Utah Is on Track to End Homelessness by 2015 With This One Simple Idea

[CreekDog]

94. Thank you for explaining that and telling your story

I'm not against wanting something better than ACA, but I'm glad we agree that in the absence of it, we do need the limited help that ACA provides for.

That said, to me, the ideal system would be:

1) Medicare for all who want to sign up for it
2) Medicaid as "Medigap" insurance for those of limited income

One could buy into Medicare and one could buy into Medicaid. I'd envision a progressive tax or charge for this, with those of little income paying nothing for full coverage of Medicare and Medicaid. I'd have no asset test for it to encourage people to stay covered as they save enough to protect them from falling further into poverty. Perhaps some sort of wealth surcharge, but since this will be cost effective medical coverage, I'd still want to enable wealthy to use and pay into it.

Ultimately, I'd envision a plan in which one could either purchase their way into year to year coverage or opt into a lifetime wage tax that covers guaranteed benefits.

And I'd like an end to losing one's assets as a result of using Medicaid. I don't know what we should do about long term care costs, which are high, but I imagine in other nations, there are models of how to handle it. The insurance plans which cover long term care aren't a solution in my opinion. Too many risks and too many issues of not knowing how much care will cost.

The chances of that happening without some sort of societal change, at least at this point, are small, but we should always be formulating good policies for the time when an opportunity arises to pass them; and in the interim, explain the advantages of such a program.