Comments on: Ten Small-Scale Reform Ideas for Obama, Man Dies from Computer Error, and Why Welfare Recipients Get Free Cell Phones

By: Bart

Bart — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 19:18:06 +0000

…Of course a tax credit for individually purchased, community-rated coverage could be similar to that used for employer based coverage. Existing types of coverage that could qualify might be:
- COBRA
- HIPAA-mandated continuation coverage
- Other risk-pool coverage
- Coverage in states that mandate community rating (of with there are apparently very few purchasers at present)

These types of coverage could be given tax breaks comparable to employer-sponsored coverage without undercutting the latter.

By: Bart

Bart — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 19:06:34 +0000

6. Give People on Their Own the Same Tax Break Employees Get.

I agree with the heading. The main problem is that you go on to use this as a pretext to do something entirely different: giving identical treatment to two different kinds of insurance. Employer-sponsored coverage is by law guaranteed issue (with prior creditable coverage) and (at least modified) community-rated.

Healthy users of work-based coverage don’t see much if any net benefit from the favorable tax treatment, at least not as a general rule. The tax break merely reimburses the additional cost of subsidizing less healthy co-workers.

Of course the less-healthy workers benefit twice– from the tax break, and from the less-than-risk-rated coverage. To extend a comparable tax break to individual purchasers, the tax credit would have to be zero for low-risk purchasers, topped by a near-100% reimbursement for any risk-driven surcharges.

To simply use the same tax credit structure for group- and individually-rated insurance would put an end to most existing employer-based coverage. You may like the idea, but many would vehemently oppose it. This puts a rather large political drag on the original goal stated in your heading for item #6.

By: Nancy

Nancy — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 17:34:26 +0000

I don’t think the question about cell phones was actually answered. The article describes the current situation, but doesn’t provide a rational explanation of the policy.

By: Vicki

Vicki — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 17:18:53 +0000

It’s hard to believe that you can’t have confidence in hospital equipment and hospital personel. And that they continue to make the same mistake three days in a row! I assume this is one case where the NCPA would approve a malpractice law suit.

By: Paul H.

Paul H. — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 17:13:35 +0000

I really like your ten ideas. This is original thinking in a field where there ordinarily is no original thinking.

By: Neil C.

Neil C. — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:48:25 +0000

Perhaps more people watch Fox News because more people TRUST Fox News.

A recent Public Policy Polling survey found that 49% of Americans trusted Fox News, 10 points more than any other network.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0110/32039.html