Originally Posted By andyll <a href="http://cbo.gov/ftpdocs/116xx/doc11689/Stark_Letter-HR_5808-07-22.pdf" target="_blank">http://cbo.gov/ftpdocs/116xx/d...7-22.pdf</a> Reduces the deficit also. I truely believe this is the only way to lower health care costs overall.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 And cue the howling from the noise machine about this "stealth proposal that the American people roundly rejected" (even though that's not true) in 3...2...1...
Originally Posted By Oldschool Disney Besides it wouldn't be the noise machine if they didn't complain.
Originally Posted By fkurucz Here is a fun execise on what will happen if we allow business as usual, which means that private health insurance premiums will continue to increase at the current rate of 20% per year: After 10 years the price of a premium will increase to 600% of its current cost (1.2^10). This means that a typical family plan that goes for $1000 per month (an that's on the cheap side) will increase to $6000 per month by 2020. This of course implies the end of private insurance, at least as we know it. What will happen is that we will be pushed by our employers into replacing insurance with Health Savings Accounts and the more enlightened employers will probably make contributions to these. HSA's are fine if you're in overall good health and visit the doctor infrequently, so they could work for young people who will have time to accumulate savings in them for the latter, less healthy years of their lives. But if you're older chances are that your expenditures will easily outstrip any annual contributions made to your HSA. Throw in some minior surgery (say a gall baldder removal) and you will be up the creek without a paddle. Throw in something more serious and its bankruptcy. All I can say is: if you can get a job with the federal gov't, do it! They're going to be the only insured people left in the US. This could create some interesting situations. I can see young middle class families deferring having children as they can't afford the medical costs of having a baby, while the poor will just show up at the ER and not pay (if Mr. and Mrs. Middle Class do that they will be hounded by bill collectors and possibly have their wages garnished). Of course if there are no paying "customers" the hospital will close its doors, so it will become a moot situation.
