General Discussion

Hoyt

(54,770 posts)

10. I hear what you are saying, but Medicare is really not a pure single player anymore.

Thu Dec 18, 2014, 04:01 PM

Dec 2014

Last edited Fri Dec 19, 2014, 02:11 AM - Edit history (1)

30% of beneficiaries are in Medicare Advantage plans which are essentially commercial plans under some broad federal guidelines. Most of the other beneficiaries have a supplemental insurer that covers the hefty coinsurance and lack of an out-of-pocket Max.

Insurance companies handle claims payment, beneficiary issues, utilization issues, provider enrollment, etc. Government would have to invest a ton to take that over at this point.

As Vermont found, it sounds simple, but it ain't. People aren't even smart enough to realize they might be better off with a hefty tax increase, but no premium payments..

I'm no longer confident we'll wise up in time to handle issues like health care.

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Wow. I'm being hammered by my Southern friends about Vermont's health care decision. [View all] Atman Dec 2014 OP

just point to where it is being used belzabubba333 Dec 2014 #1

Right-wingers have that covered. Aristus Dec 2014 #15

and to that i say it works there it can work here belzabubba333 Dec 2014 #16

I say that, too. Aristus Dec 2014 #18

yea same here belzabubba333 Dec 2014 #27

It also works in Canada, our NA neighbor. In large part due to to Tommy Douglas, social democrat appalachiablue Dec 2014 #28

Few European countries do single payer, particularly on a national level Recursion Dec 2014 #31

our military is Europe? Skittles Dec 2014 #62

Yeah, I tell them that, too. Aristus Dec 2014 #68

You're not referring to Tricare are you? madville Dec 2014 #91

South Korea rpannier Dec 2014 #92

Single payer? Not all that many places, really. Recursion Dec 2014 #30

Dont know the details of why it didnt work in Vermont, but it wont work anywhere as long NoJusticeNoPeace Dec 2014 #2

This is what it would have taken in Vermont for it to work in payroll taxes , just like Canada helpmetohelpyou Dec 2014 #23

At that cost SickOfTheOnePct Dec 2014 #33

No kidding , no one did helpmetohelpyou Dec 2014 #35

Is it really that much out of pocket in the end? Paulie Dec 2014 #73

What evidence is there that employers will actually pass any savings branford Dec 2014 #82

And laundry_queen Dec 2014 #56

and... handmade34 Dec 2014 #64

How many thousands do most people pay each year in health care costs? alarimer Dec 2014 #67

For family coverage with a decent plan, well over $1000 per month, up to $1500 goldent Dec 2014 #90

New York could pay for single payer by eliminating the millions of road signs that are plaguing our adirondacker Dec 2014 #3

People moor in Ct. to escape the taxes and mooring fees Warpy Dec 2014 #8

Any state can do it if the people want it helpmetohelpyou Dec 2014 #36

Exactly, and they would SAVE money in the long run. adirondacker Dec 2014 #37

The thing is you can't tax them so highly on other things helpmetohelpyou Dec 2014 #39

It boils down to increasing progressive taxes and reducing regressive ones. Upstate NY had a wicked adirondacker Dec 2014 #42

My property tax went up 14% and my governor just allowed CL&P a rate increase of 26% in 2015 helpmetohelpyou Dec 2014 #43

The entire country is infested with incestous, fraudulant, wasteful and abusive industries and WE adirondacker Dec 2014 #45

Oh no, I live in CT helpmetohelpyou Dec 2014 #48

We have Nationl Grid (London Multinational) raping us in NY. Last years rates shot up adirondacker Dec 2014 #50

It's not just income taxes. branford Dec 2014 #40

Oh I know but they grew up being taxed like that so to them it seems normal. helpmetohelpyou Dec 2014 #41

We definitely agree. branford Dec 2014 #47

And to your point here helpmetohelpyou Dec 2014 #44

US has the highest corprorate tax rates in the world. joeglow3 Dec 2014 #69

Its failure in Vermont outweighs its success in the rest of the world? LittleBlue Dec 2014 #4

This message was self-deleted by its author steve2470 Dec 2014 #5

lack of compassion is the key... steve2470 Dec 2014 #6

"Take your government hands off my Medicare!" GoCubsGo Dec 2014 #7

Yep. A single-payer system that only covers the elderly and disabled. dawg Dec 2014 #9

I hear what you are saying, but Medicare is really not a pure single player anymore. Hoyt Dec 2014 #10

