I just read a fascinating report that addresses inherent flaws of relying on employers to provide and facilitate health insurance. A major focus of the report is that it is nearly impossible for small businesses to provide coverage of comparable quality to large companies, if they can afford to do it at all. One result of this fact is that because minorities and low income workers are dispraportionately employed by small business, the current system is biased against these groups.
The report offers very sensible and easily implemented solutions that could greatly reduce the number of uninsured workers. One idea proposes tax credit options to make healthcare more affordable for low income workers. The current system, under which health insurance is paid for with pre-tax income unfairly benefits the wealthy. From the report:
Goal #1: Financial assistance to families for health insurance coverage should be based on need.
As noted earlier, many lower-paid employees in small firms face a subsidy double-whammy. Those who are offered insurance are paid less and thus get a much smaller tax benefit than upper-income employees through the exclusion from taxable income of employer-sponsored health benefits. Many have no employer-sponsored insurance at all, and if they purchase their own insurance, they typically receive no tax break.
So, which wignut organization issued the report stating that:
-Our health insurance system discriminates against minorites and low income families?
-Current tax structure regarding healthcare costs unfairly benefits the wealthy?
-Our nation really needs to find solutions for reducing the number of uninsured?
-We should allow private groups, including unions, to create insurance pools as alternatives to employer plans?
If you haven't guessed by now, this all came from those liberal wackos at...
The Heritage Foundation. That's right. Our current system is so FUBAR, that even the ultra conservative Heritage Foundation is waking up to smell the coffee. Of course, they are not offering a plan for universal coverage, at least they are headed in the right direction with solutions that hold the possibility for bi-partisan support. Even for those of us that believe in single-payer, we need to consider proposals like this as good interim steps towards the ultimate goal.
The report is relatively short and worth the read. Those that own or work for a small business will find it especially interesting. http://www.heritage.org/Resear...
But, the big question remains. If everyone across the political spectrum recognizes the problem, why is our government still not doing a damned thing?
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