Why Healthcare Insurance At All?
Super-Minion ScottO (um, which probably he should resist putting on a résumé) leaves us this quill-penned note tacked to our wooden door:
Dread Czar,
While I appreciate your position, and that of the self-employed RA, and I certainly agree that there should be no employer-provided health insurance, I offer a yet simpler solution: no health insurance at all!
RA writes about returning to the paradigm of individuals and families buying their own medical insurance. What about the paradigm of people paying for their own medical services?
In fact, Congress has thoughtfully provided an easy way or two to save for future calamity (which after all is really what health insurance premiums do): the Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Account (FSA). Both offer an opportunity to put away dollars that are not taxed to use on medical expenses. The amount that can be saved is currently limited, but with proper legislation those limits can be removed. Heck, then a person could use an HSA as a tax shelter!
*Sigh* I am an idealist, as Your Excellence can see. If we had a Congress that would enable such behavior, that Congress may even repeal the individual income tax. Wouldn’t that be nice?
As ever your minion,
ScottO
Interestingly, this is a similar notion that the Czar thought would work well to eliminate unemployment benefits from the government and save billions as well as motivate people to return to work if they are able. And why not indeed!
Божію Поспѣшествующею Милостію Мы, Дима Грозный Императоръ и Самодержецъ Всероссiйскiй, цѣсарь Московскiй. The Czar was born in the steppes of Russia in 1267, and was cheated out of total control of all Russia upon the death of Boris Mikhailovich, who replaced Alexander Yaroslav Nevsky in 1263. However, in 1283, our Czar was passed over due to a clerical error and the rule of all Russia went to his second cousin Daniil (Даниил Александрович), whom Czar still resents. As a half-hearted apology, the Czar was awarded control over Muscovy, inconveniently located 5,000 miles away just outside Chicago. He now spends his time seething about this and writing about other stuff that bothers him.