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How much would single payer cost?

Posted on 9/22/17 at 6:40 am
Posted by TitleistProV1X
Member since Nov 2015
3527 posts
Posted on 9/22/17 at 6:40 am
How much extra would we have to pay in taxes for government run health insurance? I've seen anywhere from 6-10% extra for high income earners. Right now I pay ~$400 per month through my employer for a family plan. If you have a household income of $250k that means you would be paying ~$15k-$25k a year for awful service provided by the federal government. It's hard to believe that they would propose this but the money has to come from somewhere and it can only be from those that earn more. Why should this be supported?
Posted by Mr.Perfect
Louisiana
Member since Mar 2013
17444 posts
Posted on 9/22/17 at 6:42 am to
Without strict boarders and reduced immigration, it would cost "too much" in year one and even more every year moving forward
Posted by IceTiger
Really hot place
Member since Oct 2007
26584 posts
Posted on 9/22/17 at 6:43 am to
They are crazy...every other country's service sucks
Posted by CelticDog
Member since Apr 2015
42867 posts
Posted on 9/22/17 at 6:43 am to
Profit is the key element.

Usa md makes twice what the euro md makes.

Posted by CelticDog
Member since Apr 2015
42867 posts
Posted on 9/22/17 at 6:46 am to
Negotiate bulk purchase of meds for medicaid.
My eye drops $475 for a 6 week supply in usa public.
I pay
$80 for 3 months supply.
Posted by DaBike
Member since Jan 2008
9377 posts
Posted on 9/22/17 at 6:48 am to
I'm more concerned about the poor care provided in a single payer system. I lived in the U.K. for 3yrs under their single payer system. The care and treatment a available is of a lower standard than what we find in the US. You also had to wait weeks or months or basic services.

I'm willing to pay more for the quality of care and medical advancements we receive in the US.
Posted by NC_Tigah
Carolinas
Member since Sep 2003
124723 posts
Posted on 9/22/17 at 6:54 am to
quote:

I've seen anywhere from 6-10% extra for high income earners.
Cost would run north of $2 trillion/year.
Current individual income tax revenue is $1.65 trillion.

So income tax revenue overall would need to increase >200%, perhaps as much as 250%. Insofar as "high income earners" share of that, you do the math.
Posted by Kickadawgitfeelsgood
Lafayette LA
Member since Nov 2005
14089 posts
Posted on 9/22/17 at 6:56 am to
I'd like to do a comparison. What's the cost of the proposed plan?
Posted by tigeraddict
Baton Rouge
Member since Mar 2007
11888 posts
Posted on 9/22/17 at 7:09 am to
All single payer will do is elevate 20% of the US population up and bring down the other 80%.

Then you will see a surge of private care facilities where those that can afford to pay their taxes and pay for better access/care (similar to the private school system)

Right now the us pay about 17-20% ( 20% GDP by 2025of our GDP on health care.

Right now we pay as a country 26% of our GDP in taxes. so if this is proportional, then you will pay another 75-80% more in taxes to fund single payer if current costs = single payer costs. But with "Free" access to health care you either see more straining the system, or the system slows down and has delays....unless you spend even more for personnel and facilities.

Not to mention, the sheer inefficiency/corruption losses trying to run a government program on this scale. 1/5 (and growing) of GDP now run 100% by one source....

Posted by BamaAtl
South of North
Member since Dec 2009
22076 posts
Posted on 9/22/17 at 7:35 am to
In sum, it would be about a wash.

Shifting the money from premiums to taxes makes the taxes look big and scary, but you guys always forget to mention that you'd no longer be paying premiums.

Posted by Obtuse1
Westside Bodymore Yo
Member since Sep 2016
26188 posts
Posted on 9/22/17 at 7:35 am to
quote:


How much extra would we have to pay in taxes for government run health insurance? I've seen anywhere from 6-10% extra for high income earners. Right now I pay ~$400 per month through my employer for a family plan. If you have a household income of $250k that means you would be paying ~$15k-$25k a year for awful service provided by the federal government. It's hard to believe that they would propose this but the money has to come from somewhere and it can only be from those that earn more. Why should this be supported?


First roughly 40% of Americans are covered under a single payer plan currently either by Medicare or Medicaid. I am sure I know people on Medicaid I don't know who they are nor have I talked to them about it. As for Medicare I have dealt with it with my grandparents as well as discussed it with a few other seniors and they all seem to be happy with the coverage. I will say there was less red tape dealing with Medicare for my grandparents than my experience with private insurance, so the federal government CAN run an effective system at least on the payment side.

