With all the debate about health care reform, it really can be quite simple. Here is my one page plan. Tell me your thoughts and don't hesitate to share it with your favorite Congressperson or President.
The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall develop regulations to enact the intentions of Congress to reform the United States health care industry as described below:
1 - Interstate marketing of health insurance plans. Insurance companies shall be permitted to offer and sell health insurance plans across state lines so long as they otherwise conform to insurance regulatory requirements of the individual states.
2 - Requirement for Medical Doctor Counseling. All insurance plans and programs marketed and offered in the United States shall provide for once per year for each person covered by such plan one hour of medical doctor counseling as to health risks, treatment plans and health practices to reduce risks and treatment costs.
3 - Tax treatment of Health Costs. Any payments made for health insurance, medical service claims or other appropriate health care costs and procedures shall be treated the same whether paid for by individuals, immediate family members, or their employers, provided that the maximum deduction from taxable income per individual covered is $8,000 per year - indexed annually for health care inflation.
4 - Limits on Medical Lawsuit Awards. The maximum award for pain, suffering and other costs from lawsuits related to health services in the United States shall be the costs incurred and charged for health services, loss of current and future income over five years, plus $250,000 (indexed annually for health costs inflation) so long as transparancy provisions in item 5 are enacted.
5 - Increased Transparency of Health Care Quality. The Department of Health and Human Services shall maintain a readily accessible internet data base of all health quality information on doctors, hospitals and all health providers including clinics, drug stores, pharmaceutical companies and related companies and providers. Regulatory inspection reports, peer inspection and reviews reports, licensing information and actions, and lawsuits shall be included and available. Health providers shall be permitted to supplement the data base with their information on related reports. It shall be illegal for any agreement or court order related to health care to have a confidentiality provision other than to protect the identity of the patient.
6 - Prohibition on Schemes to Limit Health Care Providers and Competition. It shall be illegal in the United States to limit, or in way to restrict the availability of health care providers or facilities, through any device or scheme that is intended, or has the effect limiting providers or restricting competition. This provision is also intended to make illegal any scheme that limits the number of medical students entering health training programs in accredited colleges.
7 - Requirement to Maintain Health Insurance Coverage. Every American shall by required to maintain a health care insurance policy for annual aggregate health claims costs in excess of $5,000 per year. The scope of services covered by such policy shall cover basic health services as determined by HHS regulation. Americans that fail to establish coverage under this item shall be automatically enrolled in one of state authorized HMO plans and billed by the state they reside in. Amounts due for such plans will not be subject to bankruptcy court protection. A national registry of health coverage will be maintained by the Department of Health and Human Services.
8 - Health Care for Unemployed and Individuals Below Poverty Level. The Department of Health and Human Services shall establish a network of private health clinics to provide clinical care in each state to any American that is unemployed, or below 150% of the poverty level, and is found to be financially unable to maintain the required policy in item 7.
9 - No Pre-Existing Coverage Restrictions and Continuing Accesss. Health plans must provide coverage to any person seeking coverage and are prohibited by law from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions. Any person in a plan must be offered the continued use of the plan or be guaranteed access to substantially similar plan provisions if their employment terminates for any reason for a period of five years. Health plans are permitted to rate coverage for individual risks.
10 - State Provided Competing Health Plans. Individual states may establish competing health plans, insurance companies or HMO plans if the state certifies that existing plans available in the state are not meeting the needs of the residents of the state. Any payments made to state plans by individuals are similarly tax deductible as provided above.
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