"Cold" (42ยบ -- I remember how very warm that seemed a month ago, lol!) Stormy looking skies, but radar shows any wet to the north and east of here. . . . And no more nonsense about snow.
And Thankful's coming tomorrow (likely late night). Yay!!!!
Send him some love if you've got a few bucks to spare. Also, Grayson's got a bill to open up Medicare to all. That's our public option. Since people will pay to join, there will be no cost to the general fund and expanding an existing program is easy as pie.
I didn't understand for a long time that Medicare and Medicaid had to be deprivatized first because I didn't realize that they'd been partially privatized by letting insurers play middleman and collect an additional premium for NO service.
It's never been clear to me whether people are talking about this for 2011 or 2014. If you're talking about 2014, this would be a pretty poor public option but better than none at all. I really don't see that getting it working would be any easier than setting up something better.
If you're talking about 2011, there are real problems. Most of the people who would sign up are those who currently don't have insurance, either because they can't afford it or because pre-existing conditions keep them from getting insurance at any price. If they can't afford private insurance, they won't be able to afford Midecare either. Not without the subsidies that don't kick in until 2014. If they have pre-existing conditions, then the extra medical care they need will run up costs. The buy-in premium (presumably for everyone) will have to be adusted to reflect those costs. By how much? Pretty hard to guess, I'd think. And raising the premium just means that many more people who won't be able to afford it before the subsidy kicks in.
Bottom line: I don't think we can really have a public option before 2014. And come 2014, I think we can do better than Medicare.
Not much to say today. I worked a little extra today to help a coworker. I'm needed to work extra hours the next two weeks to cover for people who will be on vacation or away at workshops. That's good for the budget, though I expect to feel a bit fried. If I'm around a little less, don't worry.
Let us know when Thankful arrives safely, puddle!! ♥ And don't forget to come up for air and both blog a little now and then! :-D
Doctor Dean and the National Nurse are First!
ReplyDeleteCute bee!!
ReplyDelete"Cold" (42ยบ -- I remember how very warm that seemed a month ago, lol!) Stormy looking skies, but radar shows any wet to the north and east of here. . . . And no more nonsense about snow.
ReplyDeleteAnd Thankful's coming tomorrow (likely late night). Yay!!!!
Dean's backing Grayson
ReplyDeletehttps://www.graysonforcongress.com/pledge.asp?v=2&s=deandkos
Send him some love if you've got a few bucks to spare. Also, Grayson's got a bill to open up Medicare to all. That's our public option. Since people will pay to join, there will be no cost to the general fund and expanding an existing program is easy as pie.
I didn't understand for a long time that Medicare and Medicaid had to be deprivatized first because I didn't realize that they'd been partially privatized by letting insurers play middleman and collect an additional premium for NO service.
Hannah ~
ReplyDeleteEasy as pie? I hardly think so!
It's never been clear to me whether people are talking about this for 2011 or 2014. If you're talking about 2014, this would be a pretty poor public option but better than none at all. I really don't see that getting it working would be any easier than setting up something better.
If you're talking about 2011, there are real problems. Most of the people who would sign up are those who currently don't have insurance, either because they can't afford it or because pre-existing conditions keep them from getting insurance at any price. If they can't afford private insurance, they won't be able to afford Midecare either. Not without the subsidies that don't kick in until 2014. If they have pre-existing conditions, then the extra medical care they need will run up costs. The buy-in premium (presumably for everyone) will have to be adusted to reflect those costs. By how much? Pretty hard to guess, I'd think. And raising the premium just means that many more people who won't be able to afford it before the subsidy kicks in.
Bottom line: I don't think we can really have a public option before 2014. And come 2014, I think we can do better than Medicare.
Evenin' all. ♥
ReplyDeleteNot much to say today. I worked a little extra today to help a coworker. I'm needed to work extra hours the next two weeks to cover for people who will be on vacation or away at workshops. That's good for the budget, though I expect to feel a bit fried. If I'm around a little less, don't worry.
Let us know when Thankful arrives safely, puddle!! ♥
And don't forget to come up for air and both blog a little now and then! :-D
♡ Thanks for the Ally candles! ♡
ReplyDeletepuddle ♡
Thankful ♡
Bill ♡
Susan ♡
Will do. On both counts.
ReplyDelete