Health care
1) - Vouchers -- Provide Health Care insurance vouchers for every American, roughly $5,000 to allow them to purchase a basic coverage.
1) Details -- The vouchers will be set at a level so that they will pay for the cost of providing treatment at median costs for all the procedures that are authorized. Of course this coverage is for basic treatment and does not cover all possible procedures, luxuaries (private rooms, etc.) which can be covered out of pocket or by extra cost insurance. By default the vouchers will be handled by the government, USHC e.g. Medicare, but can be transfered to aemployer or insurance company who offers similar or improved insurance.
2) - Opt-in -- Requre that all insurance companies, hospitals, Doctors, etc. either Opt-in to covering all and accepting the coverage for the defined treatments or accept no vouchers or payment under the systems and post a notice that they are not in the USHC system.
2) Details -- The insurance company can opt-in to compete with the USHC system if they feel they can offer the same or better service to all patients due to their added efficenty, better nogotiating skills, perhaps better pro-active care, etc. Note: Any insurance company can pay for pro-active care and will collect 100% of the estimated savings if the patient goes to another provider. Similarly the Doctor can either offer to treat the covered procedures at the median level of payment, or opt-out and have these procedures paid for by the patient or by insureance that is not accepting vouchers.
3) - Shared Savings -- If the patient can get the treatment for less from a certified provider, then they and the insurance company splits the savings.
3) Details -- This allows the patient to get treatment fully covered, or negotiate with the provider, in the area, in some other state, or even abroad, and get less expensive treatment and split the savings with the instrance providor. Thus the patient has some "skin in the game" giving him a reason for controlling the price of the treatments. Similarly the insurance company is encurraged to point the patient to less expensive treatment, while still allowing the patient full freedom to choose their own doctor. Note: This will allow competation not only within the local area, but also between other areas in the country and the world, if they can offer equivalent treatments.
Obliously, all the technical improvements that lead to more cost effective treatment and better patient information will be included.
