Why we need to fix our health care

[2233boys]

Your country will never have decent healthcare for all unless they raise taxes or take more money from somewhere else, say your Military budget. Good luck trying to convince anyone here that those are good ideas.

I'm all about cutting the military budget in half.

 

[Minimalist]

I just started paying $520 a month for health insurance. I'd like to see something fixed. I've taken a very democratic stance on this though so I have to keep my mouth shut.

 

[ScipioCowboy]

Your country will never have decent healthcare for all unless they raise taxes or take more money from somewhere else, say your Military budget. Good luck trying to convince anyone here that those are good ideas.

You could completely eliminate the military budget, and you still wouldn't solve our budgetary woes. By 2050, the cost of the major entitlement programs alone will consume 18 percent of GDP.

What's so special about 18 percent, you ask?

Historically speaking, total federal tax revenue generally bounces around between 17 and 19 percent of GDP -- regardless of the top marginal tax rate. Tax rates have been as high as 91 percent and as low as 28 percent and the amount of tax remained the same, between 17 and 19 percent of GDP.

This means that, no matter much you raise taxes or cut spending in other areas, the major entitlement programs will still consume the entire federal budget.

 

[junk]

You could completely eliminate the military budget, and you still wouldn't solve our budgetary woes. By 2050, the cost of the major entitlement programs alone will consume 18 percent of GDP.

What's so special about 18 percent, you ask?

Historically speaking, total federal tax revenue generally bounces around between 17 and 19 percent of GDP -- regardless of the top marginal tax rate. Tax rates have been as high as 91 percent and as low as 28 percent and the amount of tax remained the same, between 17 and 19 percent of GDP.

This means that, no matter much you raise taxes or cut spending in other areas, the major entitlement programs will still consume the entire federal budget.

Cutting government expenditures should, by far, be our biggest concern right. Unfortunately, we're busy wasting time/distracting people with gun control legislation.

What encompasses "entitlement" in the 18% scenario?

 

[ScipioCowboy]

Cutting government expenditures should, by far, be our biggest concern right. Unfortunately, we're busy wasting time/distracting people with gun control legislation.

What encompasses "entitlement" in the 18% scenario?

Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.

Now, the latter two aren't as problematic. They're sustainable with a few minor tweaks. It's medicare spending that explodes.

The major entitlement programs are different from other expenditures such as, say, defense spending because entitlements are far less elastic from year to year. It's easy to build a few hundred fewer tanks and fighter jets. It's much more difficult to deny coverage to a few million people.

 

[junk]

Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.

Now, the latter two aren't as problematic. They're sustainable with a few minor tweaks. It's medicare spending that explodes.

The major entitlement programs are different from other expenditures such as, say, defense spending because entitlements are far less elastic from year to year. It's easy to build a few hundred fewer tanks and fighter jets. It's much more difficult to deny coverage to a few million people.

I was curious if it was just those three or if there were others in that calculation.

Health care is a huge issue in this country and I don't know what the answer is.

 

[ThaBigP]

You could completely eliminate the military budget, and you still wouldn't solve our budgetary woes. By 2050, the cost of the major entitlement programs alone will consume 18 percent of GDP.

What's so special about 18 percent, you ask?

Historically speaking, total federal tax revenue generally bounces around between 17 and 19 percent of GDP -- regardless of the top marginal tax rate. Tax rates have been as high as 91 percent and as low as 28 percent and the amount of tax remained the same, between 17 and 19 percent of GDP.

This means that, no matter much you raise taxes or cut spending in other areas, the major entitlement programs will still consume the entire federal budget.

This is an excellent video breaking down revenue vs. spending. He uses it to bash Obama, when in fact the revenue/spending structure he's pointing out doesn't really have anything to do with Obama, in that Obama didn't "start the fire", to quote Billy Joel. It goes back to FDR/LBJ to be honest. But the numbers are staggering...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u24nH03NccI

 

[dbair1967]

Health care is a huge issue in this country and I don't know what the answer is.

I can tell you what the answer ISNT