On Fox News, Charles Krauthammer predicts America will have single-payer health care within 7 years

[mirraflake]

Most people have health care through their employers. You're in the minority. Not that I disagree that what we have now sucks.

True but unless you are a gov't employee or union most employers no longer cover the full premium and most now do not cover the dependents.

As I said I don't have the solution as it is very complex.I do know the republican bill will not make premiums go down.

2 things are killing hc cost today.

1.Smokers and fat people are nearly all the cost. When I first started in this business back in the 80's if I called on a group of 10 employees you had one diabetic and the other 9  healthy. Now it's 8 diabetics and 2  healthy people. No Joke.
2. Doctors and hospitals need to publish their charges so people can shop.

@Weird Tolkienish Figure

[Right_in_Virginia]

She had to take out a loan to pay for a new piece of equipment because the health insurance cost is killing her cash flow.  When she first started the health insurance program 20 years ago, aaprox same amount of employees it was $2100 per  month. 

Part of the increased cost in health insurance today v 20 years ago is the increased cost in health care itself---reflecting the research and development costs for the improved medical technology and prescription drug efficacy we enjoy today.

@mirraflake

[Sanguine]

Insurance companies don't pay the inflated rates.  Kinda destroys your idea of why we have the high prices.

Sure they do.  However, much of the additional cost is a result of the massive bureaucracy and infrastructure that must be maintained to allow the insurance companies to function in this area.

[INVAR]

Part of the increased cost in health insurance today v 20 years ago is the increased cost in health care itself---reflecting the research and development costs for the improved medical technology and prescription drug efficacy we enjoy today.

I can see you easily becoming one of the biggest cheerleaders and Apologists for Universal Socialist Single-Payer healthcare the moment your party gets on board with it.

[geronl]

I don't think Americans would be willing to pay the kind of taxes you'd' need for a single payer system, liberal or conservative.

No, but 51% will be willing to support letting the other 49% pay for it

[INVAR]

No, but 51% will be willing to support letting the other 49% pay for it

To thunderous applause I might add.

[mirraflake]

No, but 51% will be willing to support letting the other 49% pay for it

Nearly everyone would pay for it via Medicare taxes. People with minimum wage jobs now pay for Medicare taxes just as they do SS.

@geronl

[geronl]

Nearly everyone would pay for it via Medicare taxes. People with minimum wage jobs now pay for Medicare taxes just as they do SS.

@geronl

It all goes into the general fund, of course. No lock-boxes. Medicare has been running a deficit for a long time, which will get much much worse.

[driftdiver]

Nearly everyone would pay for it via Medicare taxes. People with minimum wage jobs now pay for Medicare taxes just as they do SS.

@geronl

Sure they pay into it, but the amount they pay isn't really significant compared to what they use.   Even highly paid people eventually take more than they put in.

[DiogenesLamp]

On Fox News, Charles Krauthammer predicts America will have single-payer health care within 7 years

I've said this before.   You can compromise on details of legislation,  but if you compromise on a foundational principle,  you will never win.   You will only get crumbs ever after.

[DiogenesLamp]

Saw the following comment posted over at TOS:
"You know, most uninsured people with a pre-existing condition don’t deserve the same level of medical care as those of us that pay continuously for health insurance."
http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3550413/posts?page=22#22

This poster said it as plainly as it can be said.

This is why the concept of "free market" healthcare is dead, or near-death, and why it can never be revived.

Until and unless you can get the majority of Americans to agree with this statement,
and
Until and unless you can get the majority of DC Representatives and Senators to speak this openly before microphones on camera...

... there's no "going back".

A challenge to YOU, reading this:
Do YOU agree with the the TOS poster above?

I think I take issue with this concept of "Deserve."    God help us if we should ever get what we "Deserve."   


But speaking more to the point,   who decides who deserves what?  And Why? 


The very act of using the word "deserve"  relating to health care is adopting the liberal premise of health care as a fundamental right.   


(Which seeing how this always means "paid for by someone else"  it enshrines slavery as a fundamental right as well.)   


I reject this entitlement language.   I reject this premise. 

[DiogenesLamp]

@XenaLee

Afford to pay?   Who really can afford to pay sticker price for heath care.  Can you pay a million dollars ?   How about $100,000 because your gall bladder got infected?

The system is rigged by the insurance companies.

The system is rigged by having insurance companies in the health business.   It is also rigged by the collaboration between government and Academia.   "Credentialism"  is where the over inflated prices began.   You pay Universities exorbitant fees to "credential"  you,  and the government refuses to allow anyone to "practice"  medicine without these credentials.

   Prices and costs are hyper inflated and the individual has no power.   

About 25 years ago my brother spent about 4 days in the hospital due to pnemonia.   The bill was about $2500 and we thought that was high.  Today that bill would likely be over $50k.  You cannot fix healthcare without addressing the reasons for the hyperinflation of costs.   regulation, insurance overhead and liability.

Everyone gets a $2000.00 / day room.   Even when they only need a $100.00 / day room.   They aren't allowed to have a $100.00 / day room because they don't offer those anymore. 


Government and Insurance involvement in healthcare has  hyperinflated the normal costs for healthcare.   

[goodwithagun]

We need to nullify all laws regarding healthcare. When employers are no longer required to insure employees, the problem will fix itself.

[goodwithagun]

Nearly everyone would pay for it via Medicare taxes. People with minimum wage jobs now pay for Medicare taxes just as they do SS.

@geronl

Do they put into it what they take out of it?