Comments on: Will a single payer health system save money for consumers? http://baglady.dreamhosters.com/2009/05/12/will-a-single-payer-health-system-save-money-for-consumers/ Attempts at a Sustainable Lifestyle... Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:47:07 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Al http://baglady.dreamhosters.com/2009/05/12/will-a-single-payer-health-system-save-money-for-consumers/comment-page-1/#comment-3312 Al Tue, 19 May 2009 04:33:41 +0000 http://baglady.dreamhosters.com/2009/05/12/will-a-single-payer-health-system-save-money-for-consumers/#comment-3312 I think the word is "rationing".. but no politician dare to mention this word which is worse than evil I think the word is “rationing”.. but no politician dare to mention this word which is worse than evil

]]> By: kin http://baglady.dreamhosters.com/2009/05/12/will-a-single-payer-health-system-save-money-for-consumers/comment-page-1/#comment-3309 kin Wed, 13 May 2009 16:43:40 +0000 http://baglady.dreamhosters.com/2009/05/12/will-a-single-payer-health-system-save-money-for-consumers/#comment-3309 It is true that the medical/health care industry's cost is increasing. However, I cannot help but place my finger on the underlying fact to medical cost -- our health. People are paying much money because they are unhealthy and they are only getting unhealthier on the average. I am amazed to this day, that not a single article I have read, and I read quite a bit, points this out or at least attempt to point somewhere near it. It is unreasonable for us to solve the "health care problem" by throwing money at it. We solve it by re-considering what it means to be healthy and act on such knowledge. It is true that the medical/health care industry’s cost is increasing. However, I cannot help but place my finger on the underlying fact to medical cost — our health. People are paying much money because they are unhealthy and they are only getting unhealthier on the average. I am amazed to this day, that not a single article I have read, and I read quite a bit, points this out or at least attempt to point somewhere near it.

It is unreasonable for us to solve the “health care problem” by throwing money at it. We solve it by re-considering what it means to be healthy and act on such knowledge.

]]> By: Philip Brewer http://baglady.dreamhosters.com/2009/05/12/will-a-single-payer-health-system-save-money-for-consumers/comment-page-1/#comment-3308 Philip Brewer Wed, 13 May 2009 12:57:02 +0000 http://baglady.dreamhosters.com/2009/05/12/will-a-single-payer-health-system-save-money-for-consumers/#comment-3308 You pay a lot more than you realize--you just never see the money because your employer doesn't run it through your paycheck. It just pays a lot more for your insurance than what it withholds. Crappy employers roughly match their employee's contributions to insurance. Good employers cover three-quarters or more of the total cost of insurance. You can probably find out how much your insurance actually costs. They're allowed to charge their actual cost (plus a small fee) to people who keep their insurance under COBRA. So, find out what they charge employees who leave for COBRA coverage and that's very close to what they're actually paying. (In my case, COBRA coverage would have been almost seven times what I was paying through payroll deduction. Fortunately, I found private coverage that was only four times as much.) Add that to deductibles and copays and I bet most families do pay 10% of their income for medical care. (And don't forget that you're currently paying for the elderly, indigent and disabled separately. A single-payer system includes them--so you should subtract from your calculation the taxes you're currently paying to cover them.) You pay a lot more than you realize–you just never see the money because your employer doesn’t run it through your paycheck. It just pays a lot more for your insurance than what it withholds. Crappy employers roughly match their employee’s contributions to insurance. Good employers cover three-quarters or more of the total cost of insurance.

You can probably find out how much your insurance actually costs. They’re allowed to charge their actual cost (plus a small fee) to people who keep their insurance under COBRA. So, find out what they charge employees who leave for COBRA coverage and that’s very close to what they’re actually paying. (In my case, COBRA coverage would have been almost seven times what I was paying through payroll deduction. Fortunately, I found private coverage that was only four times as much.)

Add that to deductibles and copays and I bet most families do pay 10% of their income for medical care. (And don’t forget that you’re currently paying for the elderly, indigent and disabled separately. A single-payer system includes them–so you should subtract from your calculation the taxes you’re currently paying to cover them.)

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