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"Medicare for all willing to pay 10% of taxable income" seems like a way to sneak universal healthcare through the political backdoor. It will initially have a
by cornholio 1y ago
"Medicare for all willing to pay 10% of taxable income" seems like a way to sneak universal healthcare through the political backdoor. It will initially have a funding shortfall due to adverse selection (it will attract primarily people with low incomes, high risks or both) but you would gradually move all public subsidies towards that program and remove all incentives, tax credits and rate protections from those who choose the free market option, and when just a minority still hangs on to the private providers, you make the 10% health tax mandatory to all.
The way I see it, you will never wrestle away the trillion dollar bone from the mouth of the US healthcare industry, but you can make it wither away indirectly by creating a better universal system and dismantling the status quo. It's not like Europeans are forbidden the option of private insurance, it's just that it can't take hold and grow to control a significant part of the spending because everyone can see it's not the solution that will save you when you will get really really sick.
- AstroBen 1y agoAustralia has a medicare levy of 2% taxable income - and last time I did the math I'd pay an equal amount in tax there as I do in the US Seems ridiculous the US doesn't have it
- thunky 1y agoA huge number of Australians (over half of the population) also pay for private insurance. https://www.commonwealthfund.org/international-health-policy-center/countries/australia https://www.commonwealthfund.org/international-health-policy...
- therealpygon 1y agoSounds like a good choice then. 2% for a basic level of care for everyone seems awfully reasonable. We are already paying roughly 1.5% for medicare with most people not being eligible.
- tharkun__ 1y agoDoes it? Let's look at another country that has "great universal health care". Let's look to Europe, that's always "up there", right? For statutory or public health insurance, you pay for your insurance through social contributions, the rate of which is 14.6% of the income as determined by the Federal Ministry of Health for 2024. https://www.germany-visa.org/insurances-germany/health-insurance/cost/ https://www.germany-visa.org/insurances-germany/health-insur... Pretty sure that's up but let's assume 15% of income.
- AstroBen 1y agoDoes Germany represent the entirety of Europe? The UK, Italy, Denmark, Spain, plenty of others fund their healthcare through general taxes.. why are you focusing on one country? And to not mis-represent Germany too badly - that 14.6% is split between the employer and employee
- ponector 1y agoDoes it mean any difference who is the payer if it is deducted from the employer's budget for salaries?
- tharkun__ 1y agoIt was an example. You can make other examples. Let's take France. Looks like it's 8% you pay: You’ll pay 8% of your income (that the French government is allowed to tax, after an additional standard deduction of around $11,000 per person). As a ballpark figure, an individual who has income to declare to the French government of $30,000 will pay around $1,520 a year in healthcare. However, you are also only reimbursed 70-80% of your costs (depending on what it is), similar to the NA system(s), where your employer health plan may only reimburse a percentage as well but where no 'top-up' exists. In order to make up the remaining amount in excess of the 70% reimbursement (80% for hospital stays), many French residents opt for private, or “top-up,” insurance. Several options exist, and rates vary from $36 to $72, on average, per month https://internationalliving.com/countries/france/health/ https://internationalliving.com/countries/france/health/
- cornholio 1y ago
- staringback 1y agoThe cost of Medicare in Australia far exceeds the levy. That was added as an additional tax to supplement the regular funding.
- wqaatwt 1y ago> Europeans are forbidden the option of private insurance In fact some European countries have entirely privatized systems. Wasn’t the ACA based on those? They are just mandatory and strictly regulated.