A single payer can be simple
1) Every tax payer would be required
to spend 7.5% (Current IRS Disallowance) of the reported taxable income in the
prior year which becomes their deductible for the current year. Medical
expenses include Chiropractic, Dental, Medical, Medical Supplies, Non
Traditional, Prescriptions, Psychological and Vision
2) Everything over the 7.5% is paid
by the government as catastrophic coverage.
3) All purchases are tracked with a
smart card to insure the deductible is paid which is charged at the time of
first use in the then current year based on the prior tax year filing.
The current cycle year is July 1- June 30 based on calendar years for
establishing the tax year base for the deductible. This allows the period
January to June for taxes to be processed for the prior year and the data to roll
into the data base establishing the base line for the deductible.
4) The Federal government contracts
the payment processing to providers, the same as they currently do for Medicare,
for 3% or less.
5) Coverage is afforded at birth to
age 65. Medicare remains the same except Part D is added using the
Medicare 3% payment system eliminating insurance.
6) The cost less than $1.50 per
month times each person’s age, adult or child paid for by either an
employee or employer tax.
7) All federal employees and Congress
would become a part of the plan with no exceptions.
8) Cost control of providers is achieved
with electronic hard data based on actual payment processed.
The solution is logical, affordable and
easy to put in place. The political will to do it is not yet there!
Paul Double
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf
Of Craig Brooks
Sent: Wednesday,
March 22, 2006 5:41 AM
We need to be able to envision a nation, or a state, without HMOs or
health insurance. The system was created 75 years ago by hospitals to
help make sure the bills were paid with physicians following close
behind. We created an employer based insurance program. The number
of uninsured however has been increasing since the early '70s - (when looking
up what uninsured keep in mind the data may include government subsidized
programs in their definition of insured.). Universal coverage should mean
for all people for all care. Single payer means one place pays the
providers with a much simpler system. Our level of quality is poor and
needs improvement. Our current system does not provide an environment for
that for the whole system for all people. Blaming the patient for overuse
is an excuse based on a myth. Systems and charges based on a belief you
can change consumer behavior without reducing quality outcomes do not
work. There is administrative waste due to how the reimbursement system
is required to be operated. There is excess capacity in some areas (e,g, MRI)
with inadequate capacity in others (e.g. ERs) - all driven by $ and not best
practice. A system of managing and second guessing doctors cost too much
and does not work. High deductibles, tax credits and health savings
accounts may help those with money but they do not help all and they will just
drive the overall health of the nation down. We have the most costly
health care system with the worst results of most modern countries. We
fear change and we fear losing what we have. A better system can and must
be designed.
[Winona
Online Democracy]
Well, the re would still be a need for insurance companies
that would be responsible for processing claims and providing
"supplemental" plans as they do for medicare, I suppose.
My recollection, though, is that even though the government
doesn't process medicare, the system has lot of flaws. It might be very
frustrating for both providers and consumers if there aren't good information
processing systems in place. Maybe Dick or Bill can comment on their
experiences with medicare (part D and otherwise) and the relative ease of
their claims processing to, say, MMIS II which is used for MA claims?
I, personally, believe that a single payor system is in the
best interest of all, but I'm not sure how we will be able to transition.
