Healthcare Reform is Not Short on Good Options

Dear Editor, 

        As do all Americans, the citizens of Tennessee need rational reform of our healthcare system, but not what our representatives are pushing.  The Democrats want either to give away too much for too little or are hopelessly fighting amongst themselves. The Republicans, on the other hand, are stonewalling and are only a hindrance.  In any event, the current bills in our Congress are so hopelessly politicized, watered down, and overpriced as to be worse than useless. There are many options for rational healthcare reform, but Congress seems too embroiled to attend to them.  

        We need a public plan healthcare option for all Americans. It needs to be a non-profit enterprise that gives each of us the option of purchasing coverage from it, on an income adjusted basis. If the biggest holdup on enacting healthcare reform is the fear of losing the private insurers, and whatever “choice” they give us, then please consider the following.

         We could establish a non-profit public option health plan based on an improved Medicare and allow it to be administered by several of the current private insurers in each locality. Plan benefits, premiums, and provider pay would be set across each geographic region by the system and could not be varied by the local plan administrators.  .......