September 10, 2009 10:35 PM UTC

Health diary.

•  
• by: Laughing Boy

Ok.  Here’s the outline of a diary I’ve been thinking about for a while.  

Health reform:

1. Tort reform.  Nationally.

2. Portability.

3. Re-regulation of insurance, but a dropping of most coverage mandates.  Allow ’boutique’ insurance for those with pre-existing or chronic problems, possibly subsidized by a surtax on everyone else’s insurance.  Yes, a tax increase on health benefits.  Part of re-regulation involves stringent rules on dropping from coverage, deterring it under almost all circumstances.

A dropping of mandates and the ability to choose appropriate coverage for your situation would vastly drop prices for most of the insured.  For instance, I’m not getting pregnant, so I don’t need that type of insurance.  However, I’m pretty active, so a high-deductible, high limit general coverage would be good for me, and inexpensive.

4. Integrated immigration reform, with a guest worker card that guarantees wage rates, where the employer pays the government directly, and the government takes out sufficient taxes to cover the guest workers’ medical (and education, roads, other civil services).

5. An additional income tax increase to fund a general program to insure the uninsurable, although forming large groups with diabetes and other chronic conditions can bargain for better rates than they’re probably getting now, particularly with portability.

6. Allow all out of pocket medical costs to be written off on income tax.

7. Require high deductible ($25k?) catastrophic coverage.

It’s not cost neutral, but it’s honest, at least.

There. It’s a start.  Fire away.