Strycker Loc: The middle of somewhere else.

It seems that politicians, with the end of the Mueller investigation, are now trying to pivot back to health care as the e******n issue. Obamacare does have many beneficial parts such as max annual out of pockets, no lifetime caps, an online insurance marketplace and coverage for preexisting conditions. It just way way way over reached with the individual mandate, employer mandate, all the freebies, extremely over generous subsidies, etc. Some regulation of insurance is needed as the insurance companies have already proven they can and will abuse their customers.

The congress now has a chance to actually fix the health insurance crisis that Obamacare has caused while lowering premiums and covering those with preexisting conditions. Note, we are talking about health insurance not health care. The solution to health insurance is really quite easy.

Companies able to buy insurance for their employees with preexisting conditions at no increase in premium because a large enough pool of employees participating spreads that cost of preexisting conditions out enough to negotiate a lower premium. In the USA we have 300 million people. That's a large enough pool that it should be able to absorb those with a preexisting condition.

So how do you make that large pool? Simple! Back in the 60's the IRS encouraged employer sponsored health insurance as a tax dodge. The taxpayers have been subsidizing employer sponsored health insurance with tax write offs ever since. Lately employers were reducing or eliminating employer sponsored plans due to the high cost of insurance so Obamacare made that illegal to not offer health insurance to employees. Forcing employers to continue providing insurance. Obamacare should have done the exact opposite. Do the opposite of Obamacare or single payer schemes. Eliminate all group insurance. Eliminate expanded Medicare and Medicaid. Everyone under age 65 buys their own health insurance on the individual market. Instant 300 million pool of buyers that insurance companies are competing for. Competition between insurance companies alone should drop premiums a large amount.

How do you accomplish this? Eliminate the business deduction for employer sponsored health insurance. Eliminate government employee plans including politicians plans. If employers or the government want to supply health insurance as a benefit, then it should be a taxable payroll benefit to the individual. Then, allow everyone to deduct the cost of health insurance personally. That deduction will be on top of the itemized or standard deduction. An individual would take the itemized deduction or standard deduction of $12,000 plus an additional deduction for health insurance premiums. Corporations generally pay a higher tax rate than the average individual, so, this would likely be a net increase in revenue for the government. The government could use the increase revenue to subsidize those on a needs basis.

Now you have 300 million people buying individual insurance. What you do with the 300 million, how should health insurance is packaged and sold and who is covered is another topic that needs to be addressed. How do you start? Create a user friendly easy to understand online market place such as healthcare.gov. It should be an independent nonprofit financed by either a small commissions on sales or non-intrusive advertising revenue and should be actively marketed to individual buyers. The three tier bronze, silver and gold system seems to work for basic plan structure. Insurance companies should be required to offer a minimum number of standardized basic plans on each tier. Basic plans being similar to the current Obamacare plans with some adjustments and no freebies and a smorgasbord of additional options. No preexisting exclusions. An annual maximum out of pocket. No lifetime cap. Insurance companies would be allowed to charge a premium increase for those who do not maintain continuous coverage over a number of years. With 300 million buyers I suspect the majority will shop on a user friendly easy to compare plans website.

Thoughts?

rumitoid

One thought. Excellent and fair-minded presentation. Good job!

Here is a curiosity. On the day Trump said the GOP is the party of healthcare, the WH was trying in court trying to get a judge to end Obama care. So much fun.

Larry the Legend Loc: Not hiding in Milton

Ergo, Obamacare is the antithesis of healthcare. See how easy that is?

rumitoid

And the GOP solution to fix Obamacare or create better healthcare? How easy is that? Will it ever happen? Have you any idea of the devastating effects on our citizens, we are talking the pain, suffering and death upon millions and millions of Americans in ending the ACA without something to replace it. Yes, it has the name of Obama attached to it and maybe just destroying or damaging it you will take as a plus, yet that vengeance or political ploy effectively hurts and possibly k**ls our neighbors and friends and strangers.

Larry the Legend Loc: Not hiding in Milton

Mmm-hmm. Millions upon millions. "Vengeance or political ploy", right. I'm all about getting vengenace on my fellow Americans. Thanks for pointing that out.

rumitoid

Then what's your plan for those Americans? Let them have desperately needed insurance or not?

Strycker Loc: The middle of somewhere else.

You think people aren't dying because of Obamacare? The only difference is who is dying. The poor get affordable highly subsidized insurance and health care while the middle class, if they can cough up the high premiums, are buying insurance they can't afford to use due to high deductibles. They go without care or they get care and don't pay the bill. The middle class are now the ones suffering and dying. Nothing has changed except who gets health care, who dies and who pays for all of it, and power. That's Obamacare.

It has nothing to do with who's name is on it, or political ploy or vengeance. Obamacare was a bold move toward single payer. It was a power grab that was designed to fail. Was predicted to fail. Was intended to get people to wish for single payer. Obama even openly stated that. Republicans are making a huge mistake if they repeal Obamacare without coming up with a bold replacement.

rumitoid

Preaching to the choir. I was specifically addressing repealing without replacing. A good fix to Obamacare is needed. The GOP has none.

debeda