tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512362.post8953689940540211727..comments2024-03-10T13:59:19.230-04:00Comments on xpostfactoid: If serious compromise on healthcare were possible, what would Democrats give?Andrew Sprunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17601269968798865106noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512362.post-14758416262901081312017-07-21T11:36:07.615-04:002017-07-21T11:36:07.615-04:00I remember the article. I think that the $220 bill...I remember the article. I think that the $220 billion included tiering the subsidies to gold plans. That was a big item.bob.hertzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09686373408419885558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512362.post-80045036267070644342017-07-20T15:50:21.008-04:002017-07-20T15:50:21.008-04:00Bob, the earlier Blumberg/Holahan report containin...Bob, the earlier Blumberg/Holahan report containing their subsidy recommendations, for which there's a link in the footnote to this post, includes cost estimates. They don't break out the 8.5% cap separately, but they estimate all their subsidy changes at around $220 billion/ten years, if I remember right.Andrew Sprunghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17601269968798865106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512362.post-10637261363555127572017-07-20T15:45:04.928-04:002017-07-20T15:45:04.928-04:00 I tried to estimate the cost of giving everyone a... I tried to estimate the cost of giving everyone an 8.5% cap regardless of income. My numbers are just educated guesses, but here goes.<br /><br />Assume a single person earns $80.000 a year. 8.5% of that is $6,800 a year or $567 a month.<br /><br />In the bad states like Nebraska, IA, Wi, AZ, the premiums for a 55 year old will probably climb to about $900 a month and keep climbing.<br /><br />Under age 50, with that income, there might be no subsidies needed. <br /><br />So what are the numbers? Say that there are 4 million people who earn more than 400% of poverty and currently get nothing.<br /><br />Say that 40 per cent of that total is over age 55.<br /><br />That would be 1.6 million people who could now get subsidies.<br /><br />How much will their subsidies be? I do not have the firepower to figure this out.<br /><br />If the average subsidy is $350 a month, $4200 a year, then the total cost of an 8.5% cap would be about $6.7 billion a year.<br /><br />This is not an enormous sum in ACA land, to remove one of the sorest areas of the law.bob.hertzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09686373408419885558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512362.post-1253569644194884582017-07-19T09:23:47.927-04:002017-07-19T09:23:47.927-04:00Great job on your part as usual. At some point -- ...Great job on your part as usual. At some point -- maybe -- the scorched earth tactics of the Republicans will cease, and at that point we need a positive agenda.<br /><br />When I have a moment I am going to go through your excellent list and try to come with the "pay-fors." Some of your items like a universal cap on premiums, expanded cost-sharing, and permanent reinsurance will cost some billions of dollars. We definitely will have no room for a tax cut if we do these items, in fact we will need an increase. Thanks again.Bob Hertzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08889826739646491269noreply@blogger.com