Health Insurance
I had thought to ponder the proposals for taxing health benefits after watching the news and reading some commentaries. The more I read the more confused I got. Representative Thomas Petri, a Republican from Wisconsin and George J Mitchell, Democrat, Maine are proposing to limit the deductibility of medical benefits and insurance premiums. Like everything else lately the more I read the more I have to read, what a can of worms.
The proposal would for instance provide, as I understand it, a every family of four a yearly voucher worth about $1,800. My Medicare and medigap cost me about $4,800 for one person. The brief time that my sister's young family had to be on COBRA it was over $800 a month or $9,600 anuually some years ago. My single son has insurance he pays for with his employer in Oregon. It only covers up to $5,000 or $10,000 a year depending on which option you chose. And, it has a permanent pre-existing condition clause which means he has to pay for his Type 2 diabetes expenses out of pocket. Yet, he and others like him, are not counted in the numbers of Americans who are not insured at all. I don't believe it covers preventive care either, even though there is mounting evidence that it pays off not only in good health returns but dollars saved as well.
The fine state of Washington last year said that it takes a $10 an hour job to support one person here. That's a yearly salary of $20,800 and won't support a family of four here. They'd need housing assistance and would probably have to visit the food bank for starters. That won't buy good insurance or even mediocre insurance here. Mitchell's proposal says "it would be a good start for a working-poor family with an income of, say, $12,000 that pays no income tax." Not true. That $1800 isn't a "good start;" the family who received that in Washington wouldn't be able to use it. No cash to complete the deal. Which one of them will give up eating to make up the difference?
Our health care is in desperate shape for sure. I am one of the lucky ones so far, decent coverage and bucks to pay for it. Many elderly people are not. I have friends didn't sign up for Part D didn't take it as it is inadequate for their prescription needs, the money it costs is better put into the meds they need. Forgive me for lack of sparkling analysis but still. this needs to be watched by all of us.
The proposal would for instance provide, as I understand it, a every family of four a yearly voucher worth about $1,800. My Medicare and medigap cost me about $4,800 for one person. The brief time that my sister's young family had to be on COBRA it was over $800 a month or $9,600 anuually some years ago. My single son has insurance he pays for with his employer in Oregon. It only covers up to $5,000 or $10,000 a year depending on which option you chose. And, it has a permanent pre-existing condition clause which means he has to pay for his Type 2 diabetes expenses out of pocket. Yet, he and others like him, are not counted in the numbers of Americans who are not insured at all. I don't believe it covers preventive care either, even though there is mounting evidence that it pays off not only in good health returns but dollars saved as well.
The fine state of Washington last year said that it takes a $10 an hour job to support one person here. That's a yearly salary of $20,800 and won't support a family of four here. They'd need housing assistance and would probably have to visit the food bank for starters. That won't buy good insurance or even mediocre insurance here. Mitchell's proposal says "it would be a good start for a working-poor family with an income of, say, $12,000 that pays no income tax." Not true. That $1800 isn't a "good start;" the family who received that in Washington wouldn't be able to use it. No cash to complete the deal. Which one of them will give up eating to make up the difference?
Our health care is in desperate shape for sure. I am one of the lucky ones so far, decent coverage and bucks to pay for it. Many elderly people are not. I have friends didn't sign up for Part D didn't take it as it is inadequate for their prescription needs, the money it costs is better put into the meds they need. Forgive me for lack of sparkling analysis but still. this needs to be watched by all of us.
Labels: health care, working poor
posted by Celia | March 13, 2009
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