On Feb 27, 2009, at 8:27 AM, Michael Pollak wrote:
> I left out the keystone of my rant, namely: What on earth would be
> the point of making this kind of coverage universal? It's not only
> that most people can't budget 6 grand/yr for the standard plan.
> They couldn't afford to go to the doctor even if you gave them the
> plan for free!
I've got an interview with David Himmelstein of PNHP in the can - it'll run on KPFA tomorrow morning, and be up on the web perhaps as soon as this afternoon. He talks about the Mass plan, which is the model for O's "universal coverage." If you don't have other insurance, the basic plan is $4,800/year, with a $2,000 deductible. After that, a 20% copay. And if you can't afford that, they'll fine you $1,000. For many in the lower middle ranks, this is worse than before, since they used to be able to get stuff for free through state programs or charity care. No more. AIDS patients are having to give up their drug regimens because the can't afford them - when they used to be able to find subsidies.
Doug