I just came up with a solution for the nation's health care problem, and it only took me five minutes. Hey, I'm just a musician type of guy, but I think this would work:

There are approximately 400 million people in the United States.

If every person paid $20 annually into a public health pool that would be $8 billion.

That's eight billion dollars. Think about it.

Now how many people do you know that actually use all of their health care benefits in a given year? How many times does each person have to go to the hospital for care? How many times do you even go to a doctor for consultation? On the average how many prescriptions does each person take for an entire year? One, maybe two?

Now, in a realistically ideal world that $8 billion of pool money would ONLY be allowed to go into a public healthcare fund, not for black budget projects, nuclear weapons or to line your Senators pockets. There would be a self balancing overseeing committee voted into place (shades of socialism....? Oh dear...), to make sure that the money is only taken out for an individual's viable health care needs.

It really can't be that hard to organize this. If you can't afford $20 a year, then you can't afford to be alive or eat or wear clothes.

If society would need to make this $25 or even $50 that would still be completely fair, reasonable and affordable for any person living today, and that would be 16 BILLION DOLLARS set aside for peoples health needs! Hey, how much does the average adult spend on alcohol, or dessert in a given year?

It only took me five minutes to come up with this. I also think this model could be taken further and applied to most of society's basic needs. To me this doesn't seem wacky or "out there", compared to the horrible negative mess we are living with now.

This is a pretty open-minded group on ATS. I'd really like to hear other peoples input. I'm just looking at a solution model here, NOT INCLUDING the ever present tendency for humans to be greedy, and lustful for power to dominate others. What do you think?

[edit on 15-9-2009 by warza for horrendously embarrassing math typo...]

[edit on 15-9-2009 by warza]

Originally posted by warza

There are approximately 400 million people in the United States.

If every person paid $20 annually into a public health pool that would be $8 trillion.


[edit on 15-9-2009 by warza]

You better go back to being a musician.

The population of the US is nowhere near 400million. You are about 96million off.

Originally posted by warza
There are approximately 400 million people in the United States.

If every person paid $20 annually into a public health pool that would be $8 trillion.

That's eight trillion dollars! Think about it.

I have thought about it... Please do not pursue a profession that requires "maths."

Find the nearest calculator or pocket protector nerd type and check your totals.

Maths Monkeys, not just for being able to count to 21 anymore...

I think the idea is sound; the math is off.

You also have to take into account those that cannot pay -- children, disabled, etc. If you refigure, say, taxpayers, I wonder what their yearly vig would be?

The real problem with such a thing is........ who spends the money? Another health organization? ugh.

or they could just remove tax breaks for religion. That would fund health care 10 times over.

OUCH! Thank you guys for catching my awful math glitch so fast before this went any further. I'm a guitar player......

Anyways, I still think the idea holds. I'm not looking for negativity here. This really seems like a simple, viable solution to me. Please keep offering your constructive thoughts.

8 billion is a small fraction. I could of sworn US health care is a trillion dollar industry, no?

8 billion will not pay for usage of the health care system as it is used today.

EDIT: Ok. Under 2.5 trillion. 131 million taxpayers. The cost per head is 20k/year.



[edit on 15/9/09 by YourForever]

How about we stop trying to figure out how get that trillion dollar insurance card into everyones hands and start at ground zero... like I don't know maybe, where are you going to get the doctors and nurses to see and treat these extra poor, wretched masses?

Great everyone lives forever and now we have millions of non working old people to look after.

Everyone can just croak then. I'm sorry I brought it up!

Just kidding