ACA/Obamacare Repeal/Replace Drama

[Benton]

(03-14-2017, 12:13 PM)Yojimbo Wrote: I really think states need to take the lead on this and the bigger states like California and New York need to lead the way. I'd argue the marijuana legalizing states should too and use some of the new revenue towards that goal.

I've advocated for a while for a plan where the states form a cooperative and negotiate on behalf of anyone who wants insurance.

If you're a single payer and solicit from a dozen insurance companies, you're going to pay a huge rate. That's one of the benefits of working for a large company, typically they negotiate a good benefits package. A state cooperative could do the same for voluntary members (single payers). If you get 10% of each state participating, that's several million people to spread a plan across.

On the legalizing issue, that's sort of what's been happening already with some states approving it, taxing it and using the proceeds to pay for stuff they would normally have to use an income tax for. Which is why the news of Trump's "we're going back to locking up people for smoking pot" is disappointing.