Richard, Very good idea.
On Aug 5, 10:53 pm, RichardForbes <[email protected]> wrote: > We have attempted to make our pension benefits portable. The same > idea is important for healthcare, though the implementation is a bit > different. I think that the combination of a government clearing > house for small employers and individuals along with a federal > exemption similar to ERISA would provide a bsais for the capacity to > create a more portable system. Any person teminated could gain access > through the clearing house and any person changing employers would > have the same capacity. It would eliminate much of the need for > insurers to have pre-existing condition clauses because the size of > the group would be large enough to limit the risk of adverse > selection. > > On Aug 5, 10:46 pm, Hollywood <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Richard, > > > That you have. Nor was my question to you loaded. I do not believe we > > have to copy the system of any one nation, not France or germany or > > the Swiss, etc. I feel we should, and should have been doing this for > > years, carefully examine the systems or several of the nations that > > seem to have the most effective systems and "borrow" the best ideas > > from each of them and adopt them to our own country. There is, I > > believe, no one "magic bullet". One thing, and one thing only, that > > would help a great deal is to not link health insurance to one's > > employer. A working man/woman should be able to retain the same > > insurance he/she has AT THE SAME PRICE from employer to employer > > without interuption of coverage or benefits. Let a county, state, > > whatever take competitive bids from competing insurance companies to > > insure perhaps either all it's citizens or perhaps just those not > > already covered by Medicare. Let the premium be paid out some sort of > > interest bearing fund owned by that entity and have safeguards in > > place that prevent that fund for being used for ANYTHING else. Fund it > > by taxes levied on all the citizens of that entity. Sure there will be > > administrative expenses. Thik we're NOT paying for the administrative > > expensives of the insurance companies? Well managed (hopefully) the > > interest accumulated by such a large fund should off-set a goodly > > portion of those administrative costs. > > that is ONE idea only, and pretty much just off the top of my head. > > > And FORCE Medicare and Medicaid to go out on competive bids for all > > the drugs and other supplies. You want to be on the list of approved > > suppliers of "XYZ" medications? You better have the best price. if > > Walgreens or CVS does not want to buy from that company? Well to bad, > > guess some other drug store will get all the medicare business. Hell, > > how many people would start a drug store just to have all the medicare/ > > medicaid reciepents in a city, county or state? > > > And I like many of the ideas that you propose. Your thinking, and > > that's more than i can say for most people here and in our government. > > > On Aug 5, 9:49 pm, RichardForbes <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > Hollywood - > > > > I would hope that I have earned enough of your trust to merit an > > > honest reply to my question. I do not believe it was loaded and it > > > reflected what I think is a significant issue. I would like your > > > reply. > > > > As to the question you asked, (I hope this is an adequate answer), > > > from my perspective it is pretty simple. We need to do the following: > > > > First, you let the government create a clearing house for small group > > > and individual purchases. That would give those the capacity to > > > obtain insurance at group rates and would require little time to > > > implement or a significant bureaucracy for oversight. In fact, much > > > of the cost could be directly passed to the insurers. > > > > Second, you allow the federal government to exempt insurers from state > > > laws and thus make > > > them free to sell across state lines. That would increase competition > > > and reduce prices. > > > > Third, you utilize tax incentive to encourage employers to provide a > > > minimal level of coverage while disincentivizing them from providing > > > the "Cadillac policies". > > > > Last of all, you focus on assuring that all Americans have > > > catastrophic coverage and flexible spending accounts so that they can > > > self-insure against minor health needs and still be protected against > > > the biggest risks and thus make them healthcare consumers. > > > > It would take about FOUR pages to draft my bill and most would > > > understand it and it would > > > actually reduce the cost of healthcare. Obviously, I am opposed to > > > ALL government bureaucracy without a very good reason. But, I > > > recognize they can help in some ways. I just think it is best to > > > limit their involvement to those rare areas where they can add > > > value. > > > > Please let me know what you think of the ideas. > > > > On Aug 5, 9:31 pm, Hollywood <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Richard, > > > > > I'll counter that with a question of my own. Do you really