Duncan Roberts

Just because you said it doesn't make it so. I'm actually curious how the maths works on this. The budget for medicare seems to be somewhere between 30% and 50% of the total defense spend depending on whats included in that spend but only covers about 15% of the population. How can you eliminate all the exclusions, minimize the out of pocket expenses and cover everyone by cutting a budget that alone wouldn't be enough if the whole thing was added to the medicare one. I don't even think the entire tax revenue each year would be enough to cover what you suggest.

Giantaxe

I am in exactly the same position next month. It's a real conundrum, especially given what happened to an elder daughter. Three months after she was no longer eligible on my insurance, she got appendicitis and the legacy of $28k in medical bills that she has no hope in hell of paying off. After 16 months, she's gotten $21k written off, but is still fighting debt collectors etc over the other $7k.

The good news is that thanks to Obama the US is turning into a Bolshevik republic, and adult children up to age 26 must be covered on employer-provided insurance. This kicks in at the start of the first "plan year" after Sep 23rd, which will typically mean Jan 1st 2011. However, some insurers are starting this on the Sep 23rd date (but not mine, unfortunately).

Ray

I though arrogant tosser would be better

Fish n Chips 56

Thanks for your honest answer Duncan, at least I know where you stand.

We can all come up with reasons why an NHS system wouldn't or couldn't work, Yes, even those of us that are positive know it would not be an easy step to take and yes I have no doubt we would have some major major problems along the way, that being said its not impossible and if it benefits most of us why not do it.

Too many people to cover, with all due respect numbers shouldn't make any difference in my opinion, everything is relative, we have more people but we also have more doctors and Nurses than the UK, I'm sure it must be close to equal in proportions.

The 50 state governments could be a problem but the IRS has no problem dealing with people in every state, so why does that have to be a problem, make it a federal plan.

Ok so you say we could use a NHS system of sorts but not use it 100%, I agree, now we have to decide what part's you dont like.

frrussre

Wife's Company policy is holding out until 09/2010, oddly enough the insurance company, for those with personal policies, is initiating the "Up to 26 yr old”, plan immediately.
My understanding is that though parents will be able to keep children on their plans until 26, is that does not mean, that the Company/work plan will have to pay the lions share of that cost.

Reg. Frank R.

Giantaxe

Your analysis is a little odd. Medicare covers the oldest segment of the population, where medical costs are far the highest. Medicare spends $50bn a year for healthcare for just the last two months of patients' lives. You really can't "gross up" what Medicare costs for the 15% it currently covers to come up with a figure for the entire population. Additionally, it's not a zero sum game. In the hypothetical situation where medicare covered the entire population, $$$s that currently go to health insurance would go to Medicare.

Giantaxe

Your wife's company is presumably "self insured", and uses the insurance company merely to administer the insurance. In such cases, companies can start later (the start of the next plan year) even if the insurance company itself is starting on Sep 23rd. It sounds like you have the worst case scenario in that your wife's company's plan year starts just before the Sep 23rd date.

Your second point is an interesting one. I have asked the question as to whether they can legally charge more for "adult children" than for other children and never got a definitive answer. I haven't seen anything on the Internet addressing this either.

frrussre

Yes, wife RN, works for major medical corp "Take no prisoners", or as I like to say "They are not in the healthcare business, they are in the business, business, 1000 hospitals or 1000 butchers shops or gas stations.

We have also asked the question, about adult children & who will pay, can't seem to get an answer.

Reg. Frank R.

Duncan Roberts

I know you can't add it up pound for pound but with adding everyone you also add a lot of chronic illness, things like pregnancy, pediatrics and a whole lot of stuff that just doesn't apply to the current users. Medicaid users fill in a bit of that but it's still a whole lot of cost to be absorbed. I do agree that money in the health insurance industry would go along way to paying for it but you have to keep in mind that right now they are technically voluntary contributions so unless you turned them into a tax you can't guarantee that money will be there.

Giantaxe

Well, that's a different issue... from a financial standpoint, I think a single-payer system like Medicare would have been the way to go. From a political standpoint, as we saw, it was a complete non-starter.

chartreuse

Give the kid a break - he's clearly not acting of his own free will...

meauxna

ooh, is it post-cat-pictures time?!

srefre

Cats?

chartreuse

It's always that time.

Armed cats.

Englishtart

Aaaarggghhh!!