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

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%

Specializes in Tele, ICU, ER.

Nope - don't want new taxes. Take the money already yanked out of my hard-earned pay and USE it for appropriate purposes, which does not include giant CEO bonuses!

And, get people who CAN work, to go to work and pay taxes, too. As someone else said, NO HANDOUTS. I get tired of that. I'm all for supporting the healthcare needs of the disabled and children, but NOT those who *could* get off their butts and work but choose not to. I'd also like to see the illegal thing sorted out finally. Since EMTALA was originally created to avoid private hospitals dumping or refusing to see the uninsured, and there would BE no uninsured citizens, we could get rid of that, too. It's been so misused it's sad.

My only concern is - I'd like to know how many citizens the insurance industry employs (basic working joes, not CEOs) who would lose their livelihoods and support of their family, if they take away the middle man. I agree that the middle man needs to go - but what about all those employees. I WOULD contribute to a fund to retrain all those displaced employees - as nurses!

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Specializes in Cardiac Surg, IR, Peds ICU, Emergency.
You know, I don't know who you are or what problem you have with socialized medicine, but you make some really silly comments.

My parents in law pay over $700 a month for their health insurance. Their prescirptions are partically covered, but they still pay huge amounts of money for their medications. I am an American living in Canada. I pay $80 a month for my family, and that is because we dual income middle class family and we pay the maximum. That is it. $80 per month and we are covered for any medical costs whatsoever, prescriptions are VASTLY cheaper up here to fill. Kids get free basic dental. My taxes average 17%.

If they were to take the $700 per month and put half of that towards universal healthcare, they would be ahead...

Thanks for the constructive criticisms; there is no need to be insulting.

The national health system in Canada does not cover prescription drugs, and even the subsidized programs require an additional fee. And the reason that drugs are cheaper in Canada is because the drug companies are subsidized by the gov't; subsidizing pharmaceuticals in the US is a mortal crime (i.e. "lining the pockets of big pharma"). In addition, the majority of the R/D occurs in the US.

And all the data clearly states that Canadians are taxed at a much higher rate than the Americans (at least currently). I find it odd that everyone seems to be paying less than 20 cents on the dollar. I'm guessing the Canada Revenue Agency is getting the numbers all wrong.

http://www.fraserinstitute.ca/shared/readmore.asp?sNav=nr&id=584

In 2003, the average Canadian paid taxes at a rate of 47%. Has it dropped that much over the past four years? With that kind of tax rate, I think it's criminal that anyone would have to drop another dime for health care, and yet you still do. That's the AVERAGE Canadian.

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The Fraser Institute is not a reliable site IMO. You need to read the small print. I've never paid 47% in taxes on my paycheques. They are including contributions to the pension plan, unemployment insurance, motor vehicle registration, gas taxes, luxury car taxes, property taxes, sales taxes, etc.... They always compare Canada to the US. If the US paid significantly less in taxes when all those were included, you can bet your butt they would have put it in there.

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Thanks for the constructive criticisms; there is no need to be insulting.

The national health system in Canada does not cover prescription drugs, and even the subsidized programs require an additional fee. And the reason that drugs are cheaper in Canada is because the drug companies are subsidized by the gov't; subsidizing pharmaceuticals in the US is a mortal crime (i.e. "lining the pockets of big pharma"). In addition, the majority of the R/D occurs in the US.

And all the data clearly states that Canadians are taxed at a much higher rate than the Americans (at least currently). I find it odd that everyone seems to be paying less than 20 cents on the dollar. I'm guessing the Canada Revenue Agency is getting the numbers all wrong.

http://www.fraserinstitute.ca/shared/readmore.asp?sNav=nr&id=584

In 2003, the average Canadian paid taxes at a rate of 47%. Has it dropped that much over the past four years? With that kind of tax rate, I think it's criminal that anyone would have to drop another dime for health care, and yet you still do. That's the AVERAGE Canadian.

I have no idea what they are talking about. My husband runs a small business and I do all the payroll for our employees. Fed. and prov. taxes are 17% combined. For example, one of our employees made $48,000 last year. I deducted $10,535. He has no dependents. That includes CPP (pension) EI (Employement insurance) and Fed and Prov (state) taxes. I am not great on math, but that seems to be about 22% total.

That is the problem with taking random facts off the internet. You do not know what context it is.

NO ONE pays 47% taxes in Canada. Really.

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Nope - don't want new taxes. Take the money already yanked out of my hard-earned pay and USE it for appropriate purposes, which does not include giant CEO bonuses!

And, get people who CAN work, to go to work and pay taxes, too. As someone else said, NO HANDOUTS. I get tired of that. I'm all for supporting the healthcare needs of the disabled and children, but NOT those who *could* get off their butts and work but choose not to. I'd also like to see the illegal thing sorted out finally. Since EMTALA was originally created to avoid private hospitals dumping or refusing to see the uninsured, and there would BE no uninsured citizens, we could get rid of that, too. It's been so misused it's sad.

