The following is an outline of a desirable health care system for the United States. Each of these items is presently in service and working in some country.
INCLUSION
All of the following items in this section must be included.
1 Coverage
Coverage would include all US citizens and lawful residents.
2 Administration
The system would be administered by the Federal government.
3 Funding
The system would be funded by a progressive tax on all income, including both payroll and investment income.
The tax would be graduated so that people on very low incomes (say125 % of the poverty level) would get coverage without any payment.
Private health insurance would not be needed and if purchased would not be tax deductible.
Employer provided health insurance would not be needed, any health insurance provided by employers and/or others would be taxable benefit. Cosmetic surgery, other than post accident or similar reconstruction would not be tax deductible.
There would be no opting out of payment for any reason, other being below the minimum income threshold. IE, Amish, Jehovah’s Witnesses, etc. would all be required to pay. Anyone is free to purchase other health insurance or pay directly for services. These payments would not be tax deductible.
4 Cost for use of services
There would be no cost at the point of use.
5 Cost of Medicine
There would be a fixed dollar copay. The following groups would have a $0.00 copay:-
Seniors, children, students in full time education, the unemployed, pregnant women, and anyone below the minimum income threshold.
The chronically sick would be able to purchase, unless in a free category, a “season ticket” for all their medication.
The Federal government would now be the sole drug purchasing authority in the USA and would be required by law to directly negotiate drug prices with the manufactures. Using “Walmart” purchasing tactics the cost of drugs can be expected to fall.
Consequences
With this in place:-
1 Termination of existing programs
Medicare, Medicaid and other state and federal programs become irrelevant and would be terminated.
As VA hospitals have expertise in fields required for service personnel, such as PTSD, they would continue, other VA medical benefits would be rolled into the general system.
2 Affect on State Tax levels
As all state health systems would now either be terminated or become state administration of the Federal system state taxes can be expected to fall in states currently looking after their residents.
3 Affect on other insurance
Motor vehicle insurance would no longer need to cover medical bills and the cost of auto premiums would fall.
Business and home liability would no longer need to cover medical bills and the cost of premiums would fall.
4 Court awards for injury
Court awards in medical case would not have to include any cost of anticipated future medical treatment, this will lead to a reduction in awards.
5 General well-being
For the first time in US history, all US citizens and lawful residents would have access to quality medical care.
As there would be no cost for immunization and therefore a higher take up rate can be expected consequently, epidemics and pandemics would be more easily contained
Families would no longer have to choose between bankruptcy and their children’s health.
For the first time in history the US would have a medical system that is not the laughing stock of the developed world.
US medical care is currently very good, the system by which it is financed is appalling.