Mayo Clinic Health Policy Center Recommendations

Mayo Clinic Health Policy Center Recommendations

IV. Provide Health Insurance for All

Provide guaranteed, portable health insurance for all individuals, giving them choice, control and peace of mind.

Requires action from: Insurers, employers, the government and individuals

• Require adults to purchase private health insurance for themselves and their families. Employers could continue to participate by buying insurance for their employees or giving them stipends to purchase it. However, the individual could own the insurance.
• Appoint an independent health board (similar to the Federal Reserve) to provide a simple coordinating mechanism for individuals to select a basic
  private insurance option. Allow people to purchase more services or insurance,
  if they choose.
• Provide sliding-scale government subsidies to help people with lower incomes
  buy insurance.
• Realign the health system toward improving health in addition to treating
  disease.

This is, more or less, a Bismarckian or "sickness fund" type system. I would argue against leaving the employers in the loop, as salaries/wages can easily be designed to provide appropriate compensation without including it as a benefit. Just makes it easier to administrate.

I'd further argue that a more strenuous effort needs to be made to make the benefits provide and the cost to consumers of a "standard" policy uniform accross the nation. The way other countries have done this is to stricly regulate the costs and benefits of the basic plan very rigidly, and then allow insurers to compete in the non-basic elements of a plan, such as optical, dental, wellness, etc.

I think this approach will win support from essentially all Democrats and more than a few Republicans. It seems to already be in the works.

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