Allow Americans to purchase health insurance across state lines?

[forkup]

The problem with the US health care system isn't government. It's the whole idea that people's health is a tradable commodity. I'm European and I pay way less for at least comparable, if not better healthcare. Our system is government controlled and it's more efficient and cheaper. My wife is American so I can make these claims both by personal experience and researchable facts.

I have heard that before, yet Canadians flock to the US for care. Shorter wait time for one thing.

I'm Belgian and we live in my country I'll give you a little anecdote. Years ago, before we where married my wife fell down the stairs and broke her ankle visiting me. We went to the ER. She got seen by a specialist , X-rayed, given a cast and got a follow up appointment and was out under 2 hours. Afterwards what baffled her the most was the fact that nobody so much as asked for her credit card information. Now this is anecdotal of course but so are your Canadians. These figures however aren't.List of countries by total health expenditure per capita - Wikipedia
Ours is roughly half as expensive as your system.
List of countries by life expectancy - Wikipedia
We live on average 2 years longer.

 

[saveliberty]

Every anonymous poster should have a Canadian friend.

Beats a dishonest American deer.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

That's one of the GOP's big selling points of their healthcare 'plan'.

Problem is, it's already allowed.

The Federal government does not prohibit it. Some states do.

oops.

Selling health insurance across state lines is a favorite GOP 'reform.' Here's why it makes no sense

"Selling insurance across state lines is a vacuous idea, encrusted with myths.

The most important myths are that it’s illegal today, and that it’s an alternative to the Affordable Care Act.

The truth is that it actually is legal today and specifically enabled by the Affordable Care Act. The fact that Republicans don’t seem to know this should tell you something about their understanding of healthcare policy. The fact that it hasn’t happened despite its enablement under the ACA should tell you more about about why it’s no solution to anything."

Can't read your own article again eh?
Provides entertainment at least

 

[Marion Morrison]

The problem with the US health care system isn't government. It's the whole idea that people's health is a tradable commodity. I'm European and I pay way less for at least comparable, if not better healthcare. Our system is government controlled and it's more efficient and cheaper. My wife is American so I can make these claims both by personal experience and researchable facts.

I have heard that before, yet Canadians flock to the US for care. Shorter wait time for one thing.

They buy the special "Canuck" policies. Good for 6 months out of the year.

Even if they only stay 3.

 

[Claudette]

The states are the ones prohibiting interstate purchasing, not the Federal government.

Is that really too hard for you to understand?

I am not the one claiming there is no barrier to going across state lines sport.

What is the Federal barrier then?

Try the Macaran-Ferguson act of 1945

McCarran–Ferguson Act - Wikipedia

Its the closest I could find. Pretty good article on it.

 

[saveliberty]

What is the Federal barrier then?

Usually it is ambiguous rules (thing is 2,000+ pages long), legal interpretations and determining risk properly for the insurance companies. Other federal laws influence it too, such as anti trust laws.

 

[forkup]

There are not many countries anywhere with gov't run HC that don't have really high taxes and/or rationing and/or long waiting lines for specialists and testing. And everyone pays those taxes too, not just the upper half of the income earners. Show me the democrat who tells us that when they talk about how great Single Payer is.

Sure my taxes are way higher than yours. On the other hand my standard of living is just as high if not higher than most Americans. I own my house, Drive a 3 year old Mercedes, my kid is going to a nice school and will be able to go to college without me having to save my entire live to allow it. We all can go to the doctor and dentist without going broke. Taxes are not a punishment, they are simply a alternative way to fund a standard of living

 

[Seawytch]

That's one of the GOP's big selling points of their healthcare 'plan'.

Problem is, it's already allowed.

The Federal government does not prohibit it. Some states do.

oops.

Selling health insurance across state lines is a favorite GOP 'reform.' Here's why it makes no sense

"Selling insurance across state lines is a vacuous idea, encrusted with myths.

The most important myths are that it’s illegal today, and that it’s an alternative to the Affordable Care Act.

