The most sensible way to handle health care...from a religious Republican, no less.

[MercutioATC]

(Ok, that's kind of a teaser...it was my idea, but my religious Republican friend agreed with the proposal)

Three steps:

1) Expand Medicare to cover everybody at or below twice poverty-level income.

2) Expand FEHBP (Federal Employees Health Benefit Program) http://www.opm.gov/INSURE/HEALTH to cover everybody else. Premiums incrementally subsidized based on income up to $250k/year individual income.

3) Let private insurers offer supplemental plans.


Everybody is required to enroll. If you're not working, you're not paying for it anyway. If you ARE working and making at least 2X poverty-level income, the unsubsidized amount is deducted from your paycheck. If you fail to elect a plan, you'll automatically be assigned the lowest-cost plan.

It covers everybody. It mandates insurance without being overbearing. It includes private insurers, so it's not "competing with private industry" and it's not "socialized medicine".


I have no familiarity with self-employment, though...so if anybody who does has suggestions on how to work them in to the system, I'd appreciate it.

[pinb1212]

1. I don't think 1. can work.

Many have suggested expanding Medicare to larger levels. The point they always miss is, Medicare is already going broke. Before adding any addition "load" to medicare, medicare must be reformed.

[duhneece]

2. A local physician suggested expanding Medicare at a PDA forum

Our local, small Progressive Democrats of America hosted a forum on health care and a local Libertarian physician suggested expanding Medicare as the most practical way of getting health care for all, which I was surprised he agreed was the right thing to do.
He's a pretty savvy gentleman. ?

[hunter]

3. "Medicare is going broke..." In case you haven't noticed, the USA is going broke.

And a large part of the problem is a healthcare industry that is grotesquely inefficient, ineffective, and obscenely expensive.

You complain about minor bleeding in medicare, yet ignore the gaping wounds the health insurance industry has inflicted upon our national economy.

[pinb1212]

5. The financial mess with medicare

is not "minor bleeding". Politicians are content doing nothing with medicare and social security, because the fixes are not going to be popular.

[RandomThoughts]

4. Health care issue as addressed by Christian gospels seem to be pretty clear.

I think of the good Samaritan.

Guy saw someone hurt, did not know him, he was a different culture, and one thought of as lower class during that time, yet the man walking by stopped to help him.

Then he put him up in a place where he could heal, gave the owner of the place money, and said if it cost more put it on his account.

Shouldn't we set up a system where people would use their money to help injured people?


And if you say it should be through charity, you will notice many people that donate help their friends and not the stranger, it is possible that a societal government agency may be able to decide were a small part of wealth, given to people by an economic system, should be used to help a wounded or sick person.



Jesus was pretty clear about helping people going through tougher situations.
Matthew 25
44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'
45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

[theophilus]

6. Amen! I wish Mr. Obama would use the example. Very powerful. n/t