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Single Payer Healthcare in CO???
Old 08-24-2007, 09:32 AM   #1
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Single Payer Healthcare in CO???

It sure would be interesting to see a "conservative" state like CO adopt a single payer plan when even the died-in-the-wool blue states like CA and MA aren't headed that way...

All CO has to do is vote in a new program that's bigger than the entire existing state budget.

$26 billion tab to provide health insurance to all Coloradans, panel says | Politics West
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Old 08-24-2007, 12:07 PM   #2
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A little misleading isn't it? If you read the article it *already* costs $30B to provide healthcare to just those that already have it in CO; so $26B is a $4B savings from what is already spent - its not $30B in new spending.
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Old 08-24-2007, 01:06 PM   #3
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I think the point is, the proposal is to transfer the responsibility of paying for health care from today's mixed public/private model to 100% government. In practice, it doesn't seem that government has a wonderful track record of doing ANYTHING cheaper than the private sector, and I cannot imagine that a small state like CO has anywhere near enough population to spread out the fixed costs of administering such a program efficiently. Its interesting that CO would head this way after even MA, CA, and OR decided not to.

If I lived anywhere near CO and lacked health insurance, I'd be planning some (ahem) ski trips to CO to get "free" healthcare if such a system actually became law, and if I lived in CO and was happy with my health insurance, I'd be starting to investigate other places to live before skyrocketing taxes and long wait times (and other forms of rationing) become a way of life.

As it stands now, I have heard that the Denver area has many high end hospitals and specialists who attract patients from all over the region, wonder if they will be happy to continue operating at the reimbursement rates that the new system will provide?
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Old 08-24-2007, 05:52 PM   #4
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Oh, great another diatribe...
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Old 08-24-2007, 09:29 PM   #5
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Originally Posted by FinanceGeek View Post
I think the point is, the proposal is to transfer the responsibility of paying for health care from today's mixed public/private model to 100% government. In practice, it doesn't seem that government has a wonderful track record of doing ANYTHING cheaper than the private sector, and I cannot imagine that a small state like CO has anywhere near enough population to spread out the fixed costs of administering such a program efficiently. Its interesting that CO would head this way after even MA, CA, and OR decided not to.

If I lived anywhere near CO and lacked health insurance, I'd be planning some (ahem) ski trips to CO to get "free" healthcare if such a system actually became law, and if I lived in CO and was happy with my health insurance, I'd be starting to investigate other places to live before skyrocketing taxes and long wait times (and other forms of rationing) become a way of life.

As it stands now, I have heard that the Denver area has many high end hospitals and specialists who attract patients from all over the region, wonder if they will be happy to continue operating at the reimbursement rates that the new system will provide?
I guess you think over paid CEOs running for profit insurance companies have your best health interest in their wallet.
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Old 08-25-2007, 04:55 AM   #6
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Yea, we all know what a great job the private sector is doing running the system now - highest cost per capita in the world, and low life expectancies compared to other industrialized countries.
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Old 08-25-2007, 01:39 PM   #7
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Yea, we all know what a great job the private sector is doing running the system now - highest cost per capita in the world, and low life expectancies compared to other industrialized countries.
Actually for many people the US health care system works great. I'd rather see reforms that "pull up" those that lack coverage now as opposed to ones that "pull down" those that are doing fine under the present system.
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Old 08-25-2007, 02:44 PM   #8
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You must not be keeping up with the health care insurance news. One of the reasons US companies are not competitive in the world economy (Japan and Europe) is the cost of employer paid health care. I assume your employer pays most of the cost of your health care insurance.

We have the most costly health care system in the world. If it did not cost so much you might even earn more money. when we worked our part of the health care costs was about $250 since we retired it (COBRA) it is almost $1,000. So do not think you are not paying for a broken health care system.
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Old 08-25-2007, 06:12 PM   #9
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Actually for many people the US health care system works great. I'd rather see reforms that "pull up" those that lack coverage now as opposed to ones that "pull down" those that are doing fine under the present system.
Many people=the people that havent been sick yet and thus not using the system
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