From where do people think the money for Universal Healthcare will come?

Question

For those that favor a socialized healthcare system in this country, where will the money come from? Surely, some businesses favor this because they won't have to pay the vast portion of health insurance premiums many employers do today. (Meaning those big, mean corporations will actually make MORE money)

So, where does the money come from?

By the way, for folks who believe a government monopoly will drive down costs, it won't. It's not going to prevent doctors from being sued. That's the hidden root problem with our system today - tort law!

Answer 1

Out of your pocket and everyone else's, it's a no-brainer man. It will be the same as paying for a Interstate, but it benefits people more then a Interstate can.

Answer 2

The first thing we have to do is realize the size of the problem. With medicare and medicade, there is a great deal of the population already receiving healthcare at taxpayers expense. Then consider govenment grants. This is all money coming from the government for healthcare. How much more would it take to pay for the rest of us? Second, they need to streamline the system and put some rules into effect. Using companies such as HMO's is a good idea. The govenment would only be responsible for paying premiums. Thus not needing another oversized government organization such as the IRS. I believe realisticly that it can be done with no more than the government pays now. Furthermore, standardized healthcare costs need to be established to put an end to insurance gouging that raises premiums.

Lawsuits are something this country has been needing to handle for some time now. Caps on lawsuits are a tricky situation. It saves the healthcare industry, but at what cost? They are seemingly relieved of any obligation to their patients. Holding individuals responsible for their neglegence is the answer here.

Answer 3

It'll come from the richest top 1% of course! (Which I believe is anyone over $250k/ yr) They already pay 1/3 of all income taxes, but that's not enough!

In reality, Bush actually has a pretty good healthcare plan, the idea being that your employer get out of the health care business and gives you the increase in money to buy it yourself *tax free*. True portability. There are also too many regulations within many states that make it expensive as it is now. But think about it- does your employer pay for your car or house insurance? Why does it make sense that they pay your health insurance. We need to remove this obscure link between health insurance and employers.

Answer 4

From the same place all fund come from....the taxpayer..

We, the taxpayer, are currently paying for a system that has no checks and balances. Who do you think pays the price for increased hospital costs due to not being paid by the patient...who do you think currently pays for the prescriptions of a person who can't pay.

There are over 43 million Americans with no health insurance because they can't afford to pay the premiums....who do you think currently pays for their medical care? We, the taxpayer.

Might as well put a program that is fair to all, where all can contribute some...instead of the current system where many are contributing nothing.

Answer 5

People who want universal coverage don't even consider where the money will come from nor how much money is involved. It would take 4.5 times the amount of money spent on national defense to take on healthcare.
Already about 60% of the federal budget is spend on entitlements. Having the federal government manage a system as large as healthcare is a scary idea. Talk about a fubar. That would surely qualify.

Answer 6

If we socialize Health Care it will come from taxes. They would have to raise taxes. Nothing is free. Universal Health care will not work. People will think it is good for a period of time. Look at Canada, people come here to get treatment.

I read an article several months back stating that they are actually starting to privatize up there. It's illegal but the government doesn't enforce because it works.

Answer 7

I don't think the cost is the problem, really. I think the concern should be quality of health care. If a doctor is restricted in his charges, or a doctor's income is limited based on the cost of healthcare, will you get the best care?

What about research and development? Will there be enough money in the system for that? Will it be enough?

Honestly, I would pay more taxes for it, but I want to make sure we have the best care available.

Answer 8

If you think for a minute that universal healthcare somehow lets ''business' off the hook - think again.
The smaller businesses that currently don't offer healthcare, will be mandated to do so. Hundreds of thousands of small businesses will be effected - a great many of them will close.
Big business will have taxes raised on their earnings - layoffs will result.
As in Europe, we will tax ourselves into servitude to the nanny state that provides for us.
I am the first to agree the healthcare system needs to be completely overhauled - so why wasn't Bushs plan given 5 minutes thought before being dismissed out-of-hand?
It raised taxes on the 'rich' - something every card-carrying Dem lives for - and gives insurance to everyone...as usual hatred for Bush overshadows all reasonable thought .

Answer 9

In Australia we have medicare and it comes out of our tax's some people still opt for private health coverage so the government gives them a tax rebate because they still pay the medicare levi but don't use it.Everybody is entitled to medical care here and priorities are treated as that and non life saving surgery waits and sometimes for a very long time and no cosmetic surgery.This is a very good system as long as it isnt abused.

Answer 10

That's like asking where the general tax revenues come from.
If the general masses never see it in their paychecks, and don't have to write out a check at the end of the year, they think they got off scott free.

Employers will simply have to add a few more clerks to pull the money out of everyone's income and shuffle it to the government before the employees notice it.

Our democracy would be a lot more effective and efficient if we were invoiced and had to write out a check to pay the government every month. Methinks Congress persons would have to be a lot more financially responsible.

Answer 11

It is a matter of redistribution of funding. Currently, a large portion of our GNP goes towards defense and military spending; very little of it, proportionally, goes towards entitlement programs. It is also a matter of redistribution of wealth in the form of, say, more progressive taxes on the wealthiest 5% of Americans.

People who scoff at the idea of universal healthcare have a tendency to believe that middle Americans would be taxed into poverty if such a program were to be implemented. This is a popular misconception, rooted firmly in one's ignorance of the fact that some European cultures have managed to balance universal healthcare with a thriving middle class.

On edit: it is childish to rate someone down simply because they do not agree with your politics.