Comments on: A health care manifesto http://cafehayek.com/2009/08/a-health-care-manifesto.html where orders emerge Mon, 16 Jan 2012 02:06:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Anonymous http://cafehayek.com/2009/08/a-health-care-manifesto.html/comment-page-1#comment-178776 Anonymous Thu, 27 Aug 2009 17:09:00 +0000 http://cafehayek.com/?p=6018#comment-178776 Precisely. Thanks for the assist. Precisely. Thanks for the assist.

]]> By: John Dewey http://cafehayek.com/2009/08/a-health-care-manifesto.html/comment-page-1#comment-178763 John Dewey Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:31:00 +0000 http://cafehayek.com/?p=6018#comment-178763 I think you meant to say that the employee's tax shield, not the employer's tax deduction, needs to be removed. Employers are going to deduct all compensation to employees, whether that compensation is cash or benefits. The uneven treatment of health insurance is this: when employees purchase health insurance on their own, they do so with after-tax dollars; when their employer purchases health insurance for them, that benefit is not included on the employees' W-2 statements and they pay no income taxes. I think you meant to say that the employee’s tax shield, not the employer’s tax deduction, needs to be removed. Employers are going to deduct all compensation to employees, whether that compensation is cash or benefits. The uneven treatment of health insurance is this: when employees purchase health insurance on their own, they do so with after-tax dollars; when their employer purchases health insurance for them, that benefit is not included on the employees’ W-2 statements and they pay no income taxes.

]]> By: John Dewey http://cafehayek.com/2009/08/a-health-care-manifesto.html/comment-page-1#comment-178759 John Dewey Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:25:00 +0000 http://cafehayek.com/?p=6018#comment-178759 I agree that state mandates force health insurance spending higher. I'm in complete agreement that these should be eliminated. Such mandates are not the only reason employees have benefits they do not need. Employers choose standardized packages for their employees becaues the overhead is much lower than it would be for individually-tailored packages. After passage of ERISA, states could no longer mandate coverage for companies which shose to self-insure. I haven't found recent statistics. In 1993, 49% of workers covered by employer-provided health insurance worked for firms that self-insured. As I understand it, liberals in many states are furious about the ERISA laws which prevent them from controlling the lives of others. I agree that state mandates force health insurance spending higher. I’m in complete agreement that these should be eliminated.

Such mandates are not the only reason employees have benefits they do not need. Employers choose standardized packages for their employees becaues the overhead is much lower than it would be for individually-tailored packages.

After passage of ERISA, states could no longer mandate coverage for companies which shose to self-insure. I haven’t found recent statistics. In 1993, 49% of workers covered by employer-provided health insurance worked for firms that self-insured. As I understand it, liberals in many states are furious about the ERISA laws which prevent them from controlling the lives of others.

]]> By: Anonymous http://cafehayek.com/2009/08/a-health-care-manifesto.html/comment-page-1#comment-178716 Anonymous Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:07:00 +0000 http://cafehayek.com/?p=6018#comment-178716 Re #8 - Who is "We" who have the obligation? Can "society" have an obligation? I don't believe so. I believe it is only the individual who has a moral obligation, and he cannot be coerced into honoring it. Re #8 – Who is “We” who have the obligation? Can “society” have an obligation? I don’t believe so. I believe it is only the individual who has a moral obligation, and he cannot be coerced into honoring it.

]]> By: Anonymous http://cafehayek.com/2009/08/a-health-care-manifesto.html/comment-page-1#comment-178713 Anonymous Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:58:00 +0000 http://cafehayek.com/?p=6018#comment-178713 90% of the money spent on health care in the US is paid by a 3rd party. Of course, when it is employer-provided health insurance, it is in fact the insured's own compensation being spent, but that is not apparent to the great majority of consumers. 90% of the money spent on health care in the US is paid by a 3rd party. Of course, when it is employer-provided health insurance, it is in fact the insured’s own compensation being spent, but that is not apparent to the great majority of consumers.

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