCE COMPANIES ALTOGETHER? Start encouraging companies to accept, on their books, people with pre-existing conditions? Barack Obama should stop using healthcare as a way to generate revenue for the government. They have enough of our money. He should stop the government from constantly making healthcare about money, money, money.