Average cost for insurance for a family is $12,000 or more (as per MTP)

[stray cat]

Employer contribution on average is over $9,000. Any plan needs to be able to generate about $12,000 per family (whatever percent of your income that ends of being), Plus money has to be generated to supplement those who can not pay $12,000 per year. We clearly need insurance reform, I want a strong public option. However, anyone who thinks this is cheap or someone else is going to pay for it at least needs to be honest about the fact that there are serious costs associated with covering people for health care. Now it could be costs can be constrained but those need to be itemized but that will largely slow down an exponential increase in health care costs as more costly therapies are developed.

[jody]

1. You haven't got the message, "it is cheap and someone else will pay for it ", that's the govt. way.

[jtrockville]

2. 30% of that goes to profit, so true cost/family is ~$8,500

Employer contribution could be reduced, and employee contribution eliminated by simply taking out the profit.

[SoCalDem]

5. and another 2.9% is dedicated, through FICA to medicare

With a truly Universal plan, medicaid, medicare, VA would all be rolled into ONE, so the money generated from taxes would be figured into the mix as well..

All states would then be equal in coverage. Right now with the states paying 40 & the feds paying 60% of medicaid (or is it the other way around?..anyway). The ONLY "free-standing" totally separate medical care we should keep, is the specialized war-wound related rehab centers, but once a soldier is released from them, they should be able to receive care ANYWHERE they want. (My friend had to stop his physical therapy, because the VA hospital close to him, stopped offering it, and the closest place for him is now San Diego...too far for him to go twice a week..they have one "good" car, and his wife uses that to get to and from work, so T.C. goes without physical therapy.

[fascisthunter]

3. and for Health Insurance that sucks...

[havocmom]

4. So, the insurance industry is taxing you at a greater rate than any government would for healthcare

Think about it: How much is your employer paying (should you be so lucky) for your insurance? How much of the increases are due to lack of real competition in insurance? How much more would YOU be getting paid if employers didn't have to shell out more and more to insurers?

THAT is more out of YOUR paycheck than any 'tax increases' the industry pwned wingers are fearing.

Frankly, I would LOVE to be looking at a bit of a tax increase. It would mean I was making a hell of a lot more money than I am now. Only those doing pretty well would see ANY tax increase.

We need to point out how much potential income for us goes to the insurance industry for our labors. THAT is taxation without representation!

[jody]

9. Good point but doesn't an employer deduct health-care cost as a business cost and some/many workers

are unable to deduct most of those same costs with their income tax submissions?

Would health-care reform include provisions allowing workers to deduct most of their health-care costs?

[havocmom]

11. Yep, so in reality, Joe Working Stiff is taxed twice for the same thing

[Cassandra]

6. That's what I pay just for me...

and that's more than 20% of my income.
PLEASE tax me! It would be cheaper.

[area51]

7. "... there are serious costs associated with covering people ...."

You left out that this is the cost from for-profit, unregulated insurance industry mafiosi.

[Bonobo]

8. And freelancers and home-business owners like me pay every drop of it.

I pay $12,000 a year ONLY to be forced to pay a $5,000 deductible if I need surgery, a $25 copay, high pharmacy prices, expesive x-rays, etc. AND NO DENTAL to speak of.

It's great! It's like paying for insurance and having none at the same time!

[jody]

10. Understand but would you object so strenuously if your health-care need was $100k/yr? Are your

objections affected by your high cost relative to low need but your high cost pays for others who have a high need?

[Warren Stupidity]

13. If his health care needs were 100K/yr in most cases

he would be too sick to work and would lose his health 'insurance', lose his house, end up on Medicaid if he was lucky, end up dead otherwise.

[jody]

14. Thanks for your opinion but I asked for Bonobo's reply. Have a nice day. n/t

[Warren Stupidity]

16. concept of message board lost on you?

Have a nice day yourself, champ. If you want a private conversation try the PM feature.

[Bonobo]

15. I am willing to keep paying.

Someday I will need the help.
For the time being, I don't mind my money helping those who are needier than me. As long as when my time comes.... get it?

[jody]

17. You and I have the same position. Thanks. n/t

[Warren Stupidity]

12. That does not include copays and deductibles and caps

Average per family medical expenses, including 'insurance' (and that term has become a sick joke, pun intended) are well over 12,000.

Copays and deductibles and caps are just stealth increases in the employee share of employer based health care financing and in the ever escalating costs of the planets most expensive per capita health care system. But never mind the cost, for all that money we are number 37 in outcomes.