The Truth: John Edward's Health Care Plan

[Aimster]

John Edward's says that 1/6 people are without health insurance in the United States. His plan is to give these people without health insurance the insurance they 'deserve'. His plan calls for 90-120B a year to make this possible.
Let's work with this 120B figure. His plan would call for half of the 120B to come from businesses. Therefore, this leaves 60B in income tax revenue that John Edwards needs to come up with.

Who is effected? People who make over $200,000 /year

Let's work with the year 2003. In 2003 130,423,626 people filed tax returns.
How many of these people made more than $200,000? 2,573,133

so 2,573,133 people are going to pay for the health care of 40,000,000+ people. They will need to come up with 60B.

That means that on average each of them will have to come up with an additional $23,317.88

The plan is pretty much this:
half of the money the rich make goes into taxes (including, state, etc.)

 

[f1sh3r]

im poor. sounds good to me 🙂

 

[Arcex]

Clearly it's not going to happen, so he must be doing it for political reasons, ergo he is doing it to score points with the serious liberals. All I can say is, good luck with that...

 

[Aimster]

I pay $50/month for my health insurance.

My deductible is $2,000 but I get 3 doctor visits a year. It even covers prescriptions. Max out of pocket is 4 or 5k (forgot which one), and maximum they will cover is 5 million.

I do not see how people cannot get health insurance. $50/month people.... $50/month...

 

[ProfJohn]

I already ran the numbers in the first thread.

The top 5% would have to raise the amount of income they send to the Federal government from 20% of gross income to 25% of gross income, a 20% increase in taxes.

And this is IF the program ONLY costs $100 billion a year.

Of course the fact that we don't support taking money from the rich and giving to the poor means we are heartless.

 

[Deleted member 4644]

This is the first I have heard about it, but it doesn't so so terrible to me. Again, I haven't had time to think about it... but if you are making 200k+ a year, my first reaction is that you can afford some pretty high taxes and still live a great life.

My family (4) makes about $300,000 a year and we live like kings (even with ~40% taxes).

That said, maybe there should be more differentiations between people who make 100k, 200k, 300k and 500k? Also, I will admit that actors/CEO/etc with BIG BIG money are all using tax shelters anyways, so it will only affect the slightly rich, not the amazingly rich.

 

[ProfJohn]

Originally posted by: Aimster
I pay $50/month for my health insurance.

My deductible is $2,000 but I get 3 doctor visits a year. It even covers prescriptions. Max out of pocket is 4 or 5k (forgot which one), and maximum they will cover is 5 million.

I do not see how people cannot get health insurance. $50/month people.... $50/month...

Is that a plan through work?
What if your work does not offer a plan?
Or the plan is to much.

There is a problem with health care for the poor, but the government is not the answer. At least in Edwards plan. Encourage businesses to offer plans to ALL employees.

 

[Aimster]

Originally posted by: ProfJohn

Originally posted by: Aimster
I pay $50/month for my health insurance.

My deductible is $2,000 but I get 3 doctor visits a year. It even covers prescriptions. Max out of pocket is 4 or 5k (forgot which one), and maximum they will cover is 5 million.

I do not see how people cannot get health insurance. $50/month people.... $50/month...

Is that a plan through work?
What if your work does not offer a plan?
Or the plan is to much.

There is a problem with health care for the poor, but the government is not the answer. At least in Edwards plan. Encourage businesses to offer plans to ALL employees.

individual plan.

 

[Deleted member 4644]

What about my comments? Or do you just want to ignore them?

 

[CPA]

Originally posted by: LordSegan
This is the first I have heard about it, but it doesn't so so terrible to me. Again, I haven't had time to think about it... but if you are making 200k+ a year, my first reaction is that you can afford some pretty high taxes and still live a great life.

My family (4) makes about $300,000 a year and we live like kings (even with ~40% taxes).

That said, maybe there should be more differentiations between people who make 100k, 200k, 300k and 500k? Also, I will admit that actors/CEO/etc with BIG BIG money are all using tax shelters anyways, so it will only affect the slightly rich, not the amazingly rich.

Yes, because every family only has four people in it and live under the same circumstances. My wife and I make about $160K combined. It isn't as easy as you think, and we certainly don't live like kings.

 

[bctbct]

I dont see how you have medical insurance for $50 per month.

