9.25.2009

And more

About 160 million Americans receive health coverage through their employers. In general, the employer picks up 73 percent of the tab. This seems like a good deal. In reality, that money comes out of wages.

link: Analysis: You Have No Idea What Health Costs - washingtonpost.com

All this talk about how American health insurance is "employer provided" and therefore, somehow, magically free has been bugging me for quite a while. It is, according to this Washington Post piece, a long way from free. And whatever health care cost does not come out of wages goes into price. Money, need I remind our tax-hating rightwing friends, comes from pockets, not trees. And the pockets are yours.

True, a universal single-payer health care plan would make taxes rise, but that rise would be more than offset by savings in the private sector.

And think about it: If everybody, universally, was covered by single-payer health insurance, why would you need to add medical coverage to your homeowner and auto policies?

People would wind up better off with a single-payer plan.


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