Comments on: The Health Care Rebellion Begins

By: samantha prabhu

samantha prabhu — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 08:26:11 +0000

I think this time it takes even more time to get the perfect solution for these problem but the only thing people want to be same in the medicare is the benefits to the disabled and seniors !

By: Scott Kirwin

Scott Kirwin — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 22:25:43 +0000

Phil
Thanks for explaining that. I’ve never understood why access to health insurance was connected by employment, and believe that any solution must separate the former from the latter.

By: Phil Turmel

Phil Turmel — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 22:17:01 +0000

The connection between employment and health insurance is a not-so-accidental artifact of wage and price controls during World War II.

While the war was raging, consumer products were rationed and wages were controlled. To meet the war demands for productivity, employers needed creative ways to attract the best and brightest. Company-paid benefits weren’t regulated by the wage controls, so all kinds of bennies popped up in the labor market.

After companies started paying health insurance premiums, business leaders and their allies proposed a corporate expense deduction for them. (Business-friendly, Yay! says the conservative. Business lays a foundation for Big Brother, Yay! says the progressive.)

Once the deduction was established, it was possible for business to provide all kinds of health care services cheaper than employees could buy it themselves, just by including those services in the health insurance policy. With that, labor market competition locked it in.

The bias won’t go away, even under Obamacare, until:
1) Individuals can claim the same deduction, or
2) No one can claim the deduction.

By: The Council Has Spoken!! This Week’s Watcher’s Council Results | Virginia Right!

Mon, 12 Nov 2012 12:34:58 +0000

[...] Third place with 1 1/3 votes – The Razor-The Health Care Rebellion Begins [...]

By: Scott Kirwin

Scott Kirwin — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 02:01:42 +0000

Steve
Just out of curiosity, does your health insurance cost more than $2000 per employee? Do you feel that offering health insurance benefits your company?

By: steve

steve — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 17:28:47 +0000

If you have less than 50 employees you are exempt from the penalty. You will still have access to purchasing from exchanges, so you should be able to get cheaper insurance if you wish. (Health Affairs, among a number of other journals, has published several papers showing that health care is more expensive for smaller businesses. I run a small corporation. We recently crossed the critical 50-60 barrier and saw our premiums drop for the first time in 20 years.)

Steve

By: The Weekly Offering |

The Weekly Offering | — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 02:32:26 +0000

[...] Third place with 1 1/3 votes – The Razor-The Health Care Rebellion Begins [...]

By: This Week’s Watcher’s Council Results | therightplanet.com

This Week’s Watcher’s Council Results | therightplanet.com — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 01:59:54 +0000

[...] Third place with 1 1/3 votes – The Razor-The Health Care Rebellion Begins [...]

By: Bookworm Room » Watcher’s Council results for November 9, 2012

Bookworm Room » Watcher’s Council results for November 9, 2012 — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 00:50:35 +0000

[...] Third place with 1 1/3 votes – The Razor-The Health Care Rebellion Begins [...]

By: The Council Has Spoken!! This Week’s Watcher’s Council Results | Independent Sentinel

Sat, 10 Nov 2012 00:32:22 +0000

[...] Third place with 1 1/3 votes – The Razor -The Health Care Rebellion Begins [...]