Impeding changes to our Health Care system

[Clodfobble]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

I do support a system that will provide affordable health insurance to the under/un insured.
...
I would support any plan where every single person who earns any amount of money pays into the plan. For example if you set an amount of 4%, every single person will pay 4% of all income into the plan. You make $1000 a month you pay 4%. You make 1million a month, you pay 4%.

But that's where the math doesn't add up. 4% of everyone's income is not enough to pay for the overall costs of healthcare. Not counting any other medical costs, my one child's occupational therapy costs more than 10% of our annual income (that includes the portion that insurance currently pays, because in your scenario this money is paying for 100% of people's healthcare.) And relatively speaking, we're pretty high on the income scale, considering the number of people who make significantly less than we do.

When you raise the flat rate high enough to actually cover what healthcare costs, it is by definition no longer affordable for the poor. Everyone may pay into the plan, but it will have to be a sliding percentage or the books will never balance.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

But that's where the math doesn't add up. 4% of everyone's income is not enough to pay for the overall costs of healthcare. Not counting any other medical costs, my one child's occupational therapy costs more than 10% of our annual income (that includes the portion that insurance currently pays, because in your scenario this money is paying for 100% of people's healthcare.) And relatively speaking, we're pretty high on the income scale, considering the number of people who make significantly less than we do.

When you raise the flat rate high enough to actually cover what healthcare costs, it is by definition no longer affordable for the poor. Everyone may pay into the plan, but it will have to be a sliding percentage or the books will never balance.

I used 4% because that is the number that was floating around in Congress. I understand your costs and I understand that the math will not add up. How come no one in Congress hears that? Because they plan to shift services. Some of those services you get now may not be available to those on the National Plan. I have no idea. To date there are still very little details other than the various general plans floating around. As we have seen from the last few major bills that have been pushed through I doubt we will actually see any details until it is voted on and passed.