Rational Health Care Reform 2

One of the many downfalls of the current system is the inability of persons with heath risks to obtain insurance. Accordingly, premiums would be built on a much more rational consideration. A child born with a defect or an adult who develops leukemia have done nothing wrong and should not be penalized for the rest of their lives by doing without health insurance or by paying exorbitant rates for it. Accordingly, premiums would be established by age and would be independent of uncontrollable risks, as exampled above. We could elect to modify premiums upward in relation to controllable risks. Examples would be smoking, excessive alcohol use, and obesity. We could also consider charging some amount extra to persons for medical noncompliance. Examples are in not controlling their blood sugars, blood pressures, or cholesterol. These extra amounts need not be excessive. It is likely that many patients could be steered toward improving their health simply by getting their premium statement each month showing their basic premium and optional supplement plus the extra assessments for their controllable risks that are not currently controlled, each itemized with the related extra charge. Those 65 and over would be assessed a flat age related rate modified as above for controllable risk factors. Correspondingly, we could consider reducing the premiums some amount for those people who successfully control their risks. Obviously, the monies need to be fully evaluated before the exact possibilities can be determined.

Provisions will have to be made for the collection of monies due to be paid to the Medicare system, such as premium payments. Industries/corporations currently play a role in supplying health care and they still would in the new system. Industry would benefit from controlled costs and protection from rampant heath care inflation. Payments for individual premiums would have to be collected. These payments could be deducted from payroll checks, as is currently done for persons who get their health insurance through work. For persons getting their support from the government, insurance premiums could be deducted directly from their checks as well. Self employed persons could pay monthly or have their premiums added to their income tax indebtedness. No matter what payment arrangements we try to make, there will always be people who show up needing health care, but who have sidestepped the system. These people will have to have care and a pool of monies will have to be made available.

Any laws that need to be changed to accommodate this reform can be passed through congress. There are, of course, many aspects and possibilities that need to be fleshed out as the current legal restrictions reveal themselves. It will be up to the American voter to force our elected officials to do what is right, and to enact any legislation that needs to be in place to see is done.