- Make pro bono and charity work tax deductible for all health care providers
- This will give doctors a financial incentive to provide free care for those who can't afford it
- Give non-employer-based health insurance equality under the tax code to employer-based plans
- Currently, employer-based health insurance is paid for with pre-tax dollars, while non-employer-based health insurance is paid for with after-tax dollars. Allow for tax deductibility of all health insurance to make it easier and cheaper for those who do not get insurance from their employer to get insurance.
- Remove government mandates and requirements of what insurance policies must cover
- Allow for individual choice in what insurance plans cover; maternity, drug and alcohol abuse, cosmetic surgery, mental health, abortion, etc. coverage should be chosen by individuals rather than by government at any level.
- Will allow individuals to choose their own cafeteria-style plan, high-deductible coverage, and pair it with a Health Savings Account.
- Individuals will be able to choose what is best for them in terms of both coverage and price.
- Allow insurance companies to compete across state lines
- Will require eliminating state requirements and mandates like those listed above.
- More competition will mean lower prices and better choice for individual consumers.
- Loosen licensing restrictions on providers
- Allow individuals to choose what they want their provider to be; for example, a nurse practitioner could diagnose an ear infection, strep throat, or the flu. Let the doctors stick to the difficult stuff.
- Privatize Medicare
- Prior to the creation of Medicare, there was a market for private insurance for health insurance. Allow the market to re-insert itself into the process.
- Medicare is a $30 trillion-plus unfunded liability, a financial time-bomb.
- Loser-pays tort reform
- Will discourage frivolous lawsuits because losing the lawsuit would be very risky for plaintiffs.
- Fewer frivolous lawsuits will mean lower risk of a malpractice suit and therefore lower malpractice insurance premiums and lower costs to patients.
These reforms will enhance freedom and individual choice while lowering costs and helping more people to get health insurance. Republicans, are you paying attention?
2 comments:
Love your "plan", especially the point of tax deductions for pro bono and charity work. That alone answers the DNC biggest argument for health care reform: access to health care for those who otherwise can't afford to see a doctor for non-emergency medical care.
Jeff, you have the best plan I've seen so far. It is win-win for all Americans no matter their income. However common sense is something that seems foreign to both democrats and republicans alike. This coming from an independent who has to declare a party in order to vote!
Post a Comment