 

[Wreckem]

Originally posted by: bctbct
I dont see how you have medical insurance for $50 per month.

Its possible if you shop around.

Im looking at a $68/month plan.

$2000 deductible/$5000 max out of pocket

$30/60/10 DR/ER/Perscription copays.

 

[Rainsford]

Originally posted by: Wreckem

Originally posted by: bctbct
I dont see how you have medical insurance for $50 per month.

Its possible if you shop around.

Im looking at a $68/month plan.

$2000 deductible/$5000 max out of pocket

$30/60/10 DR/ER/Perscription copays.

You guys seem to be ignoring that deductible cost. Even if you can afford the premiums, I doubt poor families have $5000 they can drop on health care if something tragic happens.

 

[BlancoNino]

Originally posted by: Aimster
I pay $50/month for my health insurance.

My deductible is $2,000 but I get 3 doctor visits a year. It even covers prescriptions. Max out of pocket is 4 or 5k (forgot which one), and maximum they will cover is 5 million.

I do not see how people cannot get health insurance. $50/month people.... $50/month...

It would also be interesting to see how many of these people without health insurance also have cell phones, cable, etc...

 

[Rainsford]

Originally posted by: Aimster
John Edward's says that 1/6 people are without health insurance in the United States. His plan is to give these people without health insurance the insurance they 'deserve'. His plan calls for 90-120B a year to make this possible.
Let's work with this 120B figure. His plan would call for half of the 120B to come from businesses. Therefore, this leaves 60B in income tax revenue that John Edwards needs to come up with.

Who is effected? People who make over $200,000 /year

Let's work with the year 2003. In 2003 130,423,626 people filed tax returns.
How many of these people made more than $200,000? 2,573,133

so 2,573,133 people are going to pay for the health care of 40,000,000+ people. They will need to come up with 60B.

That means that on average each of them will have to come up with an additional $23,317.88

The plan is pretty much this:
half of the money the rich make goes into taxes (including, state, etc.)

Where did you get that figure is about who is "effected"? Last time I checked, everyone pays income tax, is there going to be some special upper-middle class tax to pay for this?

In any case, even if they were true, your figures are pretty misleading. Given how the income brackets play out, someone making $200k per year would be contributing far less than an additional $23k per year, because that's how averages work. Your argument seems to be implying something quite different.

But I'm curious, just how should we deal with the millions of people without health care? Is it just a case of tough cookies and better luck next time?

 

[Wreckem]

Originally posted by: Rainsford

Originally posted by: Wreckem

Originally posted by: bctbct
I dont see how you have medical insurance for $50 per month.

Its possible if you shop around.

Im looking at a $68/month plan.

$2000 deductible/$5000 max out of pocket

$30/60/10 DR/ER/Perscription copays.

You guys seem to be ignoring that deductible cost. Even if you can afford the premiums, I doubt poor families have $5000 they can drop on health care if something tragic happens.

$5000 is a lot better than $100,000+.

 

[sandorski]

Originally posted by: Wreckem

Originally posted by: Rainsford

Originally posted by: Wreckem

Originally posted by: bctbct
I dont see how you have medical insurance for $50 per month.

Its possible if you shop around.

Im looking at a $68/month plan.

$2000 deductible/$5000 max out of pocket

$30/60/10 DR/ER/Perscription copays.

You guys seem to be ignoring that deductible cost. Even if you can afford the premiums, I doubt poor families have $5000 they can drop on health care if something tragic happens.

$5000 is a lot better than $100,000+.

No difference if you can't afford $5000

 

[BlancoNino]

Originally posted by: Rainsford
You guys seem to be ignoring that deductible cost. Even if you can afford the premiums, I doubt poor families have $5000 they can drop on health care if something tragic happens.

True. But what really surprises me are some of the people I know that don't have health care. They simply choose not to have it. Instead they'd rather have broadband internet, cable, expensive cell phone plans, and spend at least 20 dollars a week on alcohol. This doesn't apply to everyone, but is a HUGE chunk of that 1/6 people who do not have health insurance. They could afford it if they really wanted it, and they don't make very much money.

 

[Tuktuk]

Want to apply this same logic to the $1 trillion for the Iraq war?

 

[shadow9d9]

What is the point in discussing this? Edwards is of no consequence to reality. What is the fascination with him?

