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Single Payer Health Systems

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rgbecker

(4,877 posts)
Mon Apr 2, 2012, 08:02 PM Apr 2012

Hard number to find. [View all]


So with all the talk about how we need to reject Obamacare along with the Heritage Foundation that dragged it in, I decided to try and find out just how much a guy like me would have to pay to get Single Payer health insurance. Truth is, I’m an old boomer (about to be able to start in with Medicare, assuming Paul Ryan doesn’t end it) and not the best googler but I was only able to find a wide range of numbers and most were from the Hilary health care fights of the 1990s.

I’m starting this thread with the hope that people will find some meaningful links that will give the average guy like me something to figure on.

Obamacare expects a hard working guy like me to pay about 8.5% (at the most) of my income on Health insurance. Alternatively, I could opt for the “Penalty” which would run me 2.5% but gets me no insurance. The sites I did find show a range of 7% to 9% payroll tax on top of the medicare tax for single payer. That seems like a deal, especially if there are no co-pays, deductibles or bull shit. But is this 7-9% dependent on everyone paying that much? What about those earning less than the 133% of poverty level that will get Obamacare for free (Medicaid)? I totally support single payer and look forward to Medicare but I’m wondering about the numbers.

The 7-9% numbers are nothing to hang a hat on much less suggest to my Republican friends at the water cooler. (Truth is I have no Republican friends, just a tea party sister). So I’m hoping the DU gurus will help me out. Seriously, if the SCOTUS is about to throw Obamacare out because of the “Mandate” and DU is going to shift its support to Single Payer, having good numbers is essential. I thought this was all settled and really sort of forgot about worrying about healthcare, but listening to Scalia, Roberts and Alito has got me going. Please keep the ranting and insults to a minimum and just put up some numbers with a link.

Thanks for your help.
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