What's the problem with paying more taxes for single payer?

[eridani]

How stupid do you have to be to prefer a $400 premium to a $100 tax? If it makes Obama feel better, why not just call the tax a premium?

[Wetzelbill]

1. It's an ingrained buzzword

People have been trained to hear the word "tax" and they flip out about it. I always wondered why people think it's a good idea to vote Republican when they mostly cut taxes for the very rich and then the cost of health care, education, food, gas, etc etc etc goes up. They get maybe a few hundred bucks back in taxes but lose thousands everywhere else. That word alone has been cultivated to get a reaction, so yeah, maybe premium would work better.

[ejpoeta]

4. they're learning very quickly around here in WNY. erie county in buffalo

is finding out as they complain about woodlawn beach being closed because they would have to pay a lifeguard. all the parks and beaches that are not going to be available for people to use this summer is making some folks upset. these are the same people that complain about the taxes. now, i complain about some taxes. but at least I don't think that all this stuff that we seem to take for granted around here is all free. Do I think it's a good idea to close all the recreation places?? no. it's biting yourself in the ass because people will go to the beach, and maybe get lunch at a local restaurant or ice cream or something. people will go somewhere where they CAN go to the beach and that place will get the revenue and economic boost. but i digress. I don't think people actually realize just exactly what their tax dollars go towards. they only hear what the politicians tell them and the radio mouth pieces.

[peacebird]

2. nothing. I doubt it will cost more than my premiums do now

[ejpoeta]

3. but at $100, it's SOCIALISM!! at $400 it's free market!! just

don't get sick and don't lose your job and you're all good.

[Vinca]

5. Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner.

[LiberalFighter]

10. Yeah and who are they listening to? Of course, the insurance companies.

[harun]

6. There isn't one. Only people who think that's a problem are the insurance companies.

[stray cat]

7. $100 a year for health care - isn't it more like a 15-20% increase in payroll taxes?

For benefits for employees I pay 35% on top of the base salary - most of that is for health care.

[eridani]

13. No, $100 a month

Actually, at my Washington Health Security Trust meeting today, they've raised that to $125. The $!00 figure was what we came up with in 1999. My current COBRA is $450 a month.

[zipplewrath]

8. It's different for everyone

In essence, you are right, it would cost the vast majority of us less/same either way. The real problem is that we all pay for our healthcare in so many different ways that any plan you put forward will look "risky" for some group of people.

The devil really is in the details here too. For all those folks who pay through/with their employers, one needs to figure out how to get the company to continue to make their contribution. There is legitimate concern that employers will just stop paying anything, not increase your wages, and pocket the savings as profit. This is even more true for folks who still have some medical coverage through a retirement plan (a shrinking portion of the population for sure). And there will always be the story that someones copay goes up, or a treatment becomes more expensive, or they can't use Doctor A, or whatever.

So in the end, we are stuck trying to write legislation that says, "everything will stay the same, you'll just pay for it differently".

[eridani]

14. Single payer proposals include a direct payroll assessment on employers

For those providing insurance now, they spend 14% of payroll, and the single payer assessment would be 8% or so. (Less for small businesses) The individual assessment would be in addition to that. All told, it would still wind up to be less that all the money we are paying as individuals and employers now.

[Jennicut]

9. We pay taxes now and do not get much for it. I would pay more to actually have something to show for

our money.

[stray cat]

11. How much more would you be willing to pay?

[Jennicut]

12. Enough to get something substantial in return.