You see arrayed before you a smorgasbord of potential elements for reforming the health care system. You can pick and choose which ones you'd like to put into practice (though not all of them make sense together). Of course there are lots of additional options that don't fit in a 10-item poll--these are meant only to be a starting point. Feel free to bring in other things (maybe you like the new extension of dependent coverage up to the age of 26 and want to retain that, or maybe you'd like to see a public insurance option, or maybe you want something completely different).
The idea here is to pretend this is two years ago (or that the new reform law has been partially or completely repealed) and cobble together health reform proposals so we can discuss. Unless you think no reforms are needed and prefer the status quo. So what would you like to see? What does your ideal health reform package look like?
Some questions and factors to keep in mind (no need to actually answer these here, just think about them while you're browsing and adding your own items to the buffet):
And so on. Just some items to get your thinking started.
So what would you like to see? Something resembling "ObamaCare" or something completely different? Let's try and actually have a real discussion about the merits of various ideas.
The idea here is to pretend this is two years ago (or that the new reform law has been partially or completely repealed) and cobble together health reform proposals so we can discuss. Unless you think no reforms are needed and prefer the status quo. So what would you like to see? What does your ideal health reform package look like?
Some questions and factors to keep in mind (no need to actually answer these here, just think about them while you're browsing and adding your own items to the buffet):
- What should be the role of government and of the private sector.
- What level of regulation, if any, do you want to see (and what level of government--federal, state, or local--is the driving force behind it)?
- What mix of public and private payers and providers do you prefer?
- Who will be primarily responsible for reigning in costs and how will they do it?
- The relative importance of cost, quality, and access.
- Are the uninsured a problem to be solved? Or is insurance itself a problem?
- What are you willing to sacrifice to achieve lower costs?
- How do you want health care to be paid for?
- Do we keep using insurance or switch to more out-of-pocket spending (possibly using HSAs)? And, if we do that, how do we deal with people who can't afford high deductibles?
- Should the government continue to reimburse hospitals for uncompensated care? Should we remove the legal requirement that emergency rooms stabilize patients without ascertaining ability to pay?
- Do you want to get insurance through your employer as a benefit or would you rather shop for it on your own? And if you want to buy it on your own, what do you want the marketplace you're shopping in to look like?
- Should there be favoritism in the tax code for health care over other goods (i.e. should there be any tax deduction for health care at all)? If so, should it be the same for people who get insurance through their employer and people who buy it on their own?
And so on. Just some items to get your thinking started.
So what would you like to see? Something resembling "ObamaCare" or something completely different? Let's try and actually have a real discussion about the merits of various ideas.
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