Position on Healthcare (user search)
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  Position on Healthcare (search mode)
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Poll
Question: What's your position on healthcare?
#1
Privatized is best. Repeal Obamacare.
#2
It's perfect just the way it is. Keep Obamacare. No need to change anything.
#3
Have the government insure everyone; a single payer system. There will still be a healthcare industry but no isurance industry.
#4
Socialize medicine! Decent healthcare is a human right, and the healthcare and insurance industry is too greedy.
#5
I am selecting this option because I am curious to see the results of this poll, and there is no way to do so without selecting an option.
Show Pie Chart
Partisan results


Author Topic: Position on Healthcare  (Read 4746 times)
Kahane's Grave Is A Gender-Neutral Bathroom
theflyingmongoose
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 10,316
Norway


Political Matrix
E: 3.41, S: -1.29

P
« on: August 05, 2021, 08:41:51 PM »

Personally, I would prefer a system with some government agency responsible for negotiating drug and medicine prices with the manufacturers and using their superior bargaining position to get much better deals. Then, I would set up a company with a Fannie Mae type status to offer affordable plans (which shouldn't be too hard since the costs of medicine, which is like 90% or more of costs would be negotiated down and bought in bulk). Private insurers would have to lower costs by a lot more or just go bankrupt. Let the market work amirite Smiley

The government will save money from this, so I'd also add in some money-throwing at medical infrastructure R&D.

Since Medicare would cost less, I'd turn it into a system that pays for all costs, along with expanding it to cover new mothers and kids under 16.

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Kahane's Grave Is A Gender-Neutral Bathroom
theflyingmongoose
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 10,316
Norway


Political Matrix
E: 3.41, S: -1.29

P
« Reply #1 on: August 06, 2021, 09:57:33 PM »

I think Germany and Switzerland are the future of American health care. 

I pay approximately $300 every month on health insurance that I have never once in my life been able to claim on because the insurer only covers costs once I have already spent 2'500 francs in a year. Ok for me, healthy with a decent income; an absolute horror story for someone on a lower income who might have chronic health problems; someone in their old age; someone in one of the cantons where premiums are randomly higher and where the subsidies don't go anywhere near far enough

Almost any serious issue would mean going to a public hospital, covered by tax payer funds, who would bill me for a part of the treatment that even if I sent them it on, the insurer would still wind up essentially subsidised by the cantonal government because they know they can't trust the insurer to cover the full treatment costs for all patients.

The health insurers are, of course, not allowed to make a profit out of selling basic insurance policies, but are allowed to make a benefit - theoretically to cover any unforseen emergencies or pandemics. Curiously, Covid did not actually count as such a pandemic, and the insurers were at no point required to dig into their reserves while the state wound up coverng the full cost of testing, treatment and vaccines.

The Swiss system might be less out and out absurd than the US one, but it isn't a coincidence that it is the one European country where the fundamental nature of the way the system is run is a mainstream debate. It is the most expensive European system by far, and is only kept above water because the federal and cantonal governments spend so much of their time stepping in to to cover the deficiencies of the insurers. In all honesty, it's not an example for anyone.

That's the point. It's the most similar to the American one.

Like it keeps the hurting poor people but the middle class (of which their opinion generally shift policy due to politicians need votes) would do fine under it.
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