According to the most reliable sources I could find, 44 million Americans were uninsured in 2005 (1).
Let's face the music and dance. That figure has changed way upward, but I'm willing, for the sake of argument, to use the conservative number.
44 million Americans
Let's say 40 million join a public plan. Yes, I know the numbers would be higher, but I'm rounding off for the stubborn, the unresponsive, and my own math prowess (which was once great, but has diminished with time and attrition, just as my algebra teacher predicted... but I digress).
40 million join the fray. 40 million new faces at clinics and doctor's offices all over the country. And then.... they pay, probably in cash, a little co-pay. You know, just for the office visit. Just to show faith. In general.
What would you be willing to pay for an office visit co-pay? Figuring that perhaps we should fork over a nominal fee, which seems courteous in the partnership where the other almost-100% is going to be paid by the other partner.
Let's say $5. Five dollars. I can do the math with that one.
5 x 40 million is 200 million dollars. For one office visit. For those new-on-the-rolls patients.
But let's say we were being really generous and said, "Oh, I'd be willing to pay $10." Now, of course, I'm probably speaking of people like myself -- college adjunct with no insurance and no guarantee of a job semester to semester. But still, $10 -- I could come up with $10 for an annual physical if the other partner in this plan would pick up the tab for... say... the blood work. That would be okay, wouldn't it?
So, that's 10 x 40 million is 400 million. For one office visit. With blood work.
That's not gonna pay for the program, but it can't be something to overlook.
The question is... this being simple math...
What would you be willing to pay for a reasonable co-pay?
And if we could check off a box on our income tax, what else might you be willing to pay to be covered in a Public Option?
I'm not saying to compare to what you have now, though everyone will -- those who have a plan and those who don't.
But.... what would you be willing to pay to be covered?
Co-pay? Yearly? Individually? Family? Per child? Sliding scale?
What do you think?
Because it always does seem to come down to money. And then all we hear is millions and billions and not really what each of us might be willing to do.
I'm thinking that what we are not hearing is our willingness to be part of this plan. Our willingness to say that we want to be part of the plan -- we want to help and we want to be healthy and we want to bear responsibility.
I'm not saying we haven't been responsible...no, I'm not saying that. But I am saying that we are not children who want candy for free. We are adults who are capable of being part of the plan.
So, with that in mind, what would you be willing to pay?
(1)
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/teachers/lessonplans/health/uninsured/