Big Questions on Health Care for Middle Class

Not all big questions are answerable.

Anonymous

For many questions, there are not two sides;there may be a score of valid shades of opinion.

Bergen Evans (1904-1978), lexicographer and educator

Please indicate if you think questions are answerable.

• Are you better off economically than you were 5 years ago?

• Do you think redistribution of health care benefits from the haves to the have-nots is a good idea?

• Are your health care premiums and deductibles more affordable than they were 5 years ago?

• Have you had problems finding a primary care doctor to care for you?

• Do you think it is government’s responsibility to provide affordable health care for all citizens?

• Has your health plan been cancelled recently?

• Is your doctor now in the network of your insurance plan?

• Do you think all health plans ought to cover all essential health benefits or just the ones that apply to you?

• Do you believe in a single payer system such as Medicare for the middle class, Medicaid for the poor, or government subsidies for those making $46,000 or less?

• Do you prefer government-controlled-and-directed care or market-based care based on personal choice?

• Who do you trust most – government or markets?

• Do you think that your personal health care data should be accessible to employers or government or health plans?

• Should doctors, hospitals, or other health care providers be free to charge cash for their services?

• Should government require you to have a health plan or pay a penalty?

• Should all employers be required to offer health plans for workers?

• Should all health expenses for individuals be deductible?

• Should you be able to shop across state lines for health insurance?

• Do you trust doctors to do the right thing for you and your family?

• Do you think health savings accounts, sometimes medical savings account, which require you to pay cash for routine primary care services or routine surgeries, but with a lid for more expensive or catastrophic services, are the righ the thing to do?

• Should first dollar coverage for all health care services be the law of the land?

• Is health care a right or a privilege?

• Do you approve or disapprove of the Accountable Care Act (ObamaCare) law as written?

• Should the malpractice laws be reformed or rewritten?

• Do doctors make too much money?