think that > > > > American's are the ONLY modern, industrialized nation in the world too > > > > corrupt and/or stupid to be able to figure out a system to supply > > > > universal health care for their citizens? > > > > > On Aug 5, 9:18 pm, RichardForbes <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > Hollywood - > > > > > > I did not read through the entire thread and I have no idea what you > > > > > may have said in prior posts. With that said, I have a question for > > > > > you. Do you think that the federal government will more efficiently > > > > > administer the healthcare in our country? > > > > > > On Aug 5, 9:05 pm, Hollywood <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > frankg, > > > > > > > If the car dealers lay off people, if the car manufacturers lay off > > > > > > people, if the banks that make car loans lay off people,if the > > > > > > suppliers of those car dealers and manufacturers and banks lay off > > > > > > people whose money do you think will be used to pay for unemployment > > > > > > checks, food stamps if they need it, etc? > > > > > > > On Aug 5, 8:42 pm, frankg <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > Mark, > > > > > > > > No kidding. I'm willing to bet I can drive the sales up on just > > > > > > > about > > > > > > > anything by offering to help pay for it with someone else's money. > > > > > > > What's the point? > > > > > > > > On Aug 5, 8:49 pm, Mark <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > auto sales are up over 25% in europe under an identical > > > > > > > > program....it is > > > > > > > > working > > > > > > > > > On Wed, Aug 5, 2009 at 5:37 PM, VT VirtualTruth > > > > > > > > <[email protected]>wrote: > > > > > > > > > > I got news for you, the fact that the program was depletedr > > > > > > > > > an identical > > > > > > > > > program....it is working. > > > > > > > > > so quickly shows there was a need and as a stimulus > > > > > > > > > the earnings numbers for the auto industry says > > > > > > > > > it worked. > > > > > > > > > > On Aug 4, 1:17 pm, Sage2 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > Doc, > > > > > > > > > > > You and VT should take the advice of Senato sales or > > > > > > > > > > Schumer ( > > > > > > > > > D-NY ) > > > > > > > > > > who said of the cash for clunkers program " don't fix what > > > > > > > > > > ain't broke > > > > > > > > > > " . Health Care ain't broken , it just needs a little > > > > > > > > > > adjustment, but > > > > > > > > > > guys like Obama and his ilk want to crush it ! > > > > > > > > > > ******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** > > > > > > > > > > > On Aug 4, 1:00 pm, DOC828NDF <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > Hmm.... I would love to agree with you, but the > > > > > > > > > > > Republicans may be > > > > > > > > > > > onto something when they say "what's the rush"... I mean, > > > > > > > > > > > for > > > > > > > > > > > example... What if we were to rush into a war without > > > > > > > > > > > thinking it > > > > > > > > > > > through? No diplomacy, and no planning... What if > > > > > > > > > > > something goes wrong > > > > > > > > > > > and its not as easy as we initially thought? Do we really > > > > > > > > > > > have aan > > > > > > > > > > > exit strategy? We need to take some time to think this > > > > > > > > > > > thing through. > > > > > > > > > > > After all, its not like anyone's dying for healthcare > > > > > > > > > > > > On Aug 3, 3:58 pm, VT Sean Lewis > > > > > > > > > > > <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > Health Care Reform is NEEDED NOW! > > > > > > > > > > > > The Republican party is becoming the party of hatred > > > > > > > > > > > > and the > > > > > > > > > > > > destruction of the American dream. > > > > > > > > > > > > > Sean Lewis > > > > > > > > > > > > August 3, 2009 > > > > > > > > > > > > > 1) Minimal basic coverage for the unemployed and > > > > > > > > > > > > uninsured. > > > > > > > > > > > > > 2) Preventative care to lower future costs > > > > > > > > > > > > > 3) Restructure Medicare and Medicaid so they don't go > > > > > > > > > > > > bankrupt. > > > > > > > > > > > > > Who could possibly be against this reform? > > > > > > > > > > > > > Republicans! > > > > > > > > > > > > > Republicans had control of the last 8 years of the > > > > > > > > > > > > US political system, with Bush having veto > > > > > > > > > > > > power for all eight and the GOP control of the > > > > > > > > > > > > Congress for 6 years. The result was the almost > > > > > > > > > > > > complete destruction of the US economy. > > > > > > > > > > > > > The country was on the brink of complete collapse > > > > > > > > > > > > the last quarter of the Bush Administration. An > > > > > > > > > > > > Administration and party that was in complete > > > > > > > > > > > > denial there was a problem with the economy. > > > > > > > > > > > > > It was with the last minute infusion of over $1 Trillion > > > > > > > > > > > > in a single quarter that saved the > > ... > > read more »- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more. -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
