If I cannot buy fire insurance after my house burns down, why is it my right to buy healthcare insurance after surviving a heart attack? In my opinion, my healthcare is my responsibility. Free care is not my right! Every individual and family is responsible for their Health and the costs associated with that care, not the government. I am a lower middle class young geezer who always carried health insurance for my family. We did without to ensure we had health insurance which paid for at least $500,000-$750,000 in family care.
The fact that many healthy young people in the United States do not feel the need to have health insurance is one of the main problems regarding funding health insurance and care. Many people in this group choose to pay the relatively small fine rather than buy health insurance. The fine is well below the amount they would pay in premiums. As a result, programs are underfunded, insurance companies are unprofitable, and withdrawing from state insurance pools. Companies remaining in the pools are forced to increase premiums and/or deductibles and co-pays to remain profitable. The situation is untenable for the long term. It seems to me that this problem will remain regardless of the solution attempted next. People will not pay for something they think is unnecessary.
One possible solution could be called “The Healthcare Responsibility Act.” This proposed solution would make health a personal responsibility with severe legal, financial consequences for the irresponsible. Under this plan, financial responsibility for healthcare would be a legal responsibility for every individual and family in the United States; but purchase of health insurance would not be a legal requirement. The solution would provide a wide range of options for the young and healthy and those of all ages with severe health issues, like me. As an example, minimum, responsible health insurance for a young healthy person could be defined as catastrophic health insurance and a minimum health saving account to cover routine medical needs for 1 to 2 years. Each state should define responsible coverage levels based on their cost of living .
“The Healthcare Responsibility Act,” as envisioned, would be part of the legislation to repeal and replace The Affordable Care Act, Obamacare. “The Healthcare Responsibility Act” would have two components. The first component would be a federal law outlining the responsibilities of United States citizens and the consequences for failure to meet minimum responsibilities set by each state under the act. The national act could also include components such as guaranteed coverage for pre-existing conditions and covering family members up to the age of 26, although the act could result in economical coverage for younger citizens below age 26.
The second component of “The Healthcare Responsibility Act” would be to delegate responsibilities for the definition of “healthcare responsibility” to each of the 50 states based on their individual income levels and cost of living. Consequently, states would have the authority to define the minimum level of responsible health insurance coverage their citizens would be required to maintain, minimum health savings account amounts required, or a sufficient combination of the two. Each state would also define the minimum income level where individuals and families would be responsible for their healthcare costs. The threshold income levels would be based on overall state income levels, the number of people insured, available health insurance plan costs, and the cost of healthcare in each state.
This would be accomplished when each state determined the percentage of individual or family gross income paid for healthcare costs that constitutes an unacceptable financial burden. Individuals or families for which health insurance constitutes a state defined unacceptable burden could receive subsidies. Low income individuals or families could be eligible for Medicaid or a similar totally private program. At every level of income, individuals would be responsible to either enroll and contribute the applicable payments for the health insurance available and/or health savings accounts based on income.
Failure to be enrolled or purchase appropriate health insurance or maintain an adequate health savings account would be deemed irresponsible behavior. Under this law, this failure to maintain adequate healthcare financing would constitute a violation of the law. The individual or family would be fully responsible to pay all the healthcare costs for the care they received. They would not be allowed to use bankruptcy to avoid the repayment of costs even if they paid part of their gross income for the rest of their life. Additionally, their estate would be liable to its full extent for the repayment.
“The Healthcare Responsibility Act”, as proposed, has extremely severe penalties for irresponsible healthcare behavior and actions. These consequences would also make it irresponsible for any individual not to secure minimal levels of health savings and insurance policies. Failure to act responsibly regarding health and all of the costs associated with care would place both individuals and their family’s future in financial jeopardy. In view of the consequences, it seems that no one with a sound mind would fail to act responsibly in relation to their own or their families’ healthcare. With virtually all of our nation’s population insured, the cost of caring for the previously uninsured would no longer increase the premiums for the insured. This should reduce costs for everyone. In my opinion, these benefits would also be a huge step forward in solving the problem of inadequate funding for health insurance corporations.
“The Healthcare Responsibility Act” is suggested as an alternative for solving part of our health insurance and health financing problem. Every good and effective economic plan should consider all the alternatives, including the wild and crazy idea that everybody should be responsible for their individual and family healthcare.
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