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The problem is that the federal government explicitly penalizes this type of care through the tax code. Consumers pay these doctors with after-tax dollars whil
by ckinnan 17y ago
The problem is that the federal government explicitly penalizes this type of care through the tax code. Consumers pay these doctors with after-tax dollars while employers can use pre-tax dollars to buy insurance for their employees.
This is the central distortion in the US health-care system, and it is a major headwind for these innovative doctors.
- senthil_rajasek 17y agoYou can set aside pre-tax dollars using an HSA (Health Savings Account. But this has some gotchas that require advanced planning, http://www.ustreas.gov/offices/public-affairs/hsa/ http://www.ustreas.gov/offices/public-affairs/hsa/.
- ckinnan 17y agoHSA's are a step towards reform and are used by millions of people, but Congress is working to eliminate them: http://money.cnn.com/2009/07/24/news/economy/health_care_reform_obama.fortune/ http://money.cnn.com/2009/07/24/news/economy/health_care_ref...
- travisp 17y agoHSAs are awesome if you are eligible. But, if you don't have a high deductible plan, you're not eligible. So this doesn't benefit people with lower deductibles from their employer who might still benefit from going to a doctor with a plan like this.