How Bad Is It?

We are in dire need of universal health insurance.  America spends far more money per person than any other nation for healthcare and achieves results that are worse than Cuba’s.  We excel at expensive emergency care, expensive drugs, and expensive treatments in the final six months of life. But we are failing to help people manage chronic conditions and to address maternal and infant mortality.  Small and medium businesses are at a disadvantage, because they don’t have the scale to negotiate lower insurance rates like large corporations.  

Pooling Our Resources

A commitment to the common good starts with an understanding that no person is entitled to better health care than another--even members of Congress!  From there, it isn’t hard to see that our employment-based insurance system is one of the worst ways we could organize health care.  Millions of people lost their health insurance during the pandemic because they lost their job through no fault of their own--does that make any sense?

I call for insurance pools to be state- or region-based to put more freedom in the hands of workers.  Nobody should have to factor in changes to their health insurance when deciding to switch jobs or even leave the workforce for some reason other than retirement.  Small and medium companies would have an easier time attracting workers, which over time would make our economy a little less dependent on a small number of big corporations.  It would be easier for people to start new businesses as well.  Scaling insurance pools up also decreases costs, as businesses that have nothing to do with health care would not have to spend money administering their plans.

All insurance plans would have to meet a set of minimum requirements that cover the basics: catastrophic care, preventative care,  and chronic conditions.  They would be free to offer additional coverage at additional cost, and your employer could choose to reimburse your premiums.  America can then achieve universal health insurance by providing vouchers for the lowest-cost plan in your area.