Why cant something like this work?

US HealthCare Program

The Price Paid Per Year:
$1,000 - ages 30 to 55
$750 - ages 25-30 and 55-60
$500 - ages 18-25 and 60-65
$100 - ages 16-18 and 65-70
FREE for under 16 and over 70

For indigent or those making less than say $18,000
give discounts that must be reviewed each year
the use of non-profits to provide for these cases


What You Get Each Year:
18 visits to doctor
36 visits to nurse
4 visits to psychologist/counselor
4 visits to CAM therapist: chiro, accupuncture, massage, etc
4 visits to nutritionist
4 visits to specialists: endocrinologist, hemeatologist
2 full health physicals
4 Teeth cleanings
6 cbcs
4 cmps
4 specific blood tests (thyroid, liver, etc)
Flu Vaccine
First Aide/CPR course
1 education class a month (12 total: areas such as nutrition, exercise, meditation, etc)
Youth Vaccines are covered
30% ER coverage if client has been using health care system else only 10%
Any person (US or other) may join system- in order to receive benefits must pay full amount
All the "$4/free" meds that stores offer now would be able to be covered for free. All other medications read below.

How It Is Paid:
Each person responsible to pay amount by April 30th each year to receive benefits
OR
ALL Insurance plans are required to add this fee into their coverage and then pay into the US HealthCare Program


National Database:
A national databse would be needed BUT ONLY to be able to share following information:
Name, address, contact information, date of birth, whether they have paid the health fee, whether they have additional insurance coverage.



The Issues/Questions:

Why those tests/numbers: Needs research but the concept is that with those blood tests a large number of illnesses/diseases/etc can be diagnosed. Combining the doctors roles with nurses, allied health practitioners, and education ideally will decrease major problems while providing a relief of the "now uninsured."

Medicare/Medicaid: basically would disolve these two programs into the US HealthCare Program. May be able to increase the coverage for elderly, very young, and/or indigent but here would be call for non-profits.

Insurance: Require that all insurance companies must pay in for every insured the amount due to the HealthCare Program. Every insurance company must offer light/basic plans that are available to individuals in addition to the "group plans". Recommend that insurance companies offer across state line plans, plans based on field of work, etc that can cater to the situations most apt to arise for those individuals. Can NOT deny coverage due to pre-existing condition, but may add fees for those who do not take advantage of the HealthCare Program.  Because this will not cover everything it is not a "competition" and ideally can enable insurance companies to offer better, more concise, and unique plans.

Businesses: I would not "require" companies to pay this fee for their workers however perhaps there could be either:
tax benefit if they do pay
insurance companies offer 'HealthCare Program" only plans
Issue arrises of dismissed or short-term employees what to do, again reason for not requiring companies to pay this.

State/Federal: While having some management and regulation at the National Level, and much more at the State Level, a lot would be done by regions in state (county, city, etc).

Emergency Rooms: Continue to not be able to turn away people but for those who have not paid their fee it is added onto the fee of the ER. Allow a person to use the care provided by the HealthCareProgram to help with hospital visit.

Getting People To Pay: One problem we often see is that the younger (say 18-30) who are not employed full time, in school, or not employed do not view they need medical coverage. Rather than FORCE any person to pay allow hospitals and clinics to charge additional rates to those who are self-pay for the basics listed above. Conversely, if a person has paid their HealthCare Program fee have the rates be lower. Routes to do this could be to up the fees for seasonal vaccines, etc for self-pays.

Chronic Illness/Disease: The number of visits above should help in the area of preventative medicine as well as curative. In instances where this coverage would not be enough (should be for most diabetics, heart disease, etc..but in cases like cancer) then require insurance companies to create plans for these people, use non-profits, etc.

Drugs/Medicines: As stated above those medications that already are given for free or $4-$10 through places like walmart and grocery changes should be FREE under this program. For the rest research would have to be done to decide what percentage (if any) to cover.

Alternative Therapies: Some CAM therapies are provided as part of this plan to assist those who may better align with that area, however as with the 'traditionally western' treatments only a few services/items would be free. Suggestions for insurance companies to offer CAM Insurance Plans.

Education: One of the primary areas would be offering people a FREE class each month in areas of nutrition, healing, anatomy/physiology, meditation, exercise, etc. Allow one free course each month but not more than one. Insurance companies could offer incentives for people to be part of these courses on education.

Doctors/Nurses/Practitioners: In order to pay for this you would need practitioners that are willing to accept a lower income. Considering the presence of Free Clinics and similarly donated work this may only be a small bump. May be able to bring in TAX or other incentives to the practitioners that take on percentages of the HealthCare Program.

Indigent/etc: This area may still cause some problems and again looking at the number of Free Clinics and similar that we have today there must be a way to "reign" in on them so that something more/better/different can occur so the indigent would still be part???

HealthCare Program Money: Ideally this would be run in part like a non-proft but at minnimum MUST be a closed program. Money collected should NOT go into any form of general fund. When there is a profit or similar than use that money to increase benefits, to provide/assist 501.3c organizations in helping inidgent, for use to fund research when applicable to care/prevention/etc, and espeically for increase of education programs.

Initial Funding: In this area we can look to the federal money that goes to the non-profits already offering similar type programs and work to bring them in under this program diversifying the money. AND/OR do a one-time "loan/gift/etc" from general funds. And/OR by bringing the medicare/medicaid programs under this system have access to that money initially.

Start Date: Ideally this type of plan ought to be able to be put together and start in 2011 - yeah takes work and more research.

Employees: This should not cause a loss of jobs in insurance fields though may require new/more training. Additionally, you would be able to create jobs through the Education Programs and likely would have a need for more nurses/doctors as well.

Socialism Concern:
Is this a socialized system? Yes it is, but with it not going through taxes and still in part being optional, plus ideally having the program at least slightly outside of mainstream federal government worries of this would need to be asked in specific questions.

 Is it different then what we already have available through the required admittance ERs, the medicare/medicaid programs, and non-profit groups? Not really, it actually will bring a lot of that under one area so that hopefully a better system will arise. Again more questions/research would be ideal.

Will this lead to wanting coverage for everything like house over our heads etc? No more than what is already occuring and desired.






So? Why would something like this work? Why would it not work?

Please send me your thoughts/questions.
Please pass this on that I might get more thoughts/questions.
myspace.com/debbie82078 jdwrigh2@mail.usf.edu