Reply to Friedman column--Trump's Going to Get Re-Elected, Isn't He?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]

Should anyone be elected that is promising "healthcare for all"..... it will be a promise not kept.  Mark my words.  [/quote]

It's not sustainable.

The good docs will open boutique shops. Pay up front! [/quote]
Why can't it be sustainable? If you open up medicare, the pool gets bigger. Most people won't get it for free. You pay on a sliding scale, as they do today.  My parents are low income, but they still pay for medicare.

Medicare taxes on paychecks can also be raised a tiny bit to help sustain it. It's what Reagan did  back in 1983.  Yes, folks, a R raised taxes to help pay for government sponsored healthcare.  Imagine that.[/quote]

Medicare pays a fraction of what the charges really are.  Private insurance currently pays a much greater percentage. 
A few things will happen with Medicare for all. 
1. People are going to stop going into medicine.  It won't be worth it considering the cost of the education.
2. Doctors will stop or avoid taking Medicare.  Right now, about 94% of doctors take Medicare patients - that willl likely become less.  This assumes that people will still have private insurance, which is debatable under the Medicare for All plans. 
3. Doctors will become "boutique."  My former GP had such a practice.  You paid an annual fee ($1500 or more) for the luxury of being his patient.  He limited the number of patients he took and none were Medicare. He was an excellent doctor, so my family paid.  Each adult is charged the annual fee.  Kids were covered under that plan. 
4.  People will start paying in cash and probably get reduced charges for services.  [/quote]
Are fewer people going to go into medicine? If that is the case, why are there doctors still going into practice around the world in places where there is Medicare for all?

They may stop taking Medicare and go to boutique, but if there is a large enough section of the population on Medicare, they will take it. Not every doc can become boutique.

What it comes down to is the cost of medicine, not the insurance. Costs are out of control, so you are almost forced to have insurance because you cannot pay for it. If costs came down, it would be easier to pay for care and use insurance only as catastrophic. Like car insurance, I can pay for routine care, minor repairs out of pocket, but I carry insurance for major issues. 
My daughter had her bellybutton cauterized when she was a couple weeks old. The doc saw it was oozing a little and immediately did it. I got a bill in the mail for $175 for it.  Why the hell was it that expensive???

Other countries pay a fraction of the costs that we do because companies know they can make up their costs in the US. We need somebody to oversee healthcare costs and get them down to be more manageable.[/quote]

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