Controlling Health Care Expense

[Airbrush]

There is an old saying that goes something like “An ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cures.” The big expense for everyone is health care insurance. That is why it is better that everyone be insured so they may begin to expend the ounce of prevention in terms of healthy life-style (diet and exercise) EARLY in life, and often avoid the expensive treatments for the ailments of an unhealthy life style later in life. That helps to avoid using the emergency room as your doctor of last resort. People need to be reminded and encouraged to make the effort for a healthy life-style.

That is why I propose the junk food tax. A panel of nutrition experts could develop a scale of healthiness to assign a number to the junkiness of a food in terms of the density of sugar, salt, trans-fats, and whatever unnatural coloring or preservatives, or other ingredients to give the food a craving factor. I would save money since I already love the healthy foods. Modern processed foods are created to induce people to develop a craving for it and to overeat that! Imagine that, food that is too much fun to eat?

I foresee a future with less demand for health professionals, because people are generally healthier, due to healthy life-style, and less demand for expensive heroic treatments. Some foods are more nutritious and others not so. The higher the junkiness of a food, the higher the tax. The medicinal foods (fruits, veges, and other healthy foods) should be subsidized so they are very cheap and so folks are motivated financially to purchase healthier foods. I’m with Kaiser and they have a list of superfoods:

AVOCADOS, BLUE BERRIES, BROCCOLI, KALE, LENTILS, NUTS, OATMEAL, QUINOA, SALMON, SWEET POTATO. Interesting the only animal protein on the list is salmon.

Physical activity, through sports or other such activity, should be encouraged throughout life. Neighborhoods should have sports teams of all levels of ability, to encourage people to get physical activity and eat healthy. Where do I go to join the local track and field team, since I specialize in the 2K? Or pole vault? Every neighborhood should have sports complexes for the locals to congregate and form teams. If you can prove you are physically active and eating healthy, however that can be done by blood or other tests, you can get a tax break!

Edited January 20, 2017 by Airbrush

[John Cuthber]

"Modern processed foods are created to induce people to develop a craving for it and to overeat that! "
Got any evidence?

Remember that Henry (VIII) was fat and hat was nothing to do with modern food- just the simple fact that many people overeat if they can.

[swansont]

 

There is an old saying that goes something like “An ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cures.” The big expense for everyone is health care insurance. That is why it is better that everyone be insured so they may begin to expend the ounce of prevention in terms of healthy life-style (diet and exercise) EARLY in life, and often avoid the expensive treatments for the ailments of an unhealthy life style later in life. That helps to avoid using the emergency room as your doctor of last resort. People need to be reminded and encouraged to make the effort for a healthy life-style.

 

 

 

I don't see the path to where insurance is going to lead to healthy life-style. Being able to afford to go the doctor has advantages of early detection and treatment of disease, so any affliction has a higher survival probability, and treatment is possibly less expensive.

[CharonY]

Some insurers in Germany provide incentives for e.g. joining sport clubs or gyms, vaccinations, etc. under the assumption that these may actually reduce the cost for the insurer in the long run. I am not sure whether these measures have shown any benefits, though.

Edited January 20, 2017 by CharonY

[Airbrush]

 

 

I don't see the path to where insurance is going to lead to healthy life-style. Being able to afford to go the doctor has advantages of early detection and treatment of disease, so any affliction has a higher survival probability, and treatment is possibly less expensive.

 

Health insurance is going to lead to healthier life-style because once you have the insurance you probably want to take advantage of what you paid for by visiting your doctor periodically, and having your annual blood tests. That way you at least have to listen to your doctor lobby for healthy eating and exercising habits, and stop smoking and stop excessive alcohol. At least someone to nag you about taking care of yourself.

"Modern processed foods are created to induce people to develop a craving for it and to overeat that! "

Got any evidence?

 

What about all the sugar, salt, fat, and chemicals that are intended to make processed foods more interesting and have a long shelf life? Plain simple healthy food already is delicious enough when you learn to appreciate the subtle deliciousness. I steam a batch of broccoli every few days and when it is cooked just perfectly it is delicious to nibble on fresh steamed broccoli without any spices or salt. But I don't crave to eat a lot of it. Would it be smarter for me to drench the broccoli in spicy sauces so I would probably like to eat a little too much?

Edited January 20, 2017 by Airbrush

[Airbrush]

When republicans repeat the Trump mantra "Obamacare is a total disaster" because the costs went up so much, they never explain WHY premiums went up. Because Obamacare allows for pre-existing conditions. That is a huge additional expense to the industry. Also Obamacare has no limits in spending on certain severe conditions. To those people with pre-existing conditions, Obamacare is not a "total disaster" but a life saver. So every time someone calls Obamacare a total disaster, they are suggesting that people with pre-existing conditions should NOT have coverage. In Trump's own Christian religion, it is unchristian to not help the poor. "What you do for the least of my brethren, you do it for me" in the words of Christ himself.

[dimreepr]

When republicans repeat the Trump mantra "Obamacare is a total disaster" because the costs went up so much, they never explain WHY premiums went up. Because Obamacare allows for pre-existing conditions. That is a huge additional expense to the industry. Also Obamacare has no limits in spending on certain severe conditions. To those people with pre-existing conditions, Obamacare is not a "total disaster" but a life saver. So every time someone calls Obamacare a total disaster, they are suggesting that people with pre-existing conditions should NOT have coverage. In Trump's own Christian religion, it is unchristian to not help the poor. "What you do for the least of my brethren, you do it for me" in the words of Christ himself.

 

In this fora, you're preaching to the converted.

[swansont]

When republicans repeat the Trump mantra "Obamacare is a total disaster" because the costs went up so much, they never explain WHY premiums went up.

 

It also ignores that the premium increase was smaller than it had been under Bush.

http://www.factcheck.org/2015/02/slower-premium-growth-under-obama/

 

Turns out, people kinda like the Affordable Care Act even as they hate Obamacare. Since they are one and the same, one is left to conclude that they didn't like the name associated with it.

[CharonY]

Yeah, according to a recent pew poll ACA got an approvable rating of 54% - the highest it ever got as well as the lowest disapproval rating (43%). Presumably now that having had it for a while and being at risk of losing it make people change their mind. Perhaps unsurprisingly the support among republican voters remained low, but among independent there was a large jump (from 36% in 2010 to 53%).

They should have named it the Patriot Care Act. Or, given the current climate "Tremendous bigly win care".