Comments on: McCain’s Promise to Cut Medicare Premiums http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/mccains_promise_to_cut_medicare_premiums/ Online Journal of Politics and Foreign Affairs Fri, 27 Nov 2009 01:10:12 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Paul http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/mccains_promise_to_cut_medicare_premiums/comment-page-1/#comment-266580 Paul Wed, 16 Jan 2008 21:34:46 +0000 http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/2008/01/mccains_promise_to_cut_medicare_premiums/#comment-266580 Sigh, so much for straight talk. And I thought McCain was going to turn Medicare into a profit center so we could afford to pay for those 100 more years in Iraq. (If McCain gets the nomination, be ready to hear that "100 years" quote mush more than we heard "I was for the $87 billion before I was against it". Probably about 100 times more). Sigh, so much for straight talk. And I thought McCain was going to turn Medicare into a profit center so we could afford to pay for those 100 more years in Iraq. (If McCain gets the nomination, be ready to hear that "100 years" quote mush more than we heard "I was for the $87 billion before I was against it". Probably about 100 times more).

]]> By: Dave Schuler http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/mccains_promise_to_cut_medicare_premiums/comment-page-1/#comment-266461 Dave Schuler Wed, 16 Jan 2008 14:20:19 +0000 http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/2008/01/mccains_promise_to_cut_medicare_premiums/#comment-266461 There are lots of asymmetries in healthcare, not just between companies and individuals but between large companies and small companies. Our current system is a substantial subsidy to large companies that are more capable of and likely to self-insure. Indeed, the decision to self-insure is one of the things that big companies are complaining about. The faster costs rise the poorer their decision was. And there's more than one way to achieve symmetry. You've outlined one way. I think the more likely approach will be to limit the deductability of healthcare by employers, just as it is for individuals. My own preference would be to have benefits, including employer-provided healthcare, declared as income. There are lots of asymmetries in healthcare, not just between companies and individuals but between large companies and small companies. Our current system is a substantial subsidy to large companies that are more capable of and likely to self-insure. Indeed, the decision to self-insure is one of the things that big companies are complaining about. The faster costs rise the poorer their decision was.

And there's more than one way to achieve symmetry. You've outlined one way. I think the more likely approach will be to limit the deductability of healthcare by employers, just as it is for individuals. My own preference would be to have benefits, including employer-provided healthcare, declared as income.

]]>