My only concern is - I'd like to know how many citizens the insurance industry employs (basic working joes, not CEOs) who would lose their livelihoods and support of their family, if they take away the middle man. I agree that the middle man needs to go - but what about all those employees. I WOULD contribute to a fund to retrain all those displaced employees - as nurses!

My point is that if you took your insurance premiums (and I have been hearing everything from $6000 - $12,000 per year) and converted them to taxes instead, I would bet you would save a lot of money.

However, I do not believe a socialized system could work in the US. For a number of reasons. Look at the education system.

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Specializes in Cardiac Surg, IR, Peds ICU, Emergency.
I have no idea what they are talking about. My husband runs a small business and I do all the payroll for our employees. Fed. and prov. taxes are 17% combined.

This is a low example which fits very few geographic areas in Canada.

For example, one of our employees made $48,000 last year. I deducted $10,535. He has no dependents. That includes CPP (pension) EI (Employement insurance) and Fed and Prov (state) taxes. I am not great on math, but that seems to be about 22% total.

According to your own CRA, this employee pays 15.5% in federal alone on the first 37,178, and then 22% on the portion between that and $48k. Then he pays a similar graduated provincial tax.

That is the problem with taking random facts off the internet. You do not know what context it is.

And your data is different how?

NO ONE pays 47% taxes in Canada. Really.

Really, they do. Some provincial marginal tax rates are 47%.

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Specializes in OB, M/S, HH, Medical Imaging RN.
Really, they do. Some provincial marginal tax rates are 47%.

Are you Canadian? Do you live in Canada? Have you ever been to Canada? Just curious....

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The problem rests with the system..and throwing more money into it isn't going to help anything...it never does.

Why is it, that when I go to the doctor and they bill my insurance, they bill them $280 for an office visit.

Yet...when I tell them I am self-paying, they bill me only $60?

THAT is the heart of the problem.

America has an "all about me" attitude as a culture...there are too many people abusing the system as it is. Medicaid, is getting abused, SSI, is getting abused, Welfare, is getting abused.

I'm not going to pay (like Canada) 16% tax on the dollar to get LESS coverage than I am receiving right now.

People CHOOSE to be self-employed, people CHOOSE to take jobs that don't offer insurance.

I personally...CHOOSE to only work for companies with major medical, and if they don't have it, I don't take the job...and I let them know why I am turning it down.

I have never had problems getting healthcare a day in my life, until recently (because I CHOOSE to quit my job and go back to school)...and we self-pay and doctors cut deals with us.

We have a culture that is anti-union...UNIONS are what forced companies to carry benefits to start with...and now that they are disappearing, companies are paying employees less and less, profits for companies are soaring, and benefits are getting slashed left and right.

One of these days...people will realize, that there are strength in numbers, and your politicians (regardless if you are a Demo or Rep)...are high-income earners and business owners and DO NOT have the same concerns that you or I do...that is why they are not motivated to do anything about it...b/c it doesn't affect them. They will get their pensions for the rest of their lives.

It's time for Americans to stand up and stop allowing the Drug Companies, the hospitals, the entire system stop ripping people off, and each other.

Organ transplants are over $100K...why? THE ORGAN IS FREE!!!

Why do drugs cost less in Canada than in the USA? BECAUSE THE GOV'T REGULATES IT THERE AND THE DIFFERENCE IN PROFIT IS MADE-UP IN AMERICA!!

Socialized medicine is not the solution....restructuring the healthcare we have...is the solution.

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Really, they do. Some provincial marginal tax rates are 47%.

That is incorrect. I lived in Canada for four years (right outside of Toronto), and NO ONE in Canada pays 47%...about 16% COMBINED Province and local taxes is the national average.

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The Doc's In, but It'll Be a While

Despite spending lots more per capita on health care, the U.S. is often as bad or worse than other industrialized nations in wait times

http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/jun2007/tc20070621_716260.htm

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Really, they do. Some provincial marginal tax rates are 47%.

Yes, DarrenWright - The sky is GREEN the sky is GREEN.... have you ever really looked at the sky???

Sheesh. I don't know why you have to keep making things up in order to justify your claims. Maybe you need to look at things a little more objectively. :idea:

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Specializes in Cardiac Surg, IR, Peds ICU, Emergency.
Are you Canadian? Do you live in Canada? Have you ever been to Canada? Just curious....

What is the relevance of any of these questions?

http://www.morningstar.ca/globalhome/MarginalTaxCalculator/index.asp

Use this calculator (an unbiased third party calculator). What you will find is that several provinces have marginal tax rates on certain incomes within 1% of 47%, and some exceed 47%.

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