2016 Health Insurance Premiums
Those of us in the private health insurance market in Minnesota are being socked with 40-50% increases in premiums eff 1-1-16. I may have to put the RV up on blocks and park it in the driveway. I have...
Forum Discussion
tjfogelberg wrote:
This is a complex topic. I posted it here because the issue (dramatically rising health care costs) impacts all of us and leaves less money in our pockets for camping! :) Thanks everyone for your feedback. No easy answers. One final thought (from me)... We already have single payer for everyone 65 and over! Medicare system is generally considered more efficient at processing claims than the private insurers. I would like to see a Medicare option for those under 65. Enrollment would be optional and serve as an alternative to the mess we have now. There would be premiums just like there are now for those 65 and older. Those premiums would vary depending on INCOME and age (ability to pay) - not health status. Thanks again.
As someone who recently transitioned onto Medicare I'm not sure I can agree that it is efficient and such, but I do agree making it optional for everyone of any age would have been a far better solution that Obamacare. Another option Congress could have considered was expanding the VA to be the healthcare provider of last resort while removing the requirement that healthcare providers who receive public funds are obligated to provide services regardless of the patient's ability to pay. But I think in considering both these options even Congress was smart enough to realize that they would have sunk the country financially and that's why they shifted the cost burden to the young and healthy. Obamacare wasn't a gift to the people, it was a gift to the insurance companies.
