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Discussion » Statements » Medicare for ALL with money left over

Medicare for ALL with money left over

Hello:

Lemme start by saying the cotton gin became obsolete when we found a better way.. The health insurance industry is obsolete. Its purpose is to collect money, deny claims, and write checks.. But, if we covered EVERYTHING, there'd be NOTHING to deny, and Medicare already writes checks..

Here's how the math works.. It's simple, really. Let's start with whatever amount, as a nation, we spend on healthcare.. Now, if we SUBTRACT whatever amount the health insurance industry takes, and APPLY it to actual medicine, I suggest we can cover EVERYBODY for EVERYTHING and have money left over for an aircraft carrier or two. Easy peasy.

Yes, I feel bad about those insurance workers.. I also felt bad about all those cotton gin workers.

excon

Posted - October 24, 2018

Responses


  • 13251
    And whom do you propose should pay for all this?
      October 24, 2018 8:08 AM MDT
    4

  • 3907
    Hello Stu:


    If you read what I wrote, I STARTED with the amount we ALREADY spend...  I'm NOT proposing new expenditures.  I'm proposing that we allocate our CURRENT expenditures better.

    excon
    This post was edited by excon at October 24, 2018 9:36 AM MDT
      October 24, 2018 8:53 AM MDT
    2

  • 13251
    But who is "we?" If you're proposing and believe that government can somehow magically take and re-allocate citizens' personal and other private sector resources, then I want some of what you're smoking.
      October 24, 2018 9:09 AM MDT
    4

  • 3907
    Hello again, Stu:

    We is us..  It's the TOTAL amount we spend on health care.. That number is difficult to ascertain, but it IS a real number.  The health care insurance industry's take is equally difficult to ascertain, but it's a REAL number too..  I PROMISE you when you subtract one from the other, there's a pile of cash left over..

    And, I heartedly agree with you..  However, my plan isn't about how EASY it'll be to make it happen.  It's about what we CAN do IF we have the will to do it.. Like anything worthwhile, it'll be HARD..  But, we don't endeavor to do things because it's EASY.

    If you want the government OUT of your health care, THIS plan does that.. Here's how it works on the ground.. You feel ill. You go to your doctor. Your doctor treats you. He sends a bill to Medicare. Medicare pays it. Easy peasy. Truly, it's EASY PEASY... The government gets a bill, and they PAY IT. NOTHING MORE. A couple hundred computer operators could handle it.

    Look.. If you wanna lament the total and absolute DESTRUCTION of the health insurance INDUSTRY under my plan, you'll have an argument. 

    excon This post was edited by excon at October 24, 2018 9:53 AM MDT
      October 24, 2018 9:32 AM MDT
    2

  • 13251
    But what do you think Medicare is? It's a government-funded program financed by, you guessed it, tax revenues! Universal health care can't happen without major tax increases.
      October 24, 2018 9:42 AM MDT
    0

  • 3907
    Hello again, Stu:

    That's what some people say..  I say, if we allocate every penny that now goes to the health insurance industry, that there'll be BILLIONS and BILLIONS toward our national health care budget?

    Do you KNOW how many MILLIONS those health insurance executives earn??

    excon
      October 24, 2018 9:49 AM MDT
    0

  • 32536
    Insurance companies would not go anywhere....They are involved with Medicare now. And there will always be insurance for services the gov does not want to cover. As there are in other countries with UHC. So those jobs are not going anywhere.
      October 24, 2018 9:51 AM MDT
    1

  • 3907
    Hello again, my:

    Look..  It's the way it is, because we MADE it that way..  We can make it different if we so choose..

    Lemme say again, under MY plan, your doctor bills Medicare and Medicare PAYS it..  There's NO NEED for insurance companies..  Oh, they can switch to coving cars, but under my plan, their health care days would be OVER..

    excon This post was edited by excon at October 24, 2018 10:03 AM MDT
      October 24, 2018 10:01 AM MDT
    0

  • 32536
    Then it is more expensive than the link I posted below at the $562B needed in taxes....that figures at the gov only paying as regular Medicare does 80%.
      October 24, 2018 10:22 AM MDT
    0

  • 13251
    They say it because it's true. And government doesn't have the authority or the ability to take resources from insurance companies in the private sector to fund the expansion of public sector programs and services.
      October 24, 2018 9:59 AM MDT
    1

  • 3907
    Hello again, Stu:

    We don't disagree again..  The only thing my plan would take from the for profit insurance companies is CUSTOMERS..  If they can compete with the government, they're welcome to try..

    excon
      October 24, 2018 10:23 AM MDT
    0

  • 13251
    OK, but you still haven't said where you expect the money to pay for expanded Medicare to come from.
      October 24, 2018 11:33 AM MDT
    0

  • 3907
    Hello again, Stu:

    I thought I did..  Out of the money we spend for healthcare, the health insurance industry takes a cut.  What do they DO for that cut??  Well, they collect money, deny services, and write checks.. If we STOPPED denying services, there's NOTHING for an insurance company to do.  If the government will cover EVERYTHING, why would I hire an insurance company who ISN'T going to cover everything???  I wouldn't, of course.  Nobody would.. 

    SO, since we won't need insurance companies any more, ALL that money we've been paying them can now go for health care... Oh, the mechanism will be through taxes, but it should be an even tradeoff..  In other words, what you'll SAVE in health care costs, you'll PAY in taxes..  An EVEN swap.

    excon
      October 24, 2018 12:13 PM MDT
    0

  • SOLD!  I'll definitely write-in excon when I vote.  Which position were you running for again? :P This post was edited by Benedict Arnold at October 24, 2018 10:53 AM MDT
      October 24, 2018 9:16 AM MDT
    4

  • 32536
    https://decisiondata.org/news/how-much-single-payer-uhc-would-cost-usa/

    Conclusion

    Universal Health Care would save the people of the United States about $600 billion for the same level of care they're receiving. We found it would require an additional $562 billion in taxation to cover the government spending, after savings and increases to demand. Is a single-payer universal system worth it? As always, that's for you to decide – we're just here to give you the data that helps you make important decisions.

      October 24, 2018 9:19 AM MDT
    4

  • 3907
    Hello my:

    Lemme see.. If it SAVES us $600 billion, and only COSTS us $562 billion to do it, I'd say YEAH..  

    Or, do you read your report differently?


    excon
      October 24, 2018 9:41 AM MDT
    1

  • 32536
    It took me a couple of times to see it as well. 
    Here is what I missed the first time. 

     We found it would require an additional $562 billion in taxation to cover the government spending, after savings (after the $600B) and increases to demand.

    So the cost will eat the $600B saved and still need another $562B. This post was edited by my2cents at October 24, 2018 10:00 AM MDT
      October 24, 2018 9:46 AM MDT
    1