The individual mandate: I and others warned that this was coming, too.

[4lbs]

214. All this woe-is-me talk about the individual mandate. Let's take a look at the #1 rated healthcare

system in the world:

France's

This is a universal healthcare system. It is Single-payer. It pays for 80 to 85% of a person's healthcare costs. It is also an individually mandated system. Yes, EVERYONE in France must pay for it.

What is a person taxed in France for such a healthcare system?

5.25% of their income.

For a person making the equivalent of $20,000 US Dollars annually, that means a "tax" for the individually-mandated system of $1050 US Dollars per year. That comes out to $87.50 US Dollars per month.

Also, unlike our ACA in the US, France DOES prosecute those individuals that don't want to pay the 5.25% annual tax.

And some people are whining about the ACA's individual mandate of $80 per year in 2014 and $695 per year in 2016 for ACA?

Furthermore, since France's system covers about 85% of a person's healthcare costs, many of the French still purchase additional private health insurance that covers the other ~15%.

Now, let us take a look at Medicare.

My retired parents (both in their 70s) pay $250 monthly for their Medicare. That is $125 monthly each. Or $1500 per year EACH. This Medicare covers 70% of their healthcare costs.
They also pay another $200 monthly for private supplemental insurance, for both, through Kaiser Permanente, which covers the other 30%.

So, they pay a grand total of $5400 annually for 100% coverage for both of them.


Now, if we moved to a Medicare-for-all system, it would likely be funded through...

wait for it....

AN INDIVIDUAL MANDATE.

A mandate paid for through.... an annual tax applied to income! Probably 6 to 10%. Let's use 8% as an example.

My parents get $30000 annually combined in retirement. What is 8% of $30000? That would be $2400.

This Medicare-for-all, because it is expanded, would likely cover more than the 70% that Medicare does now. It probably could cover the same 85% that France's system does. So, then my parents would only need to find private insurance that covers the other 15%. Because such insurance would only have to cover 15% instead of 30% now, it would actually cost less. Instead of $200 monthly they would probably only have to pay about $125 monthly.

So, $2400 annually + ($125 * 12) = $3900 for 100% healthcare coverage for both..

My parents would save $1500 annually by going to such a Medicare-for-all, INDIVIDUALLY MANDATED, and taxed at 8% of income.


Finally, for the OP, even if we had Medicare for all, or some other single-payer solution, YOU WOULD STILL BE MANDATED TO HAVE IT.

That means you MUST pay some monthly fee for it.

The world's best healthcare systems don't work properly unless you have an individual mandate and people pay an annual fee or tax rate for it.