people seem to be under the illusion that private companies are offering the kind of health insurance they did when they were in the work force. They are not. Many companies keep people working just under the amount of hours needed to get health insurance thu the company. Companies that still offer it, don't offer the type of plans that were once offered and it's almost never free anymore. To tie health insurance to work is archaic. There is no security in one's job anymore. Corporations think nothing of cutting jobs when they need to give more to their stock holders. doctors end up bringing patients in more often to increase revenue because reimbursements keep being cut. doctors have to employ people whose only jobs are to deal with insurance companies. the time has come for some kind of basic insurance for everyone. those that want more can buy supplemental plans. there are people that have insurance and have had a medical catastrophe and the deductibles and copays have caused them to declare bankruptcy. the individual mandate made sense--younger people's contributions helped pay for the program when they needed it less. Social Security was considered socialism once. and it ran on the same principle. yes, we paid into it, but it's the people in the work force now that keep it going. "The taxes paid by active workers help support today’s generation of retirees — which is a big reason why some policymakers are concerned about the program’s long-term solvency. In 1950, the average American lived for 68 years and retirees were supported by 16 active workers. Now, the average life expectancy is 78 and just three workers support every retiree." According to the institute’s data, a two-earner couple receiving an average wage — $44,600 per spouse in 2012 dollars — and turning 65 in 2010 would have paid $722,000 into Social Security and Medicare and can be expected to take out $966,000 in benefits. So, this couple will be paid about one-third more in benefits than they paid in taxes."Thus, Social Security is — and always has been — a transfer system from younger generations to older generations."
Urban Institute, "Social Security and Medicare Taxes and Benefits over a Lifetime," 2012
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