Reply #132: We lived un the UK where our National Health Service assigned

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doctor was a shrink (guess they knew us better then we thought). But this SOB didn't believe in treating fevers and it was exceptionally distressing when our 3-month old was at 103 and our 2 year old was at 104 - so we went outside their system. There are sufficient horror stories to justify not mirroring their structure. I do have some thoughts to throw into the debate:

1. Don't lawyers have to do pro bono work as a condition of their license? Why not emulate that for doctors?

2. If we can regulate the pay of auto execs and bankers, a pay overhaul may be in order for the medical profession. As long as we are going away from a supply and demand model, social engineering could be implemented. Don't Nurses tend to be underpaid - they need to make more? And why does any Doctor NEED to make over $1 Million for a standard 2080 work hours per year?

3. Ditto for lawyers, quarterbacks (even linemen), campaign managers, actors, microsoft founders. And apply the cap for total compensation, not just earned income.

4. What about the toads that don't receive earned or unearned income but live off accumulated wealth. Why would anybody NEED more than $5 Million? What's so special about Bill Gates & Warren Buffet (or even Jimmy Buffet) that they get to choose what causes to support?

4. Kill two birds with one stone and factor in environmental effects. Reduce the wealth cap by charging "double" for a private plane or boat - so a plane/boat worth $1.2M would charge $2.4 against the wealth cap. And the charge for using that jet/boat needs to go against the annual income cap - say $50,000 per hour.

5. Ditto for houses - nobody needs more than 4000 square feet, half that inside city limits. The leftover can house the homeless.

6. If we cap wealth at $5M, and income at $1M, and then apply the rest to health care, we all should be be given the USA Health Care Card, good at any medical establishment, from doctor's private office to a mega-hospital, in the USA. No deductibles, no co-pays. No insurance company deciding what's necessary or not. And if a doctor piles on unnecessary tests/costs, as determined by the USA Health Care Authority, it comes off the doctor's lifetime wealth cap. If they fail to do a necessary test or don't relieve pain & suffering, 1st offense written warning, 2nd offense death by bongo!

7. They would obviate the need for health insurance companies and their workers can retrain for another profession - "Do you want to super size the fries?"

8. If anyone tries to emigrate in order to avoid these taxes, the CIA should be able to track them down & grab their spouse/kids/dog until they pay up - enhanced interrogation authorized.

9. The health care system for those immigrating to the USA must wait until sworn in as citizens - until then their country will be billed for all costs. And if they don't pay, their Ambassador/Counsel is detained in general population in a Class 5 federal prison.

Now that ought to do it!