Healthcare and Me

I like my health care. I can go to my doctor when I want and have the ability to go to a specialist without an initial opinion from my primary care giver. What I like most about my health care is the fact I get to choose how much I want to pay. This year I elected a $500 deductible EPO. Last year, it was an HMO and was about $30 a paycheck cheaper. I went with the EPO because it covers a higher percentage of my costs since I am starting allergy shots.

This is a lot different than Medicare. I do not get a choice in payment options with Medicare. The government dictates the tax and applies it to my earnings. Since it is a tax, I pay a higher premium that someone who is making less than me. This is the equivalent of going to the grocery store and having to pay $5 for gum where someone else pays 50 cents because I make more money. If a convenience store did this, they would be charged with discrimination or price gouging. Why should the government be allowed to do this?

If we are subjected to a government plan, will my wife be forced to pay for Medicare premiums too even though we currently only use the family plan from my job? This would essentially double my health care costs. What happens if I want to opt out of Medicare? Will the government give me this option? I doubt it because Medicare uses my current payments to cover the expenses of recipients today which sounds a whole lot like a ponzi scheme. We can discuss this idea later.

Secondly, government should push legislation for individual health care choices rather than employer based health care. This option would allow individuals to purchase health insurance with a tax credit to cover the difference that an employer would have paid. There is some really good research on how this system would benefit and best of all, it really is a fair price where I pay the same as everyone else.

We all agree on one thing, we need to reduce the costs of health care and increase the amount of people with coverage. I believe the governments only role in this is to offer meaningful regulations for the industry. I should not be forced into health insurance or Medicare with no ability to opt out if I cannot afford the premiums or should I say tax.