Question for the statists

What price would be too high for a national health care plan covering every man, woman, and child in the US?

1. Is there a financial price too high to pay? For example, is there a tax rate too high to pay? Is there a limit to how high the deficit should go or a limit on how negatively it effects the economy etc?

2. Is there a limit regarding choice? At what point would you be unsatisfied with a NGC plan? FOr example, would it be to wait 6 weeks to see a doctor with no other alternatives? Would it be to see a loved one denied a procedure that would have othewise been OK'd with the previous system?

Of course, these are just a few concerns I have, but if you wish to include others feel free.

Originally posted by whodey
What price would be too high for a national health care plan covering every man, woman, and child in the US?

The current cost of US health care.

A lot of the cost issues could be dealt with if we could encourage people to pay for their own healthcare when it involves relatively routine things. I recall back in 1994, there was a lot of talk about Medical Savings Accounts in this regard. Wonder why I haven't heard anything about them now? We don't need insurance to cover routine dental cleanings or a pair of new glasses. Healthcare insurance should be limited to the really big stuff. Subsidies can be provided to help the poor cover their routine costs.

Originally posted by KazetNagorra
The current cost of US health care.

So if the current cost of health care is matched or exceeded by the new plan, then the new plan should go?

Originally posted by Melanerpes
A lot of the cost issues could be dealt with if we could encourage people to pay for their own healthcare when it involves relatively routine things. I recall back in 1994, there was a lot of talk about Medical Savings Accounts in this regard. Wonder why I haven't heard anything about them now? We don't need insurance to cover routine dental cleanings or ...[text shortened]... to the really big stuff. Subsidies can be provided to help the poor cover their routine costs.

What you are referring to are flexible spending accounts. What is unforgivable about them, however, is that if you don't use all the money in the account you ask to be put in by years end, you lose it all. Therefore, one is always apprehensive about putting too much into the account. Then when something unexpected occurs, you screwed.

Originally posted by whodey
What you are referring to are flexible spending accounts. What is unforgivable about them, however, is that if you don't use all the money in the account you ask to be put in by years end, you lose it all. Therefore, one is always apprehensive about putting too much into the account. Then when something unexpected occurs, you screwed.

I'm not thinking about any particular plan - just the basic concept of encouraging people to set aside money for their routine healthcare expenses. I'd like to hear some proposals from somewhere in Congress. Although the plan you describe doesn't sound like anything that too many people would vote for.

Originally posted by whodey
What price would be too high for a national health care plan covering every man, woman, and child in the US?

1. Is there a financial price too high to pay? For example, is there a tax rate too high to pay? Is there a limit to how high the deficit should go or a limit on how negatively it effects the economy etc?

2. Is there a limit regarding choice? ...[text shortened]...
Of course, these are just a few concerns I have, but if you wish to include others feel free.

I think if the medical expense problem was delt with a person should have to pay no more than 1000 dollars per year and probably considerably less.

Originally posted by Melanerpes
I'm not thinking about any particular plan - just the basic concept of encouraging people to set aside money for their routine healthcare expenses. I'd like to hear some proposals from somewhere in Congress. Although the plan you describe doesn't sound like anything that too many people would vote for.

Although this plan seems reasonable and sensible, it has no chance to see the light of day. After all, where is the money flowing into Congress? In fact, if this money is taken out pretax, they will take a pay cut. How then can we take a pay cut seeing that the government is broke and deficits are ballooning? We all know the writing on the wall and that is taxes must climb, and climb, and climb, and climb or we face insolvency. There is no end to it, assuming the Nanny State continues as is.

Originally posted by joe beyser
I think if the medical expense problem was delt with a person should have to pay no more than 1000 dollars per year and probably considerably less.

Oops I'm not a statist. 😉

Originally posted by Melanerpes
A lot of the cost issues could be dealt with if we could encourage people to pay for their own healthcare when it involves relatively routine things. I recall back in 1994, there was a lot of talk about Medical Savings Accounts in this regard. Wonder why I haven't heard anything about them now? We don't need insurance to cover routine dental cleanings or ...[text shortened]... to the really big stuff. Subsidies can be provided to help the poor cover their routine costs.

Rec'd. Also I note there are already plans in existence that allow roll-over of saved money in health savings accounts. Agree that such a system combined with subsidization of the poor's routine care beats the current plan.

Originally posted by whodey
So if the current cost of health care is matched or exceeded by the new plan, then the new plan should go?

Then it is obviously a bad plan.

Originally posted by joe beyser
Oops I'm not a statist. 😉

Are you sure? Perhaps you should take the statist test.

1. Are you a control freak?
2. Do you think the average Joe incapable of governing himself?
3. Do you at times secretly wish Hitler had taken over the world?
4. Do you think bigger is always better?
5. Do you find yourself throwing money in peoples faces every time they come to you with a problem?
6. Are you fond of the concept of slavery?


If you answered yes to anyone of these questoins, you just might be a statist.

Edit: Jeff Foxworthy would be proud of me!!

Originally posted by whodey
Are you sure? Perhaps you should take the statist test.

1. Are you a control freak?
2. Do you think the average Joe incapable of governing himself?
3. Do you at times secretly wish Hitler had taken over the world?
4. Do you think bigger is always better?
5. Do you find yourself throwing money in peoples faces every time they come to you with a pr ...[text shortened]... of these questoins, you just might be a statist.

Edit: Jeff Foxworthy would be proud of me!!

If you think the constitution gets in the way of good government, you might be a statist.

If you have been limited to 3 report your neighbors in to the whitehouse per day, you might be a statist.

If you feel dissent is an act of terrorism, you might be a statist.

If you think we should be taxed on breathing and farting, you might be a statist.

If you think man is bad and evil and has less rights than wildlife, you might be a statist.

If you feel that killing babies is a good thing, you might be a satanist.

If you worship government leaders, you might be a statist.

If you think the government has the right to mandate injections of mercury ladden vaccine, you might be a statist.

If your daughter dies of a gardasil shot, and you shrug it off as taking one for the team, you might be a statist.

If you think the residents of Hardin Montana should shut their mouths and comply with the foreign American Police Force orders, you might be a statist.

If you think the goverment should take one mans money and give it to another man to buy a nicer car, you might be a statist.

If you think private business should be proped up by the government, you might be a statist.

hilariously, the concerns you raise are precisely the problems with US health care.

Originally posted by whodey
Are you sure? Perhaps you should take the statist test.

1. Are you a control freak?
2. Do you think the average Joe incapable of governing himself?
3. Do you at times secretly wish Hitler had taken over the world?
4. Do you think bigger is always better?
5. Do you find yourself throwing money in peoples faces every time they come to you with a pr ...[text shortened]... of these questoins, you just might be a statist.

Edit: Jeff Foxworthy would be proud of me!!

1. Are you a control freak?
2. Do you think the average Joe incapable of governing himself?
3. Do you at times secretly wish Hitler had taken over the world?
4. Do you think bigger is always better?
5. Do you find yourself throwing money in peoples faces every time they come to you with a problem?
6. Are you fond of the concept of slavery?

1. no.
2.not necessarily, but the average joe can sometimes be quite stupid and ignorant of politics, or how government works.
3.no.
4.depends on what you're reffering to.
5.sometimes money is all you need.
6.no.

so, am I a statist?