Little-Acorn
Well-Known Member
There's lots of debate over whether the Fed Govt should take over Health Care, and to what extent, etc.
Well, suppose it does happen. What do we do then?
Several proposals are out there. Most seem to have several things in common:
1.) Health care insurance will now be mandatory for everyone. If you don't want to sign up, you will be assessed a fine, maybe around the level of $700 per year.
2.) Employers will also face a similar choice. It might depend on how many employees they have. They can either provide insurance for their employees, or they can pay a similar fine to the government for each employee they DON'T insure.
3.) All insurance companies will be required to offer insurance that complies with new government standards, including to anyone who has a pre-existing condition. People who want to sign up, who already have a condition the insurance must pay for (broken arm, diabetes, cancer, other long-term chronic condition etc.), cannot be refused coverage due to that pre-existing condition.
Everyone wants, naturally, to minimize the costs they have to pay, while maintaining sufficient security in case bad things happen.
With these factors in mind, it becomes clear what companies must do, and what each individual should do.
A) We should each drop our present health insurance, as soon as possible. It will cost less to simply pay the annual fine. If you're getting your health insurance thru your employer, negotiate with them to start paying the amount they spend on your policy, directly to you in your paycheck instead. You might find that your employer is soon dropping ALL insurance policies, since it will cost them less to pay their fine too.
B) If/when you incur some major medical problem, THEN go to an insurance company and sign up. The problem you came down with, is now a pre-existing condition... but under the new rules, the insurance company cannot refuse you. They will sign you up for the normal coverage, on the spot, and most of your expenses will be paid for. You will pay the normal premiums during the time they are paying for your medical care, which are far less than your paying for the care yourself.
C) When your condition is cured, drop the insurance, go back to paying only the annual fine (which is much less than the premiums) and wait for the next major malady to come along. If one comes, then sign up for insurance again, after it's diagnosed. Again, they cannot refuse you.
This will get you the security of being able to have insurance pay for anything bad that comes along, while minimizing the amount you have to pay. A win-win situation all around, wouldn't you say?
Of course, how this system will be able to support itself, with basically nobody paying premiums (except the relatively small fine) until they have a condition where they will draw out much more than they pay in, might be a problem. But it's not YOUR problem. Government is handling it. Let them worry.
Comments/questions?
Well, suppose it does happen. What do we do then?
Several proposals are out there. Most seem to have several things in common:
1.) Health care insurance will now be mandatory for everyone. If you don't want to sign up, you will be assessed a fine, maybe around the level of $700 per year.
2.) Employers will also face a similar choice. It might depend on how many employees they have. They can either provide insurance for their employees, or they can pay a similar fine to the government for each employee they DON'T insure.
3.) All insurance companies will be required to offer insurance that complies with new government standards, including to anyone who has a pre-existing condition. People who want to sign up, who already have a condition the insurance must pay for (broken arm, diabetes, cancer, other long-term chronic condition etc.), cannot be refused coverage due to that pre-existing condition.
Everyone wants, naturally, to minimize the costs they have to pay, while maintaining sufficient security in case bad things happen.
With these factors in mind, it becomes clear what companies must do, and what each individual should do.
A) We should each drop our present health insurance, as soon as possible. It will cost less to simply pay the annual fine. If you're getting your health insurance thru your employer, negotiate with them to start paying the amount they spend on your policy, directly to you in your paycheck instead. You might find that your employer is soon dropping ALL insurance policies, since it will cost them less to pay their fine too.
B) If/when you incur some major medical problem, THEN go to an insurance company and sign up. The problem you came down with, is now a pre-existing condition... but under the new rules, the insurance company cannot refuse you. They will sign you up for the normal coverage, on the spot, and most of your expenses will be paid for. You will pay the normal premiums during the time they are paying for your medical care, which are far less than your paying for the care yourself.
C) When your condition is cured, drop the insurance, go back to paying only the annual fine (which is much less than the premiums) and wait for the next major malady to come along. If one comes, then sign up for insurance again, after it's diagnosed. Again, they cannot refuse you.
This will get you the security of being able to have insurance pay for anything bad that comes along, while minimizing the amount you have to pay. A win-win situation all around, wouldn't you say?
Of course, how this system will be able to support itself, with basically nobody paying premiums (except the relatively small fine) until they have a condition where they will draw out much more than they pay in, might be a problem. But it's not YOUR problem. Government is handling it. Let them worry.
Comments/questions?
