Health care in California - we'll take care of you
- Thread starter keith
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They did it in Australia.
Once you hit 30 years old, you must purchase basic health insurance ($1400 to $1500 p.a.). Every year that you delay past 30, the premium goes up 2%.
If you don't play their silly game, there is a taxation penalty (not sure at what salary it comes in, and what percentage).
When our next baby comes along next month, our private insurance will cover all but $500 or $600 (assuming a natural birth)
Once you hit 30 years old, you must purchase basic health insurance ($1400 to $1500 p.a.). Every year that you delay past 30, the premium goes up 2%.
If you don't play their silly game, there is a taxation penalty (not sure at what salary it comes in, and what percentage).
When our next baby comes along next month, our private insurance will cover all but $500 or $600 (assuming a natural birth)
Shows how out-of-touch California's legislators (of both parties) are with their state's problems.
So everyone will be mandated to purchase their own health care... with what? Most of the uninsured don't purchase insurance because they can't afford it.
"Let them eat cake," I guess.
mr
So everyone will be mandated to purchase their own health care... with what? Most of the uninsured don't purchase insurance because they can't afford it.
"Let them eat cake," I guess.
mr
Congratulations and wishing you a happpy, healthy baby. Best of everything for you.
Europe and apparently Australia has been doing this for years. They take the employeer out of the equation. The idea is to make the user more responsible in using health care services. As I recall there is no gov't help for medical insurance in Europe. There would be insurance regulations that would require the companies to insure everyone and "spread" the costs more as opposed to the current classification of individual medical insurance applicants. There are several States that currently require insurance companies to cover all applicants and impose a "tax" on other policies the insurance companies write in the State to subsidise the premiums.quote:
Originally posted by MikeR:
Shows how out-of-touch California's legislators (of both parties) are with their state's problems.
So everyone will be mandated to purchase their own health care... with what? Most of the uninsured don't purchase insurance because they can't afford it.
"Let them eat cake," I guess.
mr
It is a difficult path to National Health Care but we will make it.
In a recent show on PBS,the healthcare in France,a part of Europe is an absolute joke.
It showed a hospital in France that didnt have enough beds for the patients and they didnt have the money to add more.
The hospital was run down.
There was also going to be a cut in the number of doctors by the French government and they are already having a hard time treating the patients with the number at the present.
Socialism doesnt work as well as many think.
It showed a hospital in France that didnt have enough beds for the patients and they didnt have the money to add more.
The hospital was run down.
There was also going to be a cut in the number of doctors by the French government and they are already having a hard time treating the patients with the number at the present.
Socialism doesnt work as well as many think.
Maybe I missed it but in Cali..one of the biggest drains on the medical and social services is the Illegals. Apparently this plan won't address this issue (as usual) We keep sweeping problems created by the illegals under the rug. When "they" break the system..other means (the rest of us paying) are used as another band-aid.
We have this expense also, but I believe it is mandated by the Federal govt., so we have no real control at the state level. Our foreign workers get care without question, citizens are questioned and may be refused. The state must follow the federal guidelines to have our own systems "approved".
And yet, don't the French live longer than we do, despite eating all that cheese?
Overall the US healthcare system is the most expensive per capita in the world by far. Yet we have the 19th best healthcare in the world. We simply can't allow every "gas passer" in the US to "demand" $500,000 a year from patients who have no choice. Price fixing pure and simple.
Yes but... you need to take into consideration the benefits the US health care system provides that other systems don't.
The US healthcare system provides lucrative incomes for the executives and share holders of our multitudenous health insurance programs and for profit hospitals. How many foreign health care systems do that?
As long as there are enough doctors and equipment to serve you the rest doesn't really matter.
Canada can not produce enough doctors/nurses/specialists to serve us and the government does not have the foresight to start its own health colleges and universities. It is very frustrating. I wish our Government would just give away free education in this area. We overtaxed ourselves 11 billion dollars over 4 months just recently so there is money to fix the problem. 11 billion ought to be enough to build a University and run it for 4 years. If we funded the university and gave away free education for 12 years we would have 1000 graduates. Do it for 20 years and we'd have 9000 new doctors. We probably wouldn't need to build any new hospitals for them either...
Steve
Canada can not produce enough doctors/nurses/specialists to serve us and the government does not have the foresight to start its own health colleges and universities. It is very frustrating. I wish our Government would just give away free education in this area. We overtaxed ourselves 11 billion dollars over 4 months just recently so there is money to fix the problem. 11 billion ought to be enough to build a University and run it for 4 years. If we funded the university and gave away free education for 12 years we would have 1000 graduates. Do it for 20 years and we'd have 9000 new doctors. We probably wouldn't need to build any new hospitals for them either...
Steve
Don't forget the lucrative fees paid to ambulance chasing skumbag lawyers that are bagging the system.
Some of the questions answered from an Oz perspective.
If you have no private health insurance, your taxes (48.9% at $60kUS) plus your medicare levy (1.5%) pay for a free system. If you are critically injured (any of us), the system will save your life at no cost. If you need a new knee or whatever, then waiting lists are up to 2 years.
