Comments on: Affordable health care for everyone http://www.audaciousideas.org/?p=336 Audacious Ideas is a blog created to stimulate ideas and discussion about solutions to difficult problems in Baltimore. Each week, we will ask individuals to think candidly and audaciously about what can be done to promote opportunity, achievement, health and prosperity in our city. Open Society Institute-Baltimore believes that discussion and debate are critical to making positive, lasting changes. We see this as a testing ground where ideas can be considered and discussion can be fostered. Tue, 07 Sep 2010 23:25:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Jeff Singer http://www.audaciousideas.org/?p=336&cpage=1#comment-5403 Jeff Singer Mon, 30 Nov 2009 20:24:21 +0000 http://www.audaciousideas.org/?p=336#comment-5403 The U.S. already spends considerably more for health care than any other nation. We do not need more money for our health care, we need more health care for our money. There is an effective way to achieve this goal: improving and extending Medicare to all (as H.R.676 would do). This would assure that everyone can choose his/her medical provider and access health insurance without being dependent upon one's employment situation. Health care professionals could spend their time providing care, not filling out paperwork. Assuring that everyone has Medicare solves Medicare's financing problems by creating the largest possible insurance pool, i.e. everyone. It also prevents the States from being bankrupted by the cost of extending Medicaid to additional beneficiaries. Finally, it is affordable: everyone can be insured for the same amount of money that we currently spend on health care, because the administrative costs are reduced dramatically. At Health Care for the Homeless we like to say that everyone will have the best health care when the people living in the park have the same health insurance as the people who live on Park Avenue. The U.S. already spends considerably more for health care than any other nation. We do not need more money for our health care, we need more health care for our money.

There is an effective way to achieve this goal: improving and extending Medicare to all (as H.R.676 would do). This would assure that everyone can choose his/her medical provider and access health insurance without being dependent upon one’s employment situation. Health care professionals could spend their time providing care, not filling out paperwork.

Assuring that everyone has Medicare solves Medicare’s financing problems by creating the largest possible insurance pool, i.e. everyone. It also prevents the States from being bankrupted by the cost of extending Medicaid to additional beneficiaries. Finally, it is affordable: everyone can be insured for the same amount of money that we currently spend on health care, because the administrative costs are reduced dramatically.

At Health Care for the Homeless we like to say that everyone will have the best health care when the people living in the park have the same health insurance as the people who live on Park Avenue.

]]> By: Terry Rubenstein http://www.audaciousideas.org/?p=336&cpage=1#comment-5398 Terry Rubenstein Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:58:18 +0000 http://www.audaciousideas.org/?p=336#comment-5398 While we are at it, why can't we come up with a plan for all the states' residents regardless of employer. Small companies and non-profits are often penalized because they have no pool to join and their pool is very small. If the state would become a pool, health costs would reduce considerably. There could be a basic kind of coverage for all residents available with the opportunity to expand the coverage. While we are at it, why can’t we come up with a plan for all the states’ residents regardless of employer. Small companies and non-profits are often penalized because they have no pool to join and their pool is very small. If the state would become a pool, health costs would reduce considerably. There could be a basic kind of coverage for all residents available with the opportunity to expand the coverage.

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