Big difference. The Danes grew up in their situation. They weren’t suddenly forced to convert to a system that suddenly doubles their taxes. I own a modest home. Not a mansion. I have a little over an acre of land. My home And property is worth about $280 - 300K. I’m not sure what that would owning property of that value in Denmark would classify me as. Regardless, Doubling my taxes would force me to downsize.
The tax increase Bernie has stated he would make. Around 12%, to cover MCA would far exceed the $109 dollars I’m having deducted from my check, pre-tax mind you, and which includes a certain level of life insurance and a couple of other optional coverages, vision and dental.
Not to mention, Bernie wants our tax dollars to cover people who are here or come here illegally. Denmark certainly doesn’t allow for that. And explain what kind of dangerous slippery slope it would be to open our borders then allow all those coming here free everything. Just how Is that even comprehensible? How would that not invite an absolute massive amount of illegals pouring into our country to get those services. How would that flood impact the level of care we get? How would that flood not make waits for that care untenable? It’s literally flawed logic.
Humbly, I follow this kind of closely, can you point me to where I can find my estimated tax increase for MC4A? Not being smart I am interested in finding where I land.
Your first paragraph assumes two things: a. I don't really have to use healthcare right now, or very little; maybe no "pre-existing conditions"; b. I am really not concerned about others not having healthcare ("they should get a good job"; "eat less"; "I'll step over illegals on the street if they are dying", etc.).
The math shows that the great majority of the public will save money with MC4A. Rich folks will pay more in taxes and if you are good and healthy right now and don't need healthcare right now and don't have pre-existing conditions you will have to pay a bit more. Most people would like the shock of suddenly having Medicare.
Eisenhower, a Republican president, oversaw and advocated for a 75-85% tax rate for upper income earners. During that period the US saw the continuance and greater stability of a middle class for most white people. There was a union presence with some power resulting in some benefits and power for the worker. There was a manufacturing base that allowed a high school graduate to make a middle class income. Companies tended to reinvest some of their profit back into the business, including investing in their employees. Now, we don't make anything and corporate profits are financialized in the form of executive bonuses (yachts, cocaine binges, etc), and stock buybacks. The executive, investor class made a decision 30 years ago to locate the cheapest labor, sell us cheap stuff, and make big profits. The median earner/worker in this country has not had a raise, adjusted for inflation, in 40 years. Boy, I'm really glad those tax cuts trickled down to me. The data is in and it has not worked for the great majority of people.
The life expectancy in the U.S. is declining. Opiate use deaths have a lot to do with this but this is directly connected to our current healthcare system. Drug use, as we know, is connected to levels of despair and connected poverty which has been increasing for the last 30 years, as studies have demonstrably shown. So, there is a cost savings overall when societies address poverty and despair. Lack of access to all types of healthcare costs all of us more, its pretty simple.
Life expectancy is rising in other developed parts of the world.
The recent Yale study that is being referenced a lot of places concludes that MC4A would save $450 billion per year off of healthcare costs. Of course, those of us who maintain low requirements for healthcare access may pay a little more in taxes than we have, and with my earnings I do stress "a little more". Say I get cancer before 65 or want to change jobs to start my own company, I'm kind of screwed under this system. If I talk to my boss about a wage increase, he's saying below his breath: "You do a good job but I'm gonna give you a 1% raise this year because the executives like their bonuses and you can't do without your health insurance".
If someone "illegal" gets sick in the US, do they go to a doctor? No. They wait until they get sicker and go to the ER. Hospitals do not like people dying within their walls so they treat. The cost for this treatment as we know is very high. Hospitals take a loss ultimately on this patient and to make sure quarterly profits show increase for stockholders, pass on the cost to other patients. It is a business plan. We can use a lot of "shoulds" and "oughts" about this but it nevertheless is what happens. If you cover everyone maybe they'll got to the doctor and get a cheaper treatment to avoid dying later or regular checkups result in lower healthcare costs.
Sorry for the length. We talk about "slippery slopes" when we don't want anything to change.
As far as being happy goes...
https://news.gallup.com/poll/284285/new-high-americans-satisfied-personal-life.aspx
![[laughing]](http://l.yimg.com/j/assets/img/emoticons/classic/laugh.r191677.gif "Laughing [laughing]")
