Could someone please tell me

[Think-b4-U-act]

Why a person can not have private insurance in an M4A system? I see no reason why a person must give up the insurance they already have if they are happy with it. I just don't understand why we are having this debate. It seems to be common sense for the government not to take away from people something they like. Moreover, it seems damn stupid for this to be the centerpiece of a political campaign.

[leftstreet]

1. You're lucky if you have insurance you want to keep

I don't think many people do

[Think-b4-U-act]

3. Yes,I am a member of a good strong union.

No premiums and no out of pocket expenses for any medical, dental, or eyeglasses, and only a 3 dollar co-pay for drugs. There is no way M4A can beat that. This is why I am concerned that I might have to give it up.

[Sherman A1]

10. See post #9

I have a pretty good Medicare supplement.

[3Hotdogs]

20. Understand that the plan is at the expense of a raise you might have gotten instead.

The reduction of premium your employer pays might have been given to you as direct income. Your taxes would have gone up but probably less than the increase in income.

That is because private insurance runs on a 15% profit and overhead. Medicare runs on 3% overhead.

That you might retain no co-pay, free dental and so forth, would depend on the pressure put on Congress.

[Think-b4-U-act]

23. Right and the would have been raise will disappear

with no benefit to me. It is in the past and my employer will not distribute what he saves by not paying for these benefits to me.

[brewens]

27. I've been complaining about this all along. There is no way employers can just pocket what

they paid for workers medical and make up the difference on higher taxes on workers. There is no way people can afford to pay all of that. A plan like that has no chance of passing.

[elleng]

2. Only if the system sets it up that way.

It's foolish to discuss all these intricacies, of hypothetical health 'insurance' schemes. Recall how long it took for Obamacare to be established?

None of them actually exist now, just the confusing mess we live with today.

[Think-b4-U-act]

4. That confusion is why I am asking my question (nt)

[elleng]

5. I'd be pleased to hear such from our candidates,

such one(s) might get me 'decided.' Not bad for them to tell us what their IDEAL plan would be , but foolish to hang SO MUCH on hypotheticals.

[stopdiggin]

6. it's one of the central questions of the whole health care thing

and has been since the issue came under discussion (at least a generation or so back). Frankly, I find this OP a little suspicious. If the poster is sincere, I'd suggest that there are virtually reams of information, and discussion, on this core issue out there at you disposal.

[Kaleva]

7. Why not support a candidate that isn't for M4A? There are some who haven't made it a centerpiece..

of their campaign.

[Think-b4-U-act]

17. I really like Warren, but M4A is central to her campaign

I need to know how much it will cost me before I make my decision.

[Paka]

8. Quit ignoring the obvious.

You like your doctors, not your insurance. Why should a middle man make money off of your medical care. M4A doesn't change the care you get. It just takes out the unnecessary component that drives up the cost.

[Think-b4-U-act]

12. I like my present cost (0$). One doctor is the same as any other

as far as I am concerned. I have never had a problem with any of them. What I am concerned about is what will be my final cost from all factors. See my reply below. My employer is a winner, and I am the loser unless I can keep what I now have.

[Paka]

14. As a 79 year old woman who has had to switch doctors many times in my life,

one doctor is not the same as any other. When I have changed jobs and my HMO was different I have had to endure serious issues with doctors who were not up to my standard of good care. Under M4A I would chose my doctor and not have to rely on those that were offered under my insurance coverage. You have very low standards if you think all doctors are equal.

I might add that I was a microbiologist and so have lots of interactions with doctors. Take my word for it, there are some real crappy ones in practice.

[Think-b4-U-act]

16. Thank You For Your Input.

All the doctors I have interacted with over my lifetime have been good and uniformly the same. Of course, I have never been a part of an HMO, so I have always had the free choice of my doctor.

[Sherman A1]

9. I currently have Medicare and a supplemental plan

for which I pay zero premium beyond what Medicare already takes out. $5.00 copay to see the primary and $35.00 for specialists. It covers my drug benefits (which so far have been generics and I get free), some limited vision, some limted dental, a gym membership through silver sneakers and provides some over the counter benefits as well. So far so good.

You can have both public and private systems working together. I can change my supplemental plan each year during the Autumn enrollment period if I choose. All depends upon the details of how things are thought out and enacted.

[thucythucy]

21. I'm currently trying to decide which plan

would work best for me.

