tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539110028035767754.post276677277642073054..comments2023-10-26T06:39:16.884-07:00Comments on Public Option Health Care Now: Those Who Have the Most Money Should Contribute the Most to Health Care for AllUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539110028035767754.post-34151155632898201752009-10-22T11:07:33.278-07:002009-10-22T11:07:33.278-07:00Thanks! Let's hope the US Congress takes that...Thanks! Let's hope the US Congress takes that into account as they're deciding whom to bill for Health Care Reform. The obvious and most simple solution is to bill those who have the most money and can't figure out what to do with it all: the rich!Francis Hollandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11862777385923656061noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539110028035767754.post-87671499400801343032009-10-20T15:46:24.209-07:002009-10-20T15:46:24.209-07:00I agree completely. “Between 1979 and 2006, the in...I agree completely. “Between 1979 and 2006, the inflation-adjusted after-tax income of the top 1% of households increased by 256%, compared to 21% for families in the middle income quintile. Meanwhile, the effective tax burden of that 1% has been falling for nearly 15 years.” (Guardian.co.uk, 21 July 2009).<br /><br />And while health care services are quickly eroding for the average person, profits of the 10 largest publicly traded health insurance companies rose 428 percent from 2000 to 2007! Understandably, when the CEO of United Health Group earns over $8M in salary plus another $1.6B in stock options! (Wall Street Journal, 2006.) <br /><br />There’s a disparity in the treatment of different income earners when it comes to income and health care spending. It’s generally known that those who pay higher premiums for healthcare, mainly higher income earners, enjoy a better selection of health care services and benefits. According to the McKinsey Quarterly (March 2009), income earners averaging $210,100 annually have benefitted from rising incomes and growing employer-paid health care benefits, making their out-of-pocket health care spending relatively small and affordable as a portion of total spending. Those averaging between $41,500 and $84,800 have also seen increasing benefits and incomes, but at a much slower rate, making their out of pocket costs increasingly more expensive. For those earning an average of $14,800, they have seen little change in their income levels, and their employers are less likely to pay for health insurance; thus health care options are rare and difficult to afford.GF Alexandernoreply@blogger.com