This plan stops short of socialized

Health care is broken for the poor and middle-class folks without paid insurance. Most everyone wants it fixed except the wealthy, the well-insured and the insurance industry.

Socialized medicine creates many problems. This plan is just a starting point, but some variation of it offers the last, best hope we have to avoid socialized medicine while joining the civilized world in life expectancy and infant mortality rate.

Health Care Funding:

The IRS could hold out a 7.5 percent tax on all income except that below 110% of poverty level in before- tax dollars. Individuals are credited with this amount in Health Savings Account (HSA). Government pays 2 percent interest to individual and difference between T-bill rates to Health Care Program Fund (HCPF). Instead of paying around 10 percent for employee health care, all corporations would instead pay 1 to 2 percent of profits to HCPF.

Individuals may purchase insurance to cover deductibles or for doctors unwilling to settle for negotiated fees.

If illegal aliens are to be covered, advocates can figure out how to pay for it.

The Care:

The plan pays for all covered health care and charges it against (HSA) until exhausted and pays for rest out of HCPF. (There are reasonable out-of-pocket co-pays for all procedures, prescriptions, etc. refundable at year's end out of excess HSA. The Plan negotiates reasonable and proper charges for procedures, prescriptions, etc. Uncovered health care (Cosmetic, except for accident and birth defect victims, etc.) are paid for out-of-pocket and help keep doctors in business as market will determine the price.

Individuals may pay for uncovered procedures out of leftover HSA, if any, from previous years.

Pay Back:

After three years, individuals may draw on left over HSA including the 2 percent interest accrued, for any purpose.

Bob Lambert

Lake in the Hills