Posted by
Don't Tread On Me on Sunday, August 16, 2009 12:14:13 PM
To all those out there who like to repeat the lies "Republicans are the party of 'no'", "conservatives aren't offering any alternatives to congress' plan" and "conservatives don't want the President to succeeed because they're racist", here is even more proof that those statements are nothing more than lies.
This is a simple proposal for health care reform put forward by one grassroots group, the Suffolk County 9-12 Project. I think most Americans could and would support this kind of reform. If anyone wishes to comment on this post, I strongly suggest that you give an indication of which parts of it you COULD support and why. Suggest improvements. Leave it to the hateful name-callers out there to do the tearing apart.
Thanks to Rich of the Suffolk County 9-12 Project for this alternate plan for health care reform!
We have seen over the past few weeks that our popular uprising is having an effect on public policy decisions. News media and certain politicians have tried everything to discredit us from calling us names to accusing us of advocating violence. What they fail to recognize is that we stand by our convictions because we believe in the Rule of Law, and that means we detest violence and other unlawful and unproductive activity.
Their well is drying up. They can only call us so many names and accuse us of so many things before reasonable people begin to question their motives and their truthfulness. It's clear from my observations that the tactics used against us will go in other directions. They are starting to say that healthcare is a moral issue, but that won't work for them either because they're right - healthcare is a moral issue. It is the moral dilemmas created by government participation in healthcare that compel us to act.
When all their tactics bear no fruit, they will begin to say that we have no alternative. Now is the time to become prepared. Let's talk about what we do want government to do with respect to healthcare.
I propose 5 separate and simple bills to be enacted 2 years apart. If enacted, the spirit of these proposals will yield immediate results, and will bring us to a functioning and fair system within a decade. It is a prudent approach; as a whole it will reform the entire system, but enacted as separate parts it will promote caution, guarantee citizen participation, give us the opportunity to see the effects and modify the plan as time moves on.
Bill 1. Open the market to new insurance products. Introduce Term Health Insurance options such as 5 year, 10 year or 20 year policies. This will enable insurers to group people into long term risk categories and decrease the cost to high risk individuals. This will enable the consumer to buy insurance without regard to pre-existing conditions; the added cost of "pre-existing conditions" can be absorbed by long term lock-ins of premiums from all risk categories.
Bill 2. Portability. Do not prohibit the people from purchasing health insurance across state lines. This will increase competition in the insurance markets and make it easier for the consumer to find a plan that fits their medical and financial needs. The lock-ins of long term health insurance policies will hedge the market against price instability when portability is introduced.
Bill 3. Group Coverage and a stronger focus on Health Savings Accounts. Make it easier for the people to buy group insurance outside of their employers. Allow the people to form groups on their own to pool money, open health savings accounts and increase access to insurance. After long term lock ins and portability, health insurance will offer better coverage for cheaper prices. This may eliminate the need for employer-based insurance altogether, and if it does not then the environment is prepared for non-employer based group coverage as another option for consumers.
Bill 4. Reasonable Tort Reform. Cap punitive damages to no more then 5x actual damages, unless a jury decides that the defendant (doctor) acted wantonly or with a depraved indifference to a reasonable standard of care. Sometimes doctors make mistakes, and sometimes they purposely do harm. We must distinguish between the two and allow doctors the ability to practice their craft, not punish them for honest mistakes.
Bill 5. Reassess and reform Medicaid and Medicare. Reform the programs consistent with the new healthcare markets the previous 4 bills will create. Insurance will be cheaper and better. The medicare and medicaid system will be ripe for a roll-over into a consumer based system. We are a wealthy nation and can afford to provide help for seniors, but only when the health insurance industry is properly primed to conform with free and fair market principles.
These summaries are simple concepts that are easy to accomplish and understand. The legislation written from these summaries is simple to construct. Let's discuss this frame work and bring it to our elected representatives.