Do you honestly expect that the Public OPtion would be cheap

[Perky]

Assuming you are employed... what is your expectation of the public option


AFTER VOTING PLEASE KICK I would like to get a healthy sample

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. If it's like my MaineCare,, you'd co-pay two dollars for doctors visits and prescriptions.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

2. Federal employees pay 24% of the cost with the taxpayers picking up the rest

so that would be my minium standard.

[Ocracoker16]

10. so taxpayers pay 76% of their premiums, but that is not the same thing as the cost

The total cost of health insurance for a federal employee includes the fees and copays associated with the plan they choose in addition to the 24% of the premium.

I know someone who works for the federal government and has a plan through Blue Cross Blue Shield. There is a $20 copay for each visit to the doctor or prescription. She has an excellent plan that has a $5,000 deductible which means that she only has to pay the copay until she has paid $5,000 out of pocket.

The premium is $5871.84. Her share based on taxpayers paying 76% for her ends up being $1824.72. She usually hits her deductible of $5,000 so her total cost is $6,824.72. If she had to pay the entire premium the cost would be $10,817.84. That means she pays for about 63% of her total cost. The total paid by the tax payer would be 37%.

[pecwae]

11. Almost right.

The $5000 is the total out of pocket. The deductible is $300. I have that plan.

[TheKentuckian]

3. What I hope for is about 60-75% of normal premiums and co-pays

that accepts everyone, has much reigned in maximums for out of pocket costs (eliminating costs after premiums or at least after premiums and co-pays would be stellar but I'm not sure we can wring enough out without going single payer or maybe even socialized medicine to pull that off), no pre-existing conditions malarkey, is obviously fully portable, has no maximum life time pay out, and is subsidized for lower incomes.

[Perky]

4. That's your hope...what is your expectation?

[TheKentuckian]

20. Meh...about the same in cost (with some subsidies), better access and no lifetime limits.

I probably see everything past that as "getting over".

[Perky]

5. kicking for more votes

[BlooInBloo]

6. If it's well-run, I expect it the average cost to start high, and go down over time....

Life is rarely as simple as just a constant number.

[Arkana]

7. I don't expect any form of healthcare reform to be cheap.

Doesn't change the fact that we need it and we need it NOW.

[nyc 4 Biden]

8. kick

[sandnsea]

9. Subsidies. Everybody gets subsidies.

Whether you have private insurance or a public plan. The public plan still ought to be cheaper and better, but everyone will still get a subsidy up to 400% of poverty.

[eridani]

12. WA State Single Payer proposal would cost me $75/month

My current COBRA is $450/month. With single payer, we are talking about less than 25%.

[fadedrose]

13. "Assuming you are employed"

I understand national health care would cover everyone, employed or not. The taxes to pay for it would come from Bush's tax cut reversal and huge deals made by the government to lower operating costs.

I sort of thought that so many people would be trained and employed to work in the health community that their wages would be taxed....

[Perky]

14. If employed you typically are going to pay. if unemployed you get a waiver

I am asking if you are employed how much do you expect to pay compared to private options,

[Hekate]

15. TANSTAFL: There ain't no such thing as a free lunch. However what we have now is garbage for access

... and it would be well worth the fee to make sure everyone gets taken care of.

Employed? Sure Mr. H is employed. But we are one department closure away from having to pay 10 grand a year to Blue Cross for our coverage, and the budget of this California college is in deep shinola.

Hekate

[uponit7771]

16. We spend 17% of our GDP on health care, that's 2 trillion a year you CAN NOT keep spending that much

...on the total cost of health care, including HCI, and keep a health economy.

The average wage earner spends 20% of their take home on HCI and that's if they are WELL!!!!

[damonm]

17. Boot

[Dan]

18. Damn, ,,,,

It may end up costing as much as one of our wars of choice.

[quantass]

19. Cost across the board will go down (not by much though) and everyone will charge the same

regardless of the cost for the public option, the private sector will drop their costs to match it...but as a whole the price drop wont be much. I'd say 15-20%
Better than nothing but i am more intrigued that it will not discriminate on pre-existing conditions and it lays the groundwork for Single-payer (sadly that will be between 10-20 years from now).

[GreenTea]

21. Public Option if given a chance will evolve into Medicaid for ALL-It's why the

republicans and insurance corporations are fighting it tooth & nail, worried about their profits, certainly not the sick or poor...plus it will mean more union workers and the republicans despise that thought.

Like Social Security, Medicaid, Unemployment insurance & Veterans programs (republicans are & were against all of these programs too, spreading doom & fear before the Dems passed them)...

Public Option will be a start and a it will be a great plan for workers, veterans, small business, the poor, help the economy and everyone else...and even the rich, but they will keep their private doctors as they do now.