apple0154
MEOW
Not according to the SCOTUS ruling... money we've already set aside for other things (like EIC) can't be touched to pay for this. Obamacare will have to be paid for in addition to EIC. But I really do think the Liberals haven't grasped the enormity of the decision and what it established as precedent with the individual mandate. This absolves government from any worries about having to pay for things, they simply pass it along to the taxpayer to take care of in the form of an individual mandate.
Now I really don't care how progressive you are with taxation, even if you wanted to tax the rich people 200%, it won't be enough to cover the cost of insuring everyone. So ultimately, the cost for this will have to be shared by everyone, and there will be very few exceptions. The court has ruled you can't rob Medicare to fund this, but I suppose you could abolish Medicare, but heavens to mercatroid, could you ever imagine Democrats suggesting that?
We can quickly do the math here... 320 million Americans to be insured... Minus out those who are covered by Medicare and we have about 300 million. The average monthly cost of a typical comprehensive 80/20 insurance plan, is about $400. Now, if we cut out 150 million of the 300 million who have to pay for this, it's about $800 a month, and very few people want to, or can afford to, pay $800 a month for health insurance. So the cost has to be distributed among almost ALL the people, with FEW exceptions, otherwise, the math doesn't work out, it is too outrageous to even consider. This does not factor in the premium increases that will happen, as the result of more and more claims from people who have pre-existing illnesses, which are now covered and have to be paid for by the insurance provider. Their rates will go up, as time goes by, there is no other possibility. Pinheads will scoff at my calculations and numbers, but I will suggest that in 50 years, you will be laughing at the very idea of 'health insurance' for $400 a month!
But there is another possibility. This is the first step towards a one payer/universal system. The more control the government gets the better position it will be in to negotiate prices on everything from drugs to operations.
For example, the government could implement a doctor training program whereby the government would subsidize medical school tuition. In exchange the graduate, the doctor, would work at a hospital and part of his/her salary would be directed towards repayment. Now, let's not forget the cost of student loans. They were trying to raise them to over 6% when the average savings account interest today is 1% or 2%. Again, someone trying to make money off the medical system.
There are many people who could learn to be a doctor but don't have the funds. A concerted effort is needed to increase enrolment. Or a system set up like in certain countries where one requires a referral in order to see a specialist so one does not take up the time of a heart specialist because they have heartburn.
There are numerous ways to save money but the government has to have the power to implement those changes and yesterday's ruling is a great start in that direction. It's not going to be changed overnight after over a century of private medical. Well, not really a century. Actually, since the beginning of recorded history. This idea that private enterprise or the marketplace or the invisible hand will straighten everything out is sheer nonsense. They've had since the beginning of time to figure it out.