It's hard to tell a person who makes $35,000 gross in Vermont your payroll tax helpmetohelpyou Dec 2014 #34

For-profit hospitals are a big problem. Maedhros Dec 2014 #11

I remember when hospitals were non profit and better. This neoliberal privitization of EVERYTHING appalachiablue Dec 2014 #29

Single payer works very well all over the world. Quantess Dec 2014 #12

Most of them live in Florida, so, uh...yeah. Atman Dec 2014 #14

It is not okay to stereotype like you just did. Quantess Dec 2014 #17

I'm from Florida. Atman Dec 2014 #19

Crying shame what's happened to beautiful Florida. Reaganism and GOP governance. appalachiablue Dec 2014 #32

I don't think Florida is unique to that sort of change. I've seen it in several states I've occupied adirondacker Dec 2014 #38

The left dismisses 20+ years of RW propaganda on Fox and hate radio. It's anal with many. appalachiablue Dec 2014 #75

No, it's fairly rare worldwide Recursion Dec 2014 #59

Learn something new every day! Quantess Dec 2014 #61

And that's a messaging problem we have Recursion Dec 2014 #63

If any state could prove sadoldgirl Dec 2014 #13

I agree -- controlling drug prices is key. subterranean Dec 2014 #55

It takes a larger pool of people to make it work affordably. Vinca Dec 2014 #20

No one said it couldn't work , the math works helpmetohelpyou Dec 2014 #21

Single payer can realistically only work on a national level, or.... JaneyVee Dec 2014 #22

It would still have to be funded by a higher tax rate helpmetohelpyou Dec 2014 #24

It was up to Vermonters if they wanted the tax increase helpmetohelpyou Dec 2014 #25

It is completely insane, the move would appear to reduce systematic cost by half based TheKentuckian Dec 2014 #26

We are now paying 17% or our GDP for health care, and people are bitching about 12%?? eridani Dec 2014 #46

even in Vermont handmade34 Dec 2014 #65

Over 6% of that 17% is already paid by government in Medicare, bornskeptic Dec 2014 #77

The 6% in Medicare is NOT an addon. Moveover-- eridani Dec 2014 #79

Congratulations, you raise some of the issues that make universal care problematic to many. branford Dec 2014 #81

Americans mostly do NOT have excellent health care--they don't have health care at all-- eridani Dec 2014 #83

I believe that you missed my point. branford Dec 2014 #84

Since they are rarely seriously sick, they don't have a clue about their coverage eridani Dec 2014 #86

Remind them their red state heroes can't make their bridges, roads and schools work.... Hassin Bin Sober Dec 2014 #49

well if they want to make an example of Vermont CreekDog Dec 2014 #51

Get new friends! n/t hrmjustin Dec 2014 #52

That's what I was thinking. Jamastiene Dec 2014 #58

My sister lived in NYC for six years where our brother was. A guy friend of a friend appalachiablue Dec 2014 #71

your southern friends are a bunch of idiots. nt Cali_Democrat Dec 2014 #53

Yea, right, elleng Dec 2014 #54

You sure picked some dumbasses for friends, Jamastiene Dec 2014 #57

you have some very stupid friends Skittles Dec 2014 #60

so they like the system we have now ?! "pay til you go bankrupt then lose your house and die" ? GreatGazoo Dec 2014 #66

What's with the veiled South bashing? Hosnon Dec 2014 #70

It's not veiled at all. I'm from Florida, as I have previously pointed out. Atman Dec 2014 #72

Being from and visiting Florida does not make you someone who is from Hosnon Dec 2014 #89

And you clearly missed my point. Atman Dec 2014 #93

I didn't suggest you couldn't. But Florida is not in the South. Hosnon Dec 2014 #94

What I thought. But FL is changing. It was part of the Confederacy like Texas which I didn't appalachiablue Dec 2014 #74

That is so true. Jamastiene Dec 2014 #78

Sorry to hear about those awful people who you were around, and since gone. appalachiablue Dec 2014 #87

Their can't-do spirit is what makes this country great BeyondGeography Dec 2014 #76

It didn't work because it wasn't single payer, not because it was Major Nikon Dec 2014 #80

Truth be told, I don't think single payer would work all that well here either. Zavulon Dec 2014 #85

The VA was managed just fine back in the 90s. Jamastiene Dec 2014 #88

Interesting. Fawke Em Dec 2014 #95