We have hospitals closing beds all the time, ambulances being diverted to other hospitals all the time. In the meantime, we have politicians opening 10 storey hospitals, while employees of elevator companies declare that they installed a 15 storey elevator into that 10 storey new hospital (meaning that 5 storeys are yet to be opened).
The doctors and surgeons control the numbers of doctors and surgeons...then complain about inadequate numbers.
Our local GPs charge $45 for a 6 minute consult, which you get $30 back from medicare. Ask him two questions, and it's $73 that you pay up front.
If you have a health care card (pensioner or unemployed) the doctor bulk bills, and you pay nothing.
If a family member gets cancer, expect them to be 100 miles away while they undergo treatment. Expect yourself to be missing work, and sleep to go visit them.
The governments are relying on charity to augment their health care system. If you are seriously injured here, it will cost a charity $15k to fly you to a city hospital to be treated. They fly people out 4 or 5 times per week. $3Mil p.a. would cover a lot build a lot of new hospital and employ a lot of new staff locally (BTW, they often charge the patient for the "air ambulance" that takes them).
As to lawyers and insurance costs...recently a lady had a pair of scissors left inside her abdomen for 5 years, while being told thet her pain was all in her head. Was not eligible for any form of compensation whatsoever.
We've fixed it alright.
If you have no private health insurance, your taxes (48.9% at $60kUS) plus your medicare levy (1.5%) pay for a free system. If you are critically injured (any of us), the system will save your life at no cost. If you need a new knee or whatever, then waiting lists are up to 2 years.
We have hospitals closing beds all the time, ambulances being diverted to other hospitals all the time. In the meantime, we have politicians opening 10 storey hospitals, while employees of elevator companies declare that they installed a 15 storey elevator into that 10 storey new hospital (meaning that 5 storeys are yet to be opened).
The doctors and surgeons control the numbers of doctors and surgeons...then complain about inadequate numbers.
Our local GPs charge $45 for a 6 minute consult, which you get $30 back from medicare. Ask him two questions, and it's $73 that you pay up front.
If you have a health care card (pensioner or unemployed) the doctor bulk bills, and you pay nothing.
If a family member gets cancer, expect them to be 100 miles away while they undergo treatment. Expect yourself to be missing work, and sleep to go visit them.
The governments are relying on charity to augment their health care system. If you are seriously injured here, it will cost a charity $15k to fly you to a city hospital to be treated. They fly people out 4 or 5 times per week. $3Mil p.a. would cover a lot build a lot of new hospital and employ a lot of new staff locally (BTW, they often charge the patient for the "air ambulance" that takes them).
As to lawyers and insurance costs...recently a lady had a pair of scissors left inside her abdomen for 5 years, while being told thet her pain was all in her head. Was not eligible for any form of compensation whatsoever.
We've fixed it alright.
Mandatory health insurance has been proposed several times over the last 10 years on a national level. Aside from the objections already presented here, I see a major constitutional objection to a national mandate that individuals buy health insurance: if every adult is required to buy something regardless of income or personal circumstances, that is the definition of a poll tax. And a national poll tax is, broadly speaking, prohibited by the US Constitution.
On a state level it is a different matter. But without delving into what all the state constitutions say, I'll bet that many or most also have a prohibition against a poll tax. Most have language a great deal like that in the US Constitution. Therefore, such a mandate on a state level could face a constitutional objection. Also, just as the amendments to the US Constitution were retroactively applied to the states by the 14th Amendment, so possibly could the poll tax prohibition in the Constitution.
Food for thought.
I would also note that this "solution" for the ongoing issue of people without health insurance is much like addressing the issue of the lack of affordable housing in many areas by mandating that everyone buy a house. Either kind of mandate is a really stupid idea.
On a state level it is a different matter. But without delving into what all the state constitutions say, I'll bet that many or most also have a prohibition against a poll tax. Most have language a great deal like that in the US Constitution. Therefore, such a mandate on a state level could face a constitutional objection. Also, just as the amendments to the US Constitution were retroactively applied to the states by the 14th Amendment, so possibly could the poll tax prohibition in the Constitution.
Food for thought.
I would also note that this "solution" for the ongoing issue of people without health insurance is much like addressing the issue of the lack of affordable housing in many areas by mandating that everyone buy a house. Either kind of mandate is a really stupid idea.
Good that this thread is still up.
Insurance companies are one of the groups of parasites that I'd like to see get their just deserts.
These two themes are prominent in the news this morning:
Private health insurance at an all time high. over 45% of Australians are covered by Private Health Insurance.
Premiums about to rise 15%, and gap fees increase $100/day.
Given that the legislation was pushed by the private health industry as a means of reducing premiums.
My take is that as soon as you make a product (particularly insurance) mandatory, thus removing the choice not to have it, then competition goes out the window.
Insurance companies are one of the groups of parasites that I'd like to see get their just deserts.
These two themes are prominent in the news this morning:
Private health insurance at an all time high. over 45% of Australians are covered by Private Health Insurance.
Premiums about to rise 15%, and gap fees increase $100/day.
Given that the legislation was pushed by the private health industry as a means of reducing premiums.
My take is that as soon as you make a product (particularly insurance) mandatory, thus removing the choice not to have it, then competition goes out the window.
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