Another issue is employers usually pay some portion of employees premiums so the $400 you pay is unlikely to be the actual cost. The assumption is if there was a single payer then employers would provide the money saved to their employees (or continue to pay that portion as part of the single payer premium, like Medicare withholdings) so it SHOULD be a zero-sum game.

I am generally in favor of the IDEA of single payer since a healthy population has a more productive workforce as well as fewer people drowning in medical debt with the resulting bankruptcies.

I understand the idea the young healthy people don't feel the need for health insurance but they are sometimes the ones that rack up huge medical bills, default on them and we pay anyway.

I honestly think if people could get early intervention and avoid ED visits when things get bad there would be an overall savings.

In my life I have spent over $250k in various insurance premiums (not counting Medicare paid in as I have never gone through all my taxes to determine that figure) and been paid out only about $20k on my behalf. I have subsidized those sicker than me, ones that have been sued for malpractice, had houses burn down, had cars and boats stolen etc. I am not happy about it but I understand the cost of mitigating the possibility of huge losses.

One other thing to note is in most countries that have single payer there is still a private industry that provides policies to augment the single payer similar to the Medicare supplements we have here now.

In general I am for a "medicare for everyone" type plan but the transition would be painful and I understand the impact on the insurance industry (but can't quantify it). I think we would be a better more productive society with it. This position is based on the fact I think we all pay for the care anyway, just indirectly, and the way care for the uninsured is handled usually cost much more.

I do get that it is ideological and thus political and partisan but again I think it would be a net positive in the long run for our country.
Posted by Jorts R Us
Member since Aug 2013
14938 posts
Posted on 9/22/17 at 8:12 am to
NOTHING. This is why we need the government to take over everything because it's free for us. Duh.
Posted by cajuncarguy
On the road...Again!
Member since Jun 2013
3135 posts
Posted on 9/22/17 at 9:15 am to
$31 Trillion for 10 years. Mostly debt. That's the estimate. The USA can't afford it so they will have to borrow it.
This post was edited on 9/22/17 at 9:16 am
Posted by Eli Goldfinger
Member since Sep 2016
32785 posts
Posted on 9/22/17 at 9:24 am to
quote:

How much would single payer cost?


It's hard to monetize the loss of healthcare innovation and R&D.

Other countries like to point out their socialized healthcare vs. the US's system, but they would prefer not to discuss how the US is clearly the world's leader in health innovation.
Posted by MrCarton
Paradise Valley, MT
Member since Dec 2009
20231 posts
Posted on 9/22/17 at 9:38 am to
quote:

How much would single payer cost


The soul of the nation, give or take.
Posted by tjv305
Member since May 2015
12523 posts
Posted on 9/22/17 at 10:19 am to
Everyone knows that single payer will be bad for everyone who works. Democrats know that it's not going to be passed because they don't have enough votes now . If they really believed it would work then they would want this new health care bill by Graham/Cassidy to passed so they could have single payer in the states they run and show us how good it is .
Posted by Navytiger74
Member since Oct 2009
50458 posts
Posted on 9/22/17 at 11:02 am to
Way too much without some serious revision to our understanding of what constitutes "healthcare."
Posted by bonhoeffer45
Member since Jul 2016
4367 posts
Posted on 9/22/17 at 11:02 am to
Well, take your pick. Projections range from 1.3 trillion to 2.8 trillion a year for Sanders very vague and very broad starting legislation on single payer from last year. One that would cover everyone with no deductibles and basically encompass the entire administrative insurance process with no real attempt at cost controls.

The question of course becomes, what is the current price tag of our system? And the answer to that, at the roughly 18% of GDP, is 3.3 trillion.

Now, 64% of that 3.3 trillion is already paid for in taxes in this country. Between Medicaid, Medicare, the VA, children's health funds, and the ACA. The CBO tags this number at the federal level at 1.05 trillion dollars.

Which of course still leaves the money in taxes paid at the state level. Which amounts to 180 billion or so dollars on their end. Which brings our total up to around 1.2 trillion.

Of the 36% remaining, employer insurance takes up a big chunk. Which itself is propped up with a tax subsidy that means the government is taking in less revenue then it otherwise would by not charging employers and employees taxes on wage benefits. Economists have estimated this cost to be roughly 260 billion annually(on the low end of estimates).





This post was edited on 9/22/17 at 11:39 am
Posted by Machine
Earth
Member since May 2011
6001 posts
Posted on 9/22/17 at 11:43 am to
all the monies
Posted by LSU Patrick
Member since Jan 2009
73658 posts
Posted on 9/22/17 at 11:54 am to
It would cost a lot more than just money.
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