nah fuck that noise. Take all healthcare costs out of taxes. Finally taxing the rich for all the normal shit we get taxed for would pay for it. But also tax everyone for it. A single dollar in healthcare gives every incentive for harm to come to the patient. Suffering=more profit.
What if this way costs you less than what you would pay in taxes ? And have you done the math on whether just taxing the rich would pay for it ?
My guy, I dont need to do the math. The rich hide their wealth in numerous ways from shell companies to artwork. They have a lot and it would go along way. That would simply be the taxes from normal things and back taxes from not paying them beforehand. It wouldnt last forever, but
a sliding scale on taxes would help. The poor pay less, rich pay more. On top of this. getting money out of healthcare will reduce the prices. All healthcare costs are price gouged to the moon. Making healthcare free and preventing these companies from price gouging the government is vital.
Any plan that doesnt involve a tax and laws to stop the price gouging will fail.
To also add again, getting money out of healthcare will prevent those from abusing it. If there is money involved there is incentive to cause harm.
What makes you think getting government into health care removes the money and the incentive to grift? Let me assure you, it does not. Personally, I'm fine with govt provided healthcare. I'm not fine going into it blind and ideological.
Yup
The government can be held responsible by the people more effectively. I have personally been at the hands of providers who intentionally harmed me for money. I assure you, it is something you never want to go through. Money in healthcare will always cause harm. Always.
Yes and no. If say, a doctor sends homeless people who want to make a quick buck for unneccesary testing, it can take years for him to be caught because the homeless don't want to lose that $25 quick payout. Or, say a DME provider knows a guy in Congress.
Both of those are 2 IRL instances that quickly come to mind. The first pled guilty, the 2nd is running his DME company. This stuff happens. Don't be blind and ideological.
2023 National Health Expenditure $4.9T Total household income $14T Top 50% share of income 81.6% = $11.4T Needed tax rate for top 50% to pay for Universal Healthcare $4.9 ÷ $11.4 ≈ 43%
Top 50% is a lot of very not rich people. The median income is $40K. You want to take 43% from them in taxes?
I’m answering Mark, not saying what I want. He was making a point of the high tax burden by taxes-only. Taxes are on households, it is more ~$80k for median & could be progressive. The scenario is removing the 2.9% Medicare FICA & is also removing Business that contributes about 30% to premiums.
2023 National Health Expenditure $4.9T Total household income $14T Top 10% share of income 46% = $6.4T Needed tax rate for top 10% to pay for Universal Healthcare $4.9 ÷ $6.4 ≈ 76%
2023 National Health Expenditure $4.9T Total household income $14T Top 1% share of income 21% = $2.94T Needed tax rate for top 1% to pay for Universal Healthcare $4.9 ÷ $2.94 ≈ 167%
I just did more research. Of all U.S. healthcare spending, $ come from: 41% taxes (>3/4 from the top 1/3 American incomes: income taxes & payroll tax) 30% individuals 18% businesses (not including taxes) 8% other (philanthropy mostly) (rounding errors)
Two things-need to reduce costs to match other OECD countries (per capita). I’d start with the AMA and the RVU system that sets physician pricing We don’t need that much incremental taxation. Employers and individuals pay enormous amounts of money for insurance premiums. Just send that to the govt
Yes to lower costs. Yes to a lot paid already. I think we need to detach health insurance from jobs. But keep a mandate of $ contributed based on employer size. Progressive? Employers paid ~$0.9T of $4.9T ~18% (2023) Payroll taxes ~ $0.37T ÷ $4.9T ~ 7.5% (2023) Combined ~26%.
My husband and I collectively make under $200k and pay a-little over $600/month for insurance thats too expensive to use. I’d rather they tax us $600/month to get 100% free health insurance. Thats better than $600/mo + $200-300/mo for prescriptions (my husband is diabetic)+ doctors visits + ETC.
Have you tried @costplusdrugs.com ?
I checked them but they don’t carry the prescriptions my husband and I need.
Before 2025, I would have said healthcare costs in the U.S. was (arguably) the biggest issue facing the nation. Change will eventually happen out of pure need. As a society, we need to demand it sooner.