Stu et al....
Would love an honest discussion of healthcare in the US. The majority of people in this country believe accessible and affordable high quality healthcare should be available to all citizens. The question is how to best provide this without compromising the quality of care and patient centered care the majority of us enjoy, and to do so within our budget priorities.
The Democrats don't honestly believe that Obamacare meets these stated goals. They crafted a bastardized system to buy off the insurance companies support, and they have ruined the market dynamics and costs are spiraling up and services are spiraling down. Their only public answer is to add more subsidies to cover the increased cost for premiums and deductibles because their mandates trying to force healthy young folks to buy insurance to cover the cost for older more at risk insured has failed miserably. Dems need to be honest about this and present what they really want, and that is a single payer government healthcare system.
The Republicans need to honestly present a comprehensive alternative that maximizes patient centered healthcare while ensuring accessible and affordable care for all. In doing so, they need to honestly acknowledge that we already have government run healthcare in the form of Medicaid for the very poor, and Medicare for the elderly.
Personally, I think the Republican proposed healthcare tax credits for the working poor is a stupid approach. Giving a poor person a tax credit 12 months after the fact does nothing to help with the premiums when they need to be paid, and so it really is a BS subsidy. I would like to see two alternatives openly debated with honest cost implications.
The Dems need to present their single payer for all solution, and they need to have the CBO put a price tag that makes the premiums self funding, and then calculate the added cost to subsidize based on a sliding scale of available income and assets.
Personally, I think the Repubs need to present an alternative which should keep Medicaid for the poor, create across state line insurance competition, require employers to offer basic healthcare as a benefit, but not at their expense, and require ins companies to create employer pools so that these are sold at group rates, employers should receive tax credits at some level for their contribution, if any, tort reform to cap liabilities, etc... forget tax credits, eliminate the taxable cap for Medicare and every Medicaid recipient should be required to pay at least a fifty dollar premium, just as every Medicare recipient pays $130 per month. There should be a seek work requirement for Medicaid recipients, and the eligibility requirements should be expanded for all fifty State, as block grants, but with higher state match requirements but much greater flexibility for States to manage the programs. Provide specific tax cuts for the middle class to help offset the cost of buying insurance through their employer, etc....
Compare the cost and tax implications and level of care and patient centered healthcare level of service suggested by a Dem proposal versus a GOP proposal, and openly debate the pros and cons and get on with solving the problem. While I totally support the need to increase military spending, I also support reducing our military footprint in the world and the extent of foreign aid we provide. These expenditures need to be redirected to paying for the added costs of things like one of these healthcare systems. The people need to demand this level of honesty and transparency, and get rid of all the political spin masters that dominate Washington. A complete reversal of how Wash has evolved over the past twenty plus years, and something neither in the establishment wants. The main driver behind Trumps election!
