I am sure many of you are aware of the current political debates about health care legislation in Washington. We have been wrestling with finding a way to provide coverage to the uninsured for years. However, 85% of healthcare is provided by employers. I am wondering how many of you believe that should be the case.
Most of us, if not all, are good at what we do. Otherwise, you would not be in business, be that a plumber or a doctor. Does that mean you are also good at providing healthcare to your employees?
I am also sure many of you have a healthcare option, in some form of group policy. Whereby all your employees are put into a singular pool and the premiums are adjusted, mostly up, based upon the losses that pool generates.
My question to you, Is that fair? “We may work together but does that mean we share the same beliefs toward healthcare”?
This by no means is to suggest healthcare should be a single payer system as a solution to the current healthcare issues, as some have professed over the years. One could argue that the intention of the Affordable Care Act was to direct the country into a single payer system. However, most people do not believe the government can deliver healthcare in the most efficient way. Look no further for an example of the governments abilities at managing healthcare than their management of the Veterans Administration.
What would you do if the employer healthcare tax benefit was removed and you could no longer deduct that expense against your taxes. Would you take the money you are spending today on healthcare and pass that onto your employees in increase wages? Whereby, they could go the market and purchase healthcare, like car insurance in the open market, tax free.
I am a firm believer in the private marketplace. If there is an incentive and profit, most will find an efficient way to deliver those services. So, by no means do we remove the healthcare companies. Healthcare would just be delivered differently than it is today.
As for the uninsured, make Medicaid available to those in block grants to the states and end Washington trying to satisfy everyone.
I would like to hear your thoughts, feedback or comments.
I can be reached at dvolpi@payrolldataprocessing.com