Carolynn’s Blog

We pay for our own health insurance, and because of my pre-existing condition MY insurance is expensive. But I believe medical expenses shouldn’t be completely tax free. I think it distorts the market.

I hope they choose to tax everyone — not just families who make over $400K a year (ummm…no, I don’t fall into that income bracket).

I feel like everyone should feel the pain, and everyone should know what health care really costs.

I DO like the idea of keeping tax free savings vehicles like Health Savings Accounts an option. I like the idea of people being able to save for future medical expenses.

Reforming the tax exclusion on employer-based benefits.

Why give rich people a 28%+ discount on insurance (and I fall squarely in that tax bracket).

I’m actually a low tax kind of gal, but fairness counts.

From the Heritage Foundation:

1. Health care reform must expand health insurance coverage by making it affordable for all Americans to purchase, especially those with pre-existing conditions.
2. Any reform bill would use private plans to deliver the coverage.
3. Reform must foster an atmosphere of competition by demanding that insurers compete on price and value, rather than providing the ability to pick lower-cost, low-risk patients.
4. A bipartisan bill would protect consumers by providing them with better information about quality, price and the nature of coverage within competing health plans.
5. There would be an appropriate level of government oversight in the marketplace to protect patients from abuse that occurs at times in today’s market.
6. The bill would provide advance subsidies to low-income American to help them purchase private health insurance.

The final requisite is that any health care reform must be fully paid for, Enzi charged. “It is my belief that our nation has maxed out its credit card,” he said, noting the Medicare and Social Security are projected to go bankrupt sooner than anticipated a year ago.

Also interesting is Mr. Enzi’s proposals for paying for the $636 billion downpayment that will be needed for reform to happen…reforming the tax exclusion on employer-based benefits.

Ahhhh…the magic of  Obama’s proposed $2 Trillion in savings on health care.   Jason Shafrin the Health Care Economist does a great job of breaking down the numbers…and I do mean “breaking down”.

I do think that Universal Insurance is the way to go, but I think EVERYONE will need to pay into it.  And actually I think if everyone pays, that will be the real stimulus to bring about savings.

From the LA Times

They have embraced several cost-saving strategies already being promoted by Washington policymakers, such as simplifying billing, restructuring the way hospitals are paid and improving information technology. Details on how the $2 trillion could be saved, however, are lacking in a letter they provided to the White House.