 

[OrByte]

it isn't just the poor that cant afford health coverage.

healthcare costs are the problem. Do I think new taxes are the solution? HELL NO. The solution lies within the industry. Somewhere there has to be a breakthrough in getting these costs down.

 

[Rainsford]

Originally posted by: BlancoNino

Originally posted by: Rainsford
You guys seem to be ignoring that deductible cost. Even if you can afford the premiums, I doubt poor families have $5000 they can drop on health care if something tragic happens.

True. But what really surprises me are some of the people I know that don't have health care. They simply choose not to have it. Instead they'd rather have broadband internet, cable, expensive cell phone plans, and spend at least 20 dollars a week on alcohol. This doesn't apply to everyone, but is a HUGE chunk of that 1/6 people who do not have health insurance. They could afford it if they really wanted it, and they don't make very much money.

Indeed, although I'm fairly confident a good system could filter out folks who simply don't want to pay for it but could. Universal health care doesn't have to mean everyone has health care, it could just be everyone COULD afford it if they wanted to.

 

[Aimster]

Originally posted by: bctbct
I dont see how you have medical insurance for $50 per month.

ehealthinsurance.com

unicare plan

 

[Aimster]

Originally posted by: Rainsford

Originally posted by: Aimster
John Edward's says that 1/6 people are without health insurance in the United States. His plan is to give these people without health insurance the insurance they 'deserve'. His plan calls for 90-120B a year to make this possible.
Let's work with this 120B figure. His plan would call for half of the 120B to come from businesses. Therefore, this leaves 60B in income tax revenue that John Edwards needs to come up with.

Who is effected? People who make over $200,000 /year

Let's work with the year 2003. In 2003 130,423,626 people filed tax returns.
How many of these people made more than $200,000? 2,573,133

so 2,573,133 people are going to pay for the health care of 40,000,000+ people. They will need to come up with 60B.

That means that on average each of them will have to come up with an additional $23,317.88

The plan is pretty much this:
half of the money the rich make goes into taxes (including, state, etc.)

Where did you get that figure is about who is "effected"? Last time I checked, everyone pays income tax, is there going to be some special upper-middle class tax to pay for this?

In any case, even if they were true, your figures are pretty misleading. Given how the income brackets play out, someone making $200k per year would be contributing far less than an additional $23k per year, because that's how averages work. Your argument seems to be implying something quite different.

But I'm curious, just how should we deal with the millions of people without health care? Is it just a case of tough cookies and better luck next time?

Let's say I make $200,000

What percentage do I already pay for income taxes?
(I don't know since my income is like $0)

 

[imported_Lothar]

Originally posted by: Aimster

Originally posted by: Rainsford

Originally posted by: Aimster
John Edward's says that 1/6 people are without health insurance in the United States. His plan is to give these people without health insurance the insurance they 'deserve'. His plan calls for 90-120B a year to make this possible.
Let's work with this 120B figure. His plan would call for half of the 120B to come from businesses. Therefore, this leaves 60B in income tax revenue that John Edwards needs to come up with.

Who is effected? People who make over $200,000 /year

Let's work with the year 2003. In 2003 130,423,626 people filed tax returns.
How many of these people made more than $200,000? 2,573,133

so 2,573,133 people are going to pay for the health care of 40,000,000+ people. They will need to come up with 60B.

That means that on average each of them will have to come up with an additional $23,317.88

The plan is pretty much this:
half of the money the rich make goes into taxes (including, state, etc.)

Where did you get that figure is about who is "effected"? Last time I checked, everyone pays income tax, is there going to be some special upper-middle class tax to pay for this?

In any case, even if they were true, your figures are pretty misleading. Given how the income brackets play out, someone making $200k per year would be contributing far less than an additional $23k per year, because that's how averages work. Your argument seems to be implying something quite different.

But I'm curious, just how should we deal with the millions of people without health care? Is it just a case of tough cookies and better luck next time?

Let's say I make $200,000

What percentage do I already pay for income taxes?
(I don't know since my income is like $0)

Google.

10%: from $0 to $7,550
15%: from $7,551 to $30,650
25%: from $30,651 to $74,200
28%: from $74,201 to $154,800
33%: from $154,801 to $336,550
35%: $336,551 and above