Will Obamacare succeed where term limits failed?

[Lemur]

I would prefer to be optimistic and say it is only a small problem

It's a huge problem. Costs in the USA healthcare system are completely out of control.

Just in the last few years, healthcare as a percentage of our national gross domestic product went from 16.6% (2008) to 17.9% (2011).

Note that healthcare growth as a percentage of the economy slowed during this period. And still managed to leave inflation, and every other national economic sector, in the dust.

Like I said, trends that can't continue, don't. My hope is that we have a soft rather than hard landing.

People with money would still find the healthcare they want, only at additional expense than the taxes they already pay

That's how most single-payer systems work. A national baseline of healthcare, and then more or faster or better service if you have the means to pony up. Seems to work pretty well.

My mother and step-father are obsessive Fox News viewers, and they insist that private healthcare is illegal in Great Britain. Because, you know, socialism and stuff. No matter how many times I explained that this was false, to this day they will tell anyone who will listen how private doctors are illegal in Merry Olde Englande.

Fact-free. So much of this debate is blissfully devoid of data and empiricism. Makes me crazy.

[Papewaio]

In Aus it works like this:

1.5% Medicare tax
After a certain threshold:
1.5% Medicare tax + Private Health Insurance or 2.5% Medicare tax without Private Health Insurance.

Medicare covers the basic health system and it is the primary one for emergency care.
Private health insurance reduces and/or removes private health costs. The private health system allows either a private room in the same hospitals, more options, quicker access via private hospitals etc. Private health is also the primary way for elective surgery.

If you are really rich you could just pay outright for private health. But if you really are rich you would know how to reduce your cost base in the first place.

So it is similar to a free to play game where you can pay to get better outfits or shorter queue to server.

[Beskar]

That's how most single-payer systems work. A national baseline of healthcare, and then more or faster or better service if you have the means to pony up. Seems to work pretty well.

My mother and step-father are obsessive Fox News viewers, and they insist that private healthcare is illegal in Great Britain. Because, you know, socialism and stuff. No matter how many times I explained that this was false, to this day they will tell anyone who will listen how private doctors are illegal in Merry Olde Englande.

Fact-free. So much of this debate is blissfully devoid of data and empiricism. Makes me crazy.

If you was curious, the biggest private providers in the UK are Bupa.

I would be interested for you to use their "get a quote" to get a price comparison. To see if it is cheaper or more expensive than typical insurance in the US.

For me by myself, it looks between £41-65 per month. So $61-100 in your money.

This could be cheaper due to the public funding aspects as well.

[Papewaio]

I am with Bupa here. Costs vary by state and type of cover.

I don't have hospital cover just extras such as optical and dental.

So I pay the 2.5% Medicare rate.

[a completely inoffensive name]

Eventually the US will move to single payer. It's only a matter of time. The current situation will literally choke us to death financially and it has been, and only then will Americans come kicking and screaming to the same policy that every other industrialized nation has adopted.

[Xiahou]

Union leaders who helped push Obamacare's passage, now seem to be suffering from buyer's remorse...

Union Letter: Obamacare Will ‘Destroy The Very Health and Wellbeing’ of Workers

Can't say we didn't try to warn them....

[Fisherking]

The link didn’t work!

But here it is: http://blogs.wsj.com/corporate-intel...ng-of-workers/

I do find it disturbing that the Named Representatives are called Leader, regardless of what ever title they may have in Congress.

Smacks too much of Der Führer.

[Lemur]

Union leaders who helped push Obamacare's passage, now seem to be suffering from buyer's remorse...

Did we read the same letter? They just want some specific changes made to the implementation, and they're using apocalyptic language in a fit of overstatement. Nowhere do they demand the repeal of Obamacare; rather, like everybody with fingers in this pie, they want bits bent to suit their needs. Seems like perfectly normal lobbying.

Deeply amused that it's signed by Jimmy Hoffa. Does this mean they found him?

[Ironside]

Deeply amused that it's signed by Jimmy Hoffa. Does this mean they found him?

Close. Being aware of his forthcoming death, Jimmy Hoffa decided to conduct a biochemical project, where he implanted his genetical material into a living host, where the specimen grew, to eventually emerge after the incubation period ended. Due to limitation in this process, genetical material from the host were also used, creating only a partial clone, that despite having a diffferent upbringing decided to pursue a similar career.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Or in other words, he had a son.

[Fisherking]

Did we read the same letter? They just want some specific changes made to the implementation, and they're using apocalyptic language in a fit of overstatement. Nowhere do they demand the repeal of Obamacare; rather, like everybody with fingers in this pie, they want bits bent to suit their needs. Seems like perfectly normal lobbying.

Deeply amused that it's signed by Jimmy Hoffa. Does this mean they found him?

It sounded concerned enough for me. I have wondered about those 30 hour part time help limits my self.

If employers have incentives to cut work hours to save an expense they will not hesitate.

I would have also thought that existing employer/union plans would have been grandfathered in.

Tax exemptions and subsidies one would think would be based on income and not on whether the plan was a non profit or for profit plan.

Isn’t supposed to be about getting people affordable health care instead of benefiting large Insurance plans and major health care corporations?

If this were a sane world workers and small businesses would have woken up and seen that both established parties were only out to please the big money of corporations and founded a new party.

Instead they just believe the lies of their preferred group and blame the other side. And nothing changes.