Are you willing to pay more taxes to ensure health coverage for all?

Nurses Activism

Published

cbs/new york times poll, february 2 007

if you had to choose, which do you think is more important for the

country to do right now, maintain the tax cuts enacted in recent

years or make sure all americans have access to health care?

cutting taxes 18%

access to health insurance 76%

would you be willing or not willing to pay higher taxes so that all

americans have health insurance they can't lose, no matter what?

willing 60%

not willing 34%

(if "willing") would you be willing or not willing to pay $500 a

year more in taxes so that all americans have health insurance

they can't lose, no matter what?

willing 82%

not willing 6%

0 Votes
Specializes in Geriatrics, Cardiac, ICU.

I would be. I am too busy to research this myself right now, but how is it that Sweden and Canada are able to offer free healthcare and paid maternity leave and we in the US are not?

0 Votes
Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.
I would be. I am too busy to research this myself right now, but how is it that Sweden and Canada are able to offer free healthcare and paid maternity leave and we in the US are not?

Because personal income tax rates in these countries exceed 50%, a figure FAR greater than that which most Americans pay.

The question above:

(If "willing") Would you be willing or not willing to pay $500 a year more in taxes so that all Americans have health insurance they can't lose, no matter what?

is an interesting one, but I suspect it is also a non-starter. Where is the evidence that an additional $500 per taxpayer per year would be sufficient to give "all Americans health insurance they can't lose, no matter what"? And just what would that insurance provide? 100% coverage for everything? A bare-bones policy that covers catastrophic costs only? Something in-between?

Our experience with HMOs has already shown that 100% coverage leads to greater utilization of unnecessary healthcare, driving up costs for everyone. How do you propose to ensure appropriate utilization of such insurance benefits so that costs don't spiral out of control, again making health insurance and healthcare services unaffordable for the taxpayer and the individual?

0 Votes
Specializes in CRNA, Finally retired.

Absolutely not - being taxed out of my town and those taxes are NOTHING compared to federal taxes (a mere 8,400 school taxes plus property). I am all for universal coverage, but only when we institute a rational health care system - that would involve some rationing so it would never happen. Why should be have to pay more for health care if we are carving out the 30% we pay to non-providers?

0 Votes
Specializes in Pulmonology/Critical Care, Internal Med.

No.....no....H to the No. Your crazy, talk about waste....the gov't can't run the progams it has now what makes you think throwing more money and making a bigger program is going to make it any better.....it won't, thats what.

0 Votes

No way. Raising taxes is not the answer to the problems in our healthcare system in the first place.

"Throwing good money after bad . . ."

steph

0 Votes
Specializes in burn, geriatric, rehab, wound care, ER.

So if I pay $500 more a year in taxes, do I still have to pay my monthly health insurance premiums ($350/month), my deductible and copays ($5000+ so far this year). This is not clear.

0 Votes
Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.
So if I pay $500 more a year in taxes, do I still have to pay my monthly health insurance premiums ($350/month), my deductible and copays ($5000+ so far this year). This is not clear.

The question is deliberately vague.

The answer is yes, of course you do.

0 Votes
Specializes in burn, geriatric, rehab, wound care, ER.

Why can't we have universal health care so we can all get a break. Everyone gets coverage at a lower cost to the individual. I was wondering how much it would cost per month for a single payor system out of your pay cheque? Has anyone heard any numbers? Maybe more people would be persuaded towards single payer health care if they knew that the premiums and out of pocket costs would be much lower and save them a lot of money.

0 Votes
Specializes in med surg/tele.

I would be willing to have current government spending reallocated to ensure basic healthcare for everyone. Willing to pay more taxes, no.

0 Votes
I would be willing to have current government spending reallocated to ensure basic healthcare for everyone. Willing to pay more taxes, no.

Hey, now there is an idea . . . take all the money WASTED in pork and put it to good use . . .. .or back in my bank account.

steph

0 Votes
Specializes in Cardiac Surg, IR, Peds ICU, Emergency.

I hope noone minds, but I'll have to ask the question a different way;

Dear RN's,

Are you willing to take a 37% cut in salary to ensure health coverage for all? If you want a system like Sweden, that's what it will take. A 37% reduction in salary, higher taxation, and gas will cost $5.80 per gallon.

You will have to take about a 10-20% wage cut to be like Canada.

And Canada, like the US, is experiencing a nursing shortage. The irony is that Canada is one of the primary sources of immigrating nurses for the US.

http://www.human-resources-health.com/content/2/1/3

I'm not willing to take a wage cut. I only work three days per week, work my 'hobby job' 3-4 days per month (and get paid for it!), and I have over 200 days off per year.

0 Votes
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