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Curtis Shepherd of Fort Collins writes:

Some want another 35 billion dollars on top of 48 billion currently spent for health care for 6.6 million people. An additional $5,303 per person plus the $7,272 per person currently being spent is a total of $12,575 per person. Enough money for a health insurance policy for each of them.
We know that although the U.S. has the best health care system in the world, it is also the most expensive.
Why not open a Health Savings Account (which is interest bearing) for every citizen in the U.S. Put in $500,000 to start it. The simple interest in one year at 5% is $25,000. This amount is more than enough to pay for a health insurance plan. The balance of the $25,000 per year is enough to pay for co-pays, deductibles and other out of pocket expenses. The initial $500,000 would continue to grow as unspent interest accumulates, as long as the principle is not touched. HSA’s can also be used to supplement retirement income.
This plan would cost perhaps as much as 15 trillion dollars for perhaps 300 million citizens, and would replace Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security (over time) and the current SCHIP program. The trillions saved by eliminating these and other Federal agencies/programs and various State programs/departments that would no longer be needed would likely offset the cost of the program.
Who looses with this? Bureaucrats and politicians as their control over us would wane.
But everyone would have adequate health care.

This letter has not been edited.

READER COMMENTS

Damn. Where to even start?
First, the add'l SCHIP funding would increase the enrollment to 10 million.

Secondly....$500k for each citizen? That is 150 trillion dollars. How the hell would that work?

U.S. having the best health care system in the world? What planet are you from? We have one of the highest infant mortality rate and one of the lowest life expectancy rate of industrial nations while paying the highest cost. If that is how you define the best, I hate to imagine the worst.

As for health insurance, they will do ANYTHING to avoid paying. Can you say pre-existing condition? This will prevent you from getting coverage from ALL insurance companies.

Did you know that NO INSURANCE company in Colorado will issue an individual policy that covers pregnancy? We are not talking about trying to get insurance while pregnant, which is a pre-existing condition, but for possibility of being pregnant 2 years from now. You have to be part of group policy to get this benefit, but if your employer does not provide health insurance, then you are screwed.

Let's stop spending our money in Iraq (my nephew is in Army training now and he states that they don't discuss Iraq anymore...they teach about Iran in training class..that is scary)

Why not open a Health Savings Account ...Who looses with this?

Insurance companies. You don't think they're going to give up control without a fight, do you?

Take the middleman (insurance companies) out of the mix, and we'll have plenty of money for health care. But like Mac says-- too much dough. So they stay screwing you and me.

First off Mr. Shepherd I want to point out that I agree for a multitude of reasons that expanding SCHIP is a horrible idea but I have to dispute you on your facts. The SCHIP expansion bill does not add $5303 to the existing $7272 per person. What it does is take the $35 billion to add additional people (specifically higher income families) to the existing 6.6 million bringing the total to an estimated 10 to 11 million. So saying that it will bring the total to $12575 per person is completely false. As I said, I agree that SCHIP expansion is a horrible plan that I oppose on many levels I also fervently believe that manipulating the numbers to create outright lies does a disservice to your arguments and mine against this bill.

First off Mr. Shepherd I want to point out that I agree for a multitude of reasons that expanding SCHIP is a horrible idea but I have to dispute you on your facts. The SCHIP expansion bill does not add $5303 to the existing $7272 per person. What it does is take the $35 billion to add additional people (specifically higher income families) to the existing 6.6 million bringing the total to an estimated 10 to 11 million. So saying that it will bring the total to $12575 per person is completely false. As I said, I agree that SCHIP expansion is a horrible plan that I oppose on many levels I also fervently believe that manipulating the numbers to create outright lies does a disservice to your arguments and mine against this bill.

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