Re:Poor and Uninsured in Texas
by Broken_Hippo on Friday August 19, 2016 @06:07AM
(#12319008)
I still find this sort of idealism confusing.
Some insurance companies require employers to sign up a certain percentage of their employees to get the rates they have. Bigger companies often have better plans simply because more people are paying into the system as well. In addition to paying for other folks' care through insurance, he's also paying a premium for his care in part to pay for other people.
In addition, he'd actually work less. If you turned the rates folks pay for health care into a tax, it would make the tax rate fairly high - I dont have numbers, but I'm going to guess it would put it over and above what average tax rates in single-payer nations pay. He'd only really be "paying for himself" in either case. Not to mention the ridiculous out of pocket amounts. 2000-5000 a year deductible is nearly like not having insurance if you are making a low wage because that is a significant portion of your yearly salary.
And the sad portion of all this is that for many folks with such idealism, even showing how it would work on paper isn't enough to change their minds - mostly because it isn't an issue of even what is best for self. It is (sometimes nearly religious) support for an idealism they don't want to give up.
Some insurance companies require employers to sign up a certain percentage of their employees to get the rates they have. Bigger companies often have better plans simply because more people are paying into the system as well. In addition to paying for other folks' care through insurance, he's also paying a premium for his care in part to pay for other people.
In addition, he'd actually work less. If you turned the rates folks pay for health care into a tax, it would make the tax rate fairly high - I dont have numbers, but I'm going to guess it would put it over and above what average tax rates in single-payer nations pay. He'd only really be "paying for himself" in either case. Not to mention the ridiculous out of pocket amounts. 2000-5000 a year deductible is nearly like not having insurance if you are making a low wage because that is a significant portion of your yearly salary.
And the sad portion of all this is that for many folks with such idealism, even showing how it would work on paper isn't enough to change their minds - mostly because it isn't an issue of even what is best for self. It is (sometimes nearly religious) support for an idealism they don't want to give up.