A Stupidly Simple Idea.
Does this seem stupidly simple?
I have been sick as of late, as I wrote earlier in the week; but sometimes those are the times when ideas are best created. I've been a member and foller of former Oregon Governor, John Kitzhaber's, Archimedes Movement to find a way to create Universal Healthcare coverage for the over 600,000 uninsured Oregonians
How can we cover them remains a heated contest of ideas, obligations and implimentation. Somehow, it seemed so stupidly simple for a brief moment. The outline I had is as follows. problems can be worked out, but I think the idea is a good place from which to work:
1. Mandate that if you work in the State of Oregon, you pay a State tax on your paycheck to cover health care in the State of Oregon for that employee. This should based on a percentage of your gross/net earnings (not certain which it should really be) and NOT as a set amount since not everyone makes the same amount of money as everyone else. This removes the question of who pays more or less and keeps things in perspective.
a. If you’re sick or injured and receive treatment outside Oregon, the hospital, clinic or agency where you receive the care should bill the State of Oregon’s Health Plan.
b. Predetermined forms of care can be considered as covered as outlined by the Oregon Division of Health.
2. Covering kids can be done simply as well.
a. Have the State send the dependent’s coverage cost through the schools and work it out through enrollment. This way, parent working or not, coverage for the kids are a given at the State’s cost. The cash is coming in anyway, this just makes certain that until the student is a graduate of H.S., they have coverage. If the student has a part time job, perhaps an allowance to remove the HC tax on their paycheck can be allowed to go to the student-worker. It feels good to see that cash on the paycheck as a young worker. Could involve savings for college or a start on investments for the future.
3. To add dependents (children, spouses, domestic partners, etc.), increase the percentage per dependant accordingly.
4. How to track those covered or not? A State-wide database that almost, already exists can be utilized. Oregon Hospital Association can work with the ODH, and major hospital groups to create the State Database that works with the employers, insurance companies,
5. About those insurance companies… driving them out of biz? They have two options:
a. Help to make this plan work by offering to do the insurance coverage themselves, with cooperation with the State of Oregon. They have the majority of the infrastructure already, and though this would put a big ? on the role of companies vs. increasing the size of government, the voter would have to weigh the benefits of a State-run vs. private-run Universal HC plan. Guess who would win if the State offered quarters to the dollars.
b. Watch the public hear about the lower cost of health coverage available from the State that’s portable, flexible, reliable, and universal. A plan like this would attract other States to copy it, and the next thing you know, the country has coverage.
6. Coverage for the unemployed, disabled or otherwise. That’s done by the federal government already. Pay for when you have a job or not. The question becomes: do we work and get coverage or not work and have coverage? Generally speaking, most would prefer to contribute than live on meager hand-outs. The system we’re talking about here involves creating a system for those who have gotten out of, currently contribute to, or are nearing entry into a national-based form of health coverage (i.e.: Medicare, Medicaid, V.A., etc.)
I have been sick as of late, as I wrote earlier in the week; but sometimes those are the times when ideas are best created. I've been a member and foller of former Oregon Governor, John Kitzhaber's, Archimedes Movement to find a way to create Universal Healthcare coverage for the over 600,000 uninsured Oregonians
How can we cover them remains a heated contest of ideas, obligations and implimentation. Somehow, it seemed so stupidly simple for a brief moment. The outline I had is as follows. problems can be worked out, but I think the idea is a good place from which to work:
1. Mandate that if you work in the State of Oregon, you pay a State tax on your paycheck to cover health care in the State of Oregon for that employee. This should based on a percentage of your gross/net earnings (not certain which it should really be) and NOT as a set amount since not everyone makes the same amount of money as everyone else. This removes the question of who pays more or less and keeps things in perspective.
a. If you’re sick or injured and receive treatment outside Oregon, the hospital, clinic or agency where you receive the care should bill the State of Oregon’s Health Plan.
b. Predetermined forms of care can be considered as covered as outlined by the Oregon Division of Health.
2. Covering kids can be done simply as well.
a. Have the State send the dependent’s coverage cost through the schools and work it out through enrollment. This way, parent working or not, coverage for the kids are a given at the State’s cost. The cash is coming in anyway, this just makes certain that until the student is a graduate of H.S., they have coverage. If the student has a part time job, perhaps an allowance to remove the HC tax on their paycheck can be allowed to go to the student-worker. It feels good to see that cash on the paycheck as a young worker. Could involve savings for college or a start on investments for the future.
3. To add dependents (children, spouses, domestic partners, etc.), increase the percentage per dependant accordingly.
4. How to track those covered or not? A State-wide database that almost, already exists can be utilized. Oregon Hospital Association can work with the ODH, and major hospital groups to create the State Database that works with the employers, insurance companies,
5. About those insurance companies… driving them out of biz? They have two options:
a. Help to make this plan work by offering to do the insurance coverage themselves, with cooperation with the State of Oregon. They have the majority of the infrastructure already, and though this would put a big ? on the role of companies vs. increasing the size of government, the voter would have to weigh the benefits of a State-run vs. private-run Universal HC plan. Guess who would win if the State offered quarters to the dollars.
- or -
b. Watch the public hear about the lower cost of health coverage available from the State that’s portable, flexible, reliable, and universal. A plan like this would attract other States to copy it, and the next thing you know, the country has coverage.
6. Coverage for the unemployed, disabled or otherwise. That’s done by the federal government already. Pay for when you have a job or not. The question becomes: do we work and get coverage or not work and have coverage? Generally speaking, most would prefer to contribute than live on meager hand-outs. The system we’re talking about here involves creating a system for those who have gotten out of, currently contribute to, or are nearing entry into a national-based form of health coverage (i.e.: Medicare, Medicaid, V.A., etc.)
Patch Adam Perryman wrote this at 00:37
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