The truth is that it actually is legal today and specifically enabled by the Affordable Care Act. The fact that Republicans don’t seem to know this should tell you something about their understanding of healthcare policy. The fact that it hasn’t happened despite its enablement under the ACA should tell you more about about why it’s no solution to anything."

The ACA allows for the sale of insurance across state lines already.

http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/out-of-state-health-insurance-purchases.aspx

 

[task0778]

According to the Fraser Institute, the average Canadian family paid approx $11,735 for HCI in 2015. Everybody pays in; no exceptions. Try selling that to the American public.

 

[saveliberty]

There are not many countries anywhere with gov't run HC that don't have really high taxes and/or rationing and/or long waiting lines for specialists and testing. And everyone pays those taxes too, not just the upper half of the income earners. Show me the democrat who tells us that when they talk about how great Single Payer is.

Sure my taxes are way higher than yours. On the other hand my standard of living is just as high if not higher than most Americans. I own my house, Drive a 3 year old Mercedes, my kid is going to a nice school and will be able to go to college without me having to save my entire live to allow it. We all can go to the doctor and dentist without going broke. Taxes are not a punishment, they are simply a alternative way to fund a standard of living

The state I live in is probably bigger than your country. That means a wide variety of unique needs across our nation. You stress conformity to a nanny state. Glad it works for you Mr. Sheep.

 

[TooTall]

The problem with the US health care system isn't government. It's the whole idea that people's health is a tradable commodity. I'm European and I pay way less for at least comparable, if not better healthcare. Our system is government controlled and it's more efficient and cheaper. My wife is American so I can make these claims both by personal experience and researchable facts.

I have heard that before, yet Canadians flock to the US for care. Shorter wait time for one thing.

I can attest to that.

I have a Canadian friend who came here for surgery for breast cancer.

She couldn't get treatment in Canada because of the long wait.

She came here, got the treatment she needed and is alive and well today. Hell. She'd probably still be waiting for treatment in Canada or she'd be dead.

Fact:

"The United States spends more on technology than Canada. In a 2004 study on medical imaging in Canada, it was found that Canada had 4.6 MRI scanners per million population while the U.S. had 19.5 per million. Canada's 10.3 CT scanners per million also ranked behind the U.S., which had 29.5 per million."

 

[saveliberty]

The ACA allows for the sale of insurance across state lines already.

http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/out-of-state-health-insurance-purchases.aspx

First line in your article moron:

Insurance firms in each state are protected from interstate competition by the federal McCarran-Ferguson Act (1945), which grants states the right to regulate health plans within their borders.

 

[TooTall]

There are not many countries anywhere with gov't run HC that don't have really high taxes and/or rationing and/or long waiting lines for specialists and testing. And everyone pays those taxes too, not just the upper half of the income earners. Show me the democrat who tells us that when they talk about how great Single Payer is.

Sure my taxes are way higher than yours. On the other hand my standard of living is just as high if not higher than most Americans. I own my house, Drive a 3 year old Mercedes, my kid is going to a nice school and will be able to go to college without me having to save my entire live to allow it. We all can go to the doctor and dentist without going broke. Taxes are not a punishment, they are simply a alternative way to fund a standard of living

48% of the people in the US pay NO federal income tax. That is why it would not work in the US.

 

[saveliberty]

There are not many countries anywhere with gov't run HC that don't have really high taxes and/or rationing and/or long waiting lines for specialists and testing. And everyone pays those taxes too, not just the upper half of the income earners. Show me the democrat who tells us that when they talk about how great Single Payer is.

Sure my taxes are way higher than yours. On the other hand my standard of living is just as high if not higher than most Americans. I own my house, Drive a 3 year old Mercedes, my kid is going to a nice school and will be able to go to college without me having to save my entire live to allow it. We all can go to the doctor and dentist without going broke. Taxes are not a punishment, they are simply a alternative way to fund a standard of living

48% of the people in the US pay NO federal income tax. That is why it would not work in the US.

