Create health boards not run by pols

I read with excitement the idea coming out of Congress to alter the idea of a flexible public option as a component of health care reform. The proposal to create levels of insurance options and to leave it to the states to opt in or opt out of the plan takes some of the centralized government control out of the mix ... and that is definitely a good thing.

However, why stop there? Decentralizing government is the goal of most conservatives. It is why local, community governing bodies are mostly successful. Fire board, school boards, library board, etc. all function to manage smaller districts, thus tailoring their approach to the needs of the community.

Why not a series of health boards within each state that operate based on federal or state guidelines? They should not function based on generating local taxes (to avoid some wealthier districts attracting more people seeking public care) but would have a pool of funds generated by whatever taxing system is developed on the federal level to support health care reform. But the decision as to whether to have the public option kick in would be up to the board who can monitor the status of the insurance industry and medical care in their district.

This board can be made up of physicians, insurance reps, appointed or elected local people and patients. It can put the control of health care into the hands of those who use it and administer it every day, and not in the hands of politicians in Washington or Springfield.

John Ciribassi

Carol Stream