The general idea behind this health plan is to provide a government run health care plan that does not overly compete with private health care plans to the point that they will be put in bankruptcy courts. In fact, this plan actually permits private insurers to use the same lower government negotiated rates for procedures if they meet certain criteria and fee requirements.
1) My idea includes a Universal Government Health Plan (similar to Canada) that is controlled by our government and paid for using a progressive tax on individuals that enrolled into the plan as well as fees paid from private health insurers that wish for the right to use the same negotiated government rates for medical procedures.
2)My idea sprung from the Single Payer plan. But one of the major arguments of Single Payer was that it would UNFAIRLY compete with the private health insurance companies because of it's larger size and government financial backing that would be able to pressure hospitals to get cheaper rates. My idea was to allow the private insurer the right to use those same government rates for a medical procedure provided that the company paid for that right to use those rates using one of the enrollment fee options list below:
---A)The Private insurer could pay an annual fee to the government that would allow the company to use these rates for ALL of its own participants. (Advantage-The cost of this fee to the government is spread over all participants thought each individuals private health insurance policy premium. Lower group rates would also apply.)
---B)The Private insurer would have the option to pay the fee on an "individual" basis allowing each individual participant the option to decide if it is beneficial to pay for it's use. (Advantage-Cost of the fee is paid by the individual that uses those rates. Each individual case is different. Many that have a higher chance of medial situations will find that this option may be worth it. The private insurer itself would definitely benefit from paying less when your ill. Paying the fee IN EFFECT hooks up your private insurer with a larger insurer (the U.S. government's plan) and has it's advantages in cost savings. Others whom, reject the government being involved in a health care plan could opt out on an individual basis.)
3) Their would be no mandate to join the Universal Primary Payer Heath Care (government) plan. However, if you decide to enroll you are then taxed for it.
4) If you enroll into the government plan and pay the tax out of your check but ALSO purchase a private health insurance plan OR you are GIVEN a private health insurance plan paid for by your employer you could be entitled to a FULL or PARTIAL refund of your taxes at the end of the year IF you did not submit a claim into the government plan during that previous tax year. (Advantage-Those that only work now and then and can not depend on their employer paid health plan would have the option to use the government plan as a back-up to prevent laps of coverage during the year.)
Finally, this idea allows a Canadian style health plan to co-exist with private health insurers and not overly compete with them to the point that will result in more job losses in that industry. Just what we don't need now.
See more specifics in other following posts.
