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Mandatory medical accounts
TweetMandatory medical accounts
The government is moving fast to implement a health care system. I have no doubt the president feels his plan is a compromise, since he has said he prefers a “single payer plan.” The government’s plan would shift the power to the insurance companies and in return press those insurance companies to take on obligations they would normally not consider. Many believe these obligations would cripple the industry. In addition many of the people not buying health because they feel it would be impractical, would be forced into buying insurance. I feel there may be another compromise that could work. Why not transfer the power to the people?
This can be done using medical savings accounts. The reason the accounts are attractive is that most people have long periods in their lives where they are reasonable healthy. In these periods people can accumulate funds for later use. The plan would work as follows.
Everyone would have their own medical savings account. The money in the accounts would be used for that person’s medical expenses at their discretion. A percentage of the individuals gross income would be deposited in the account. I would recommend 16.5 percent since that is close to the sixth of the economy health care currently comprises. The money would be deposited into a FDIC account up to $250,000. At that point the individual would be obligated to pay 5 percent of their income as tax. In order to make the transformation to this system, a cap would have to be placed on the monthly liability the individual would be subject to. I would recommend 16.5 percent. Medical providers would also have to be limited to 2 percent interest per month on unpaid balances.
The state would be responsible for unpaid balances once all revenues subject to the individual have been exhausted. Upon the individual’s death, half of the remaining money would go to the state. The other half could be willed to a family member’s medical account.
In the long run I feel this system would be a better plan. It would free up the government to do its work. It would free up businesses to do their business. It would also free the individual from medical related oppression.
Robert G. Mossman, Youngstown
Comments
Obama slipped through the cracks, was in the right place at the right time to get elected. But his arrogance is amazing. He thinks he's the Great mesiah. Well he's not, not even close.
He was raised in a disfunctional family and his childhood years were spent in the Muslim country of Indonesia and finally settling in Hawai to be raised as a teenager by his grandfather. Somehow got into Columbia with average grades (affirmative action maybe?) and upon graduation became a community organizer (i.e.Acorn etc.) He did this because it was federally funded monies for community projects on the South side of Chicago. (this along with affirmative action would also help his resume to get into law school.) And by the way, (tounge in cheek) he really made a differance on the South side of Chicago.
Bottom line he never made a payroll, ran a company, paid for his employees health insurance, never ran anything. Since his Mom's welfare days he has always been a leach on the public funded hardworking taxpayers of our country (excluding his formibadle years of being raised in the Muslim nation of Indonesia).
And now you want me to back this arrogant, self serving self proclaimed expert on Healthcare, the Trillion dollar debt, and bigger government, you must be an idiot. You can drink the Kool-aid, I will not.
Actually, medical savings accounts are in the plan, Mr. Mossman.
And Mr. Sicko, the plan would SAVE over a trillion dollars over 15 years.
I am in Blue Cross. I am told that I currently pay more than $150 per month in premiums to pay for expenses that Blue Cross pays for the uninsured.
Meanwhile, many people who have a history of illness can not buy insurance at any cost. When they get sick, you and I pay for them in taxes and if you have insurance like I do, also pay for them in increased premiums.
I read a lot of posts here from people complaining that the reason that there are so many uninsured in this country is because supposedly, many people have the money for pay for health insurance but decline to do so in favor of spending money on big TVs, new cars, the latest cell phones, etc. Then when they do need health insurance they claim that they don't have the money to pay for it. I understand that Obama's plan calls for mandatory health insurance. You will be required by law to have it. Wouldn't that go a long way towards putting an end to insurance companies charging higher rates because the hospitals (and paying customers) must make up the difference when treating an uninsured person? Also, wouldn't this actually benefit insurance companies because they will get a huge influx of customers? Also, the people who truly need help because they are struggling on a small income will get help from the govt. to pay for their health insurance -- not getting it for free -- but getting a little bit of help to pay for it. In turn, the insurance companies will be required to accept any and all customers, regardless of pre-existing conditions. The extra added pool of healthy people to their customer base should help keep costs down, enabling them to accept those with pre-existing conditions. ( I am personally in favor of a tax on soda pop to help pay for the plan too). Cutting out fraud from Medicaid and Medicare is supposed to trim costs, too. Also, if you already are lucky enough to have good employer-provided health insurance, that you are satisfied with, you will be able to keep it with no changes. How is this considered "government-run health care"? Why do some people say the government is "sticking their nose where it doesn't belong" and "making decisions about our health care"? Won't this lower costs, enable most everyone to have health insurance, and not drive insurance companies out of business? Will someone please enlighten me????
Springman, so what's your point. I will pay for myself and Bubba. How is that going to be cheaper?
SickofJimbo.....France spends 10% of their GDP on health car and their health care is ranked #1 by the World Health Organization.
America spends 17% of their GDP on health care and we are ranked #37 by the World Health Organization.
If America changed to exactly what France has we would be ranked #1 and pay way less. That's how it would be cheaper.
United States has the best medical healthcare in the world..The Government has said that Medicare and Medicaid is all screwed and now the Government is here to fix it...Right, You couldn't make this stuff up. The government is the last one I would want to take care of me.
The obama government wants all the healthcare money in their acct and then they make all the rules. Really, the government is the biggest denier of benefits, not the insurance companies.
I know some people have a hard time
with the truth.
I happen to be on Medicaid and the only ones who have made medical decisions for me are me and my doctors. "The government" whatever that means, has not denied anything I have absolutely needed.
Yeah, those handicap spaces are a total waste.... let those crippled people walk from far away like everyone else.
Peacelover,
If Medicare didn't exist there wouldn't be a shortage of geriatric doctors since there are so many disincentives to becoming one built into the system. So yeah, in the end I would say Medicare affects your choices.
newsmaker1....How can you possibly say that the United States has the best health care in the world? Facts are facts.
France spends 10% 0f their GDP and we spend 17%.
France is ranked #1 in the by the "World Health Organization" and we are ranked #37.
France is ranked #1 in "Preventable Deaths" we are ranked #14.
France is ranked #3 in "Healthy Life Expectancy" and we are ranked #24.
France is ranked #4 in "Overall health Performance" and we are ranked #72.
France has universal health care and we have around 40 million uninsured.
France has zero bankruptcies due to medical bills and we have millions.
If all we just changed to exactly what France has all of our numbers would move towards the top of those lists. Besides showing improvements in all those areas we would be spending considerably less to do so.
The one thing America would lose by adopting a plan like the one in France is the insurance companies that make hundreds of billions in profit.
USA, that gentleman you spoke of, was not forced to park in a handicap spot. He was free to park wherever he wanted. I don't recall any movement by handicapped people demanding special treatment.....I don't understand why some people have such a problem with handicap parking spots! And how do you propose that we pay for roads, city services, schools, police and fire protection, if not through taxes. Are you a Libertarian? The smoking ban was voted on by the people locally, so it's not like it was an edict from the Federal government.
Cambridge, you may as well forget it.... I have seen this argument over and over again, you are never going to convince some people that they actually do something better in a European country than they do here in the US.
OUCH ! This is much more lucrative than loan sharking and it's legal !
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