Health plan needs less dependence
I favor an American health care plan that frees the common citizen from dependence upon large corporations and government. The Supreme Court’s recent ruling ensures we are more dependent on government and corporations, while needlessly pitting religious freedom against those who want coverage for contraceptives.
A benefit of the Affordable Care Act is the creation of insurance exchanges. The individual investor doesn’t typically buy stocks from the stock exchanges, but rather, goes through a broker. Institutional buyers typically buy from the stock exchanges.
Likewise, I prefer a health care system that permits free-forming buying organizations or clubs that constitute “groups” in order to buy group plans from the exchanges at affordable prices for their members. Such groups might include organizations such as, SAM’S Club, COSTCO, Thrivent, the state farm bureau. Individuals and families could join whichever club they preferred. Buying clubs would be crafted to attract various market segments.
Whereas insurance exchanges are not beholden to individuals since large insurance corporations are their main interest, buying clubs would be responsive to members in order to keep their membership which ensures more buying clout. Exchanges and insurance companies would have to become responsive to buying clubs.
My imagined hybrid insurance plans should cover individuals from birth to the grave. Premiums might pay for current insurance plus build cash value over a lifetime that the insurance company may invest (supervised by government for safety like 401(k) plans). When a claim is made, there might be a 70 percent/20 percent/10 percent arrangement, where the insurer pays 70 percent, 20 percent offset by cash value and 10 percent co-pay by claimant.
In order to preserve their cash value, claimants would scrutinize their medical bills, as premiums would rise temporarily to rebuild cash value to age-targeted levels. Lifetime cash value growth offsets end-of-life medical expenses.
Brian Van Dine
Carol Stream