More than 88 million people, including nearly 40 million children, in all 50 states and the District of Columbia are enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP coverage.
Sixty-six million Americans are enrolled in Medicare.
Even with some dual coverage, that is nearly half the US population and Medicare is growing each year.
It’s estimated 27 million Americans have no health insurance.
And yet, one recent poll says only 62% of Americans support government assuring health care coverage. Far less for Republicans which is absurd in itself to make it political.
What is wrong with us? Two days ago while having a discussion about Medicare a good friend – who uses it extensively- called Medicare socialized medicine. It is not socialized medicine or even close.
Socialized medicine refers to a healthcare system where the government owns and operates healthcare facilities, employs healthcare professionals, and pays for all healthcare services. This means that the government is directly involved in the delivery and financing of healthcare.
That is not how Medicare works.
Go to social media and read the hate over “the scam” of health insurance. The message is clear. Anyone but me needs to pay for any and all of my health, no questions asked. It’s all necessary!
Americans don’t want high premiums, high deductibles, or high out of pocket costs, they don’t want anyone questioning the care their doctor orders, no claims denied.
QUINNSCOMMENTARY 
I also posted a solution decades ago – it is bipartisan, but, requires Congress to first stop lying … fat chance of that.
Here’s how it would work:
Every individual is responsible for the first $25,000 a year in medical spend. That coverage can be self insured by posting a bond, can be provided through an employer-sponsored plan (or where eligible, Medicaid (old pre-PPACA rules), Medicare, etc.) or purchased through the public exchange. Because the coverage caps out at $25,000 a year of covered expenses per person, it is an expense that should be bearable by individuals (or employers). Because it is bearable, it applies to everyone who is lawfully present (the old Health Reform test). My preference would be for coverage in the form of Health Savings Account capable coverage (if only so that anyone who has accumulated $25,000 can self insure, if they prefer).
Undocumented aliens, regardless of status (visa, refugee, etc.) who are not lawfully present, must pay all costs of this coverage.
For lawfully present individuals who do not have coverage through an employer or have not posted a bond, the premium is charged as an age-based, per capita, non-deductible excise tax – due when you file your income tax return. To the extent that you are unable to pay the tax, it carries forward, and withholding taxes must be increased as necessary. Interest and penalty taxes apply to under withholding. These taxes cannot be discharged in bankruptcy.
The expenses in excess of $25,000 is covered under a Medicare Advantage “stop loss” incorporating cost management and claim audits, funded by an additional premium paid as a per capita excise tax (does not vary by age). This applies to everyone lawfully present, including those covered by Medicare, Medicaid, VA, public exchanges, employer sponsored plans, self-insured. Again, to the extent that the tax is not paid, it carries forward and withholding taxes must be increased as necessary. These taxes cannot be discharged in bankruptcy. This tax can be paid by your employer.
Undocumented aliens, regardless of status (visa, refugee, etc.) who are not lawfully present, must pay all costs of this excess coverage.
Why won’t this be acceptable to Congress? Because they continue to lie to you, to buy your votes, telling people that they are entitled to, they deserve, and they need, the best coverage YOUR money will buy.
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Quinn, did you ever stop to think that a lot of squawking about healthcare cost is done by people who don’t use healthcare often but they still have a hefty cost to bear for insurance. I’m talking about a late twenty something or in their thirties and no health problems. When they do wander in for some reason, they are shocked at the bill presented. They know what their premiums have been and are not happy about that cost going up every year. They naturally conclude it’s all a money grab.
The people who have to make use of healthcare on a regular basis don’t feel that way or at least don’t squawk about or not as much. At least they shouldn’t. I remember all those years I rarely ever saw a doc and never gave a second thought to healthcare providers or payers.
Now, as to your idea of universal Medicare, I don’t think it is affordable, plain and simple. It’s working right now for a limited segment of the population but that won’t transfer to a totally run national health scheme.
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Not being affordable implies an added cost, but if it replaces all existing costs, I can’t see how that is true. Plus we are not talking today’s Medicare deductibles or other OOP costs. We start with an employer tax of say 8% of payroll – which is about what employers pay now when they offer coverage. There are many issues to contend with, but I still see no viable alternative and I’ve been looking a long time.
It could be phased in gradually with a mix of people by age groups to balance the risk pool.
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Why a tax as a percentage of pay – when clearly, the cost of health coverage is much more a function of age and the number of individuals covered?
Premiums paid by employers as a percentage of pay is simply another wealth transfer scheme – a la Medicare Part A (no cap on the FICA-Med after 1983) and Medicare Part B and D (primarily funded with general revenues, funded primarily by income taxes, where only a slim majority of American households pay such taxes).
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Americans have been lied to by politicians who are buying votes by telling them that they are ENTITLED to the best care YOUR money will buy.
I posted that here nearly 20 years ago and the only thing that changed is that Medicaid changed eligibility and exchanges were added to fulfill the promise of taxpayer subsidized coverage for 100+ MM Americans that someone else pays for.
Most Americans who have employer sponsored coverage pay MORE for others coverage than they nominally pay for their own!
until the lies stop, you are wasting your time!
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