Then there's the whole bigger refund than they paid in for some.

 

[task0778]

That's fine, I'm glad you're happy up there. However, there are Canadians saying that your system is in fiscal trouble. You have long wait times to see specialists or get certain medical tests. Costs are going up, and there aren't many options to fix that: raise your taxes or ration care. I don't think your HC system is the panacea that you claim it is.

 

[forkup]

There are not many countries anywhere with gov't run HC that don't have really high taxes and/or rationing and/or long waiting lines for specialists and testing. And everyone pays those taxes too, not just the upper half of the income earners. Show me the democrat who tells us that when they talk about how great Single Payer is.

Sure my taxes are way higher than yours. On the other hand my standard of living is just as high if not higher than most Americans. I own my house, Drive a 3 year old Mercedes, my kid is going to a nice school and will be able to go to college without me having to save my entire live to allow it. We all can go to the doctor and dentist without going broke. Taxes are not a punishment, they are simply a alternative way to fund a standard of living

The state I live in is probably bigger than your country. That means a wide variety of unique needs across our nation. You stress conformity to a nanny state. Glad it works for you Mr. Sheep.

My country is roughly the size of Maryland to give you an idea. But explain to me how the need to be healthy changes from state to state? I also want to point out that the fact you are reverting to name calling, as opposed to giving actual counterarguments leads me to believe you don't have any. I try to be respectful, and have a real conversation and it always frustrates me when people I try to talk to, feel that when they don't have anything substantial to say, do things like calling people sheep in the hopes I don't notice that they can't counter.

 

[WorldWatcher]

Insurance firms in each state are protected from interstate competition by the federal McCarran-Ferguson Act (1945), which grants states the right to regulate health plans within their borders.

The Federal McCarran-Ferguson Act (1945) does not bar interstate sales of health insurance. The State chooses to allow outside entities or not, it is not a federal barrier to cross state line sales. The barriers are enacted by State legislatures.



>>>>

 

[saveliberty]

My country is roughly the size of Maryland to give you an idea. But explain to me how the need to be healthy changes from state to state? I also want to point out that the fact you are reverting to name calling, as opposed to giving actual counterarguments leads me to believe you don't have any. I try to be respectful, and have a real conversation and it always frustrates me when people I try to talk to, feel that when they don't have anything substantial to say, do things like calling people sheep in the hopes I don't notice that they can't counter.

It was shorthand for you are being told what is best for you by the government. You should know that for yourself correct?

Climate and environment vary tremendously here. Don't you think that could effect what types of medical services might be needed in an area? Our population is much greater and distance is an issue too. All of these factor into a healthcare delivery system.

I can counter fine.

 

[saveliberty]

Insurance firms in each state are protected from interstate competition by the federal McCarran-Ferguson Act (1945), which grants states the right to regulate health plans within their borders.

The Federal McCarran-Ferguson Act (1945) does not bar interstate sales of health insurance. The State chooses to allow outside entities or not, it is not a federal barrier to cross state line sales. The barriers are enacted by State legislatures.



>>>>

...and yet there it is in black and white for all to read. Wasn't even my source, I just actually read it. You may want to try that same thing.

 

[forkup]

That's fine, I'm glad you're happy up there. However, there are Canadians saying that your system is in fiscal trouble. You have long wait times to see specialists or get certain medical tests. Costs are going up, and there aren't many options to fix that: raise your taxes or ration care. I don't think your HC system is the panacea that you claim it is.

I'm Belgian not Canadian but you might have a point. Taxes have been increasing and they have lifted the retirement age to 65 and that will probably go up more. I do not claim our system is perfect, nor do I claim it will stay how it is today in the future. I also realise that our system is not something that Americans would stand for. I've seen it in my wife, for years she had proverbial shivers when I said we had socialized healthcare. There is an irrational fear in a lot of Americans with the word socialism. It's considered an axiom that the government can not be as efficient as the free market. Our health care cost proof otherwise though. I've thought through why we are cheaper and it is a complex array of factors.