It is amazing to me the number of pundits and politicians, Paul Krugman and Hillary Clinton among them, who are critical of universal health care based on the bogus argument that “it will massively increase taxes.” Bernie Sanders has no problem with that, planning to add 2.2% to my personal income tax, a move which makes him my hero. Based on the advocacy of “voting in my own best interest,” which I don’t do, that would get him my vote.
(As an aside, I vote in behalf of the best interest of the nation as a whole, not for the benefit of myself personally or of my own state.)
If Bernie passed universal health care, added 2.2% to my personal income tax, and relieved me of paying out the 13.2% of my income that I paid last year in health insurance premiums, copays and deductibles, I would be delighted with that. His opponents always mention the taxes, but they never point out that the taxpayer no longer has to pay for insurance.
In a similar vein, it was reported briefly in the news that signups in the “healthcare.gov” insurance plans has dropped this year by about one third over last year. The issue was dropped immediately by news organizations and has not been picked up for discussion by one single commentator or pundit. It’s a pretty massive drop in enrollment, and one has to wonder how come the media is not asking why it is happening.
I don’t know, of course, but one reason that occurs to me is that many people found out that having health insurance is not worth much when the copays and deductibles are so high, and the networks are so limited, that you cannot afford to use it.
That was always my thought from the beginning... The deductible is as much as the insurance itself, subsidized or not. You can't afford to use it. I wonder what kind of a product the insurance companies are selling. If that is not representative of the true cost, then someone is being disingenuous. Of course, that is normal with politicians and companies selling you a "financial product".
ReplyDeleteThat is one thing I like about Bernie Sanders, he's not afraid to think boldly. Unfortunately, what he proposes (and Hillary, too) have very little chance of making it through a Republican Congress. Too bad the gridlock continues.