Ron Paul says he would want to transition into medical savings accounts.
What are those and how do they work?
I’d imagine they are similar to private Health Savings Accounts, perhaps with some desposit matching by the government? I am unsure how much of Paul’s plan would be private vs. public, perhaps some sort of quasi-private institution, like Fannie Mae, or Freddie Mac, etc.
I haven’t read the article, but I’m guessing he’s intending these medical savings accounts to replace Medicare, Medicaid, and the like. At that point, presumably, they can be privatized entirely.
“Fannie Mae, or Freddie Mac, etc.”
Hmm…but he thinks fannie and freddie mac have been government disasters.
True, just throwing that out there. To be a “public” program, the government would have to be involved somehow, no?
“True, just throwing that out there. To be a “public” program, the government would have to be involved somehow, no?”
Ron Paul better be ready for this arguement to be used against him.
Moderator: “Dr. Paul, you criticize Fannie And Freddie Mac as being extremely inefficient and damaging to the economy, in fact, giving them credit for helping to create the housing crisis we currently have in this country…”
Dr. Paul: “yes, that is correct.”
Moderator: “yet, that is exactly the kind of government insitution you want to create for the healthcare industry.”
[audience laughs]
[ron paul nervously looks around…at the moderator, back to the audience, down at his cards, licks his lips]
[romney stares at Dr. paul with a stiff handsome smile]
[herman cain looks down at his card nervously..squeezes out a small smile]
[newt looks into the audience and smiles, and moves his chest as though he’s laughing]
Well, he may have something totally different planned, I’m not sure.
I’m genuinely sorry you wasted the time creating that ridiculous scenario that will never happen. Ron Paul would not create some new bureaucracy. He obviously understands the dependency that’s been created, and that you cannot remove Medicare overnight…but that’s why he talks about allowing young people to opt out.
And yes, the way he described “medical savings account” is basically what a Health Savings Account is. Basically a tax shelter for medical dollars…meaning it’s an account where:
Money goes IN tax free,
Grows (in the account) tax free,
and Comes out tax free.
and you use it for health/medical expenses.
For an excellent overview of how you can get insured yourself without having to rely on the government or your employer, check out
The New Health Insurance Solution
by Paul Zane Pilzer
John Mackey, the CEO of Whole Foods wrote an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal back in 2009 entitled:
“The Whole Foods Alternative to ObamaCare”
Eight things we can do to improve health care without adding to the deficit.
(As it turns out according to Mackey:
“In answer to President Obama’s invitation to all Americans to put forward constructive ideas for reforming our health care system, I wrote this Op/Ed piece called simply ‘Health Care Reform.’ An editor at the Journal rewrote the headline to call it ‘Whole Foods Alternative to Obamacare,’ which led to antagonistic feelings by many. That was not my intention – in fact, I do not mention the President at all in this piece.”)
Here he is discussing with John Stossel the success of Health Savings Accounts among his employees…
Also, as the gov gets out of the healthcare industry, innovation will rise and cost will lower. Look at what Dr. Shetty has done for heart surgery in India, I understand he’s preparing to open a surgery factory in the Caynen Islands soon for the Americans.