Funding source for Health Care

Help fund health care by taking 1 cent per share (1/2 cent from the seller, 1/2 cent from the buyer) traded (including stock bonuses for execs and other employees; 1/2 cent per share from each, company and recipient, taken at time of giftng and also when exercised). I'd suggest a minimum of $5.00/share.

A quick Google found that between the NYSE and NASDAQ something like 3 billion shares are traded daily. At a penny apiece we're talking in the $30 million/day range. Assuming 200 trading days in a year and you're looking at REAL money to the tune of 6 billion per year.

The cost per trade wouldn't really be all that horrible. If 100,000 shares of company "A" is sold at $25.00/share, the buyer and seller each would have to pony up $500.00. Out of a $2.5 million trade, I don't think a total of $1000 is prohibitive (although if such would become a reality you can bet more than a penny/share Wall Street and its minions would scream bloody murder). Even at the maximum rate (shares trading at $5.00 each; 2/10ths of a percent), there would be, essentially, no pain.

Add this revenue to what's already being spent on Medicare, Medicaid, Veteran's medical benefits and other similar publicly-funded health care programs and a Single-Payer, Universal Health Care System becomes a reality.

There is, of course, another option. Charge everyone the rate what I'm presently paying for health insurance (46% of net). After paying nearly 50% of their take-home pay, 2/10ths of a percent would look just grand.

My whole point, of course, is to push for Universal Health Care of the Single-Payer variety. Funding sources are available if we're only willing to look.

Views expressed on this page are those of the authors and not necessarily those of Campaign for America's Future or Institute for America's Future