Would you mind telling me the name of the plan in which you're enrolled? You can PM me if you don't want to share this info in a thread.

Thanks.

[Sherman A1]

22. It is sometimes a maze to come to a conclusion

I am with the Essence Healthcare Plan in Missouri. I don't know if they reach much beyond that, but depending upon your location and needs look for the ones that have no premiums as a place to start.

[thucythucy]

29. It is absolutely a maze.

Thanks for this info.

Best wishes.

[Sherman A1]

30. Hope it works out for you

Best of Luck!

[Think-b4-U-act]

11. I am an average voter - lazy

I want to be spoon-fed the answer to my question. I have a good plan, but I know I am lucky to have it. Being a liberal, I wish everyone could have what I have, but I know it will come at a cost. My employer would love to lose the cost of my medical benefits. But he will not increase my pay to cover my extra cost since I now have a government insurance program. He will not help me pay my taxes. The cost of my medical insurance has been transferred from my employer to me. I need to know if the way I see this is correct, and if so what will be my cost. This is the basic information I need to know in order to make up my mind about M4A.

[Phoenix61]

13. You're insurance isn't free.

If you want to know what you’re employer is paying for it ask to see the COBRA rates. If we go M4A your employer should increase your salary by the COBRA amount which you could then use to pay your insurance. It’s also possible that employers would continue to pay just into a not-for-profit insurance plan.

[Think-b4-U-act]

15. Unless it is part of the law

he will not increase my pay. At the present time, my insurance is free for me. If this is part of the law, it is important to know this, since it would resolve many of my concerns. "It’s also possible that employers would continue to pay just into a not-for-profit insurance plan." Like Blue Cross which is nowhere as good as what I now have.

[Phoenix61]

25. I'm not sure how you know what your

employer will do. Blue Cross is most assuredly a for-profit plan. When you say it’s nowhere near as good as what you have now I’m not sure what you mean. There are so many different Blue Cross plans out there and the higher the premium the better the plan. Since you have no idea how much the plan is costing your employer I’m unsure how would be able to compare your current plan to another plan. Have you thought about what would happen if you were to lose your current plan? Employers change plans all the time and jobs aren’t always as secure as they may seem. The advantage of a M4A plan is it isn’t dependent on who you work for.

[Bettie]

28. But if you speak to your employer

about a raise, they will talk about your "Total Compensation Package" and include, in that compensation, your vacation time, insurance, and anything else they deem to be a part of your overall pay.

If we're ever fortunate enough to have a not-for-profit system, that amount will not be able to be included in the TCP...so, ultimately, they will have to start paying people more.

I guess for those who pay nothing for their health care, it is nice to be part of a two tier system, where they are top tier.

Many people, even with insurance can't go to the doctor because of the co-pays, the "maximum out of pocket" in the thousands of dollars, and then you still pay 20% or more of the total bill. If you have anything serious to deal with, bankruptcy is a very real possibility because 20% of, say, cancer treatment is more than most can afford. So, you go without checking on that weird lump, that strange pain, the unexplained bruising...because the cost would ruin your family and funerals are cheaper than health care.

But, congratulations on winning the lottery. Your family can access care.

[OnDoutside]

18. The issue isn't whether private insurance free M4A is better or not, it's that people (not just you)

don't understand the issue well enough to know for sure, and will thus be pummelled by Republicans with all sorts of fear mongering. This is a battle Democrats don't need to have, when the greatest existential threat to world democracy is hanging around like a bad smell in the WH.

[Think-b4-U-act]

19. I agree with you 100%

I just wish all our candidates would agree on building on fixing Obama-care with the goal of ultimately having Medicare for all who want it. Take it off the table. As you said we face "the greatest existential threat to world democracy" we have ever faced. This makes my concerns about M4A meaningless. Remember, the Supreme Court determines the meaning of all laws and RBG is 85 y/o. If we lose, can she serve until she is 89? This threat is greater than Hitler because it is already here.

[Vinca]

24. I think Mayor Pete has the best solution. "Medicare For All Who Want It."

I think opening a Medicare public option will allow a gradual shift away from private insurance. In addition, the competition would lower insurance rates for the people who are happy with private insurance. If there's one thing we've learned it's that you can't force the entirety of the American people to do something. It has to be their idea.

[Phoenix61]

26. Personally, I wish we'd drop the M4A and

push for having a public option for Tri-Care. It doesn’t have the baggage Medicare has and people who have it love it.