Your perfect health care system

[SocialistLez]

I know a lot of folks on DU want single-payer.
I consider myself one of those people.

I'm ALSO open to socialized medicine like the UK and a system like Germany's. Germany's system is somewhat similar to the U.S. They have "sickness funds" which are a lot like our insurance companies EXCEPT the sickness funds are non-profit, they cannot discriminate against the sick, and people can move from company to company for the most part. They exist to pay medical bills, nothing more...nothing less.

I just want to see people's "dream" health care system and how you'd propose to pay for it.

I know some people would rather the health care system be paid for out of general taxes while others would rather have a a special tax, ex: Medicare tax. I'm open to having monthly premiums based on income, age, and general health. Special exceptions would be made for those who have chronic diseases through no fault of their own. Smokers would be charged extra per month.

[Recursion]

1. We may end up having to start a national co-op

Which is what medicare was supposed to be. I'd be all for that.

[damntexdem]

2. Medicare for all, for a start.

Then improve on it, especially for chronic illnesses.

[MedicalAdmin]

3. Not to be a cynic ... but,

There will be no dream health care system in the US, ever. Under current and foreseeable circumstances and politics / corruption by corporation, there will be no corrections and there will be no dream system.

Given that the US does not even have any cogent or cohesive health care system at all, but rather a hodgepodge of camps that rarely, if ever, work together, it would be a dream if the US even had the ability to develop a system at all. The only likely system ever to develop in the US would be a private health insurance monopoly which we are rapidly moving toward. However such a system would not deliver any health care except in commercials and other press releases.




I choose not to dream. Beer seems a better option. The disappointments are just too ready, readily apparant and real to me and the patients I try to help daily. As a health care administrator I don't see the trends as encouraging.