Improving American Health Coverage

12/27/2006

Paul Munnis


Health insurance change does not have to come in one giant surge. We think that it would be better for all of us if it comes in incremental steps and on a pay-as-you-go basis. For example at the federal level in 2007 legislation should be passed to cover children and to lower the cost of prescription drugs in government health programs. These would be two huge thrusts in the right direction.


In 2008 merging veteran health benefits into our national health care program would be another good timing of events as our troops come back from Iraq and the VA program is expanded to meet their needs. The idea should be to not restrict vets to just the use of VA hospitals but to permit them freedom of access among our vast American pool of health talent and in addition to the use of VA hospitals. The other thing that would be good in 2008 would be to standardize health claims across the industry permitting lower processing costs for all health claims.


Each year we should advance coverage to cover more and more people and for merging more and more programs. As we do we should be in constant review of costs and benefits and exercise careful oversight.


In 2009 new policies and products to cover eligible workers should be made available to small businesses at very affordable rates. In 2010 the streamlining of Medicare and Medicaid should be dealt with just in time to cover retiring baby-boomers.


By taking our problems on incrementally and methodically we can convert to a new and more cost effective system that provides healthcare for all American citizens. And, we do not have to add to our national deficit as we convert. That is what is meant by “pay-as-you-go.”