There is one significant blind spot in Sen. Ron Wyden’s (D OR) Healthy Americans Act – because the benefit plan is based on the one enjoyed by Congresspeople and Federal employees, it fails to consider that many Americans can’t afford the maximum out-of-pocket limit, while to others it is a mere pittance .
The problem with the FEHBP and Congressional plan is all those folks have jobs so they can afford deductibles. A lot of folks working at Walmart can’t. As presently constructed the plan looks a little, well, elitist.
The fix is simple.

Continue reading Improving Wyden’s Healthy Americans Act

Sen. Ron Wyden (D OR) has come up with a plan for health care that just might work. Wyden’s plan requires all Americans to purchase health insurance, prohibits medical underwriting, replaces Medicaid with private insurance, and funds the program by a combination of employer contributions, individual payments, and recaptured funds from the mishmash of programs that attempt to address cost-shifting and indigent care.
Those folks making less than the poverty level will not pay anything for their coverage, with graduated subsidies for those making from 1x the poverty level to 4x. There’s a lot more detail to the plan, which you can peruse at your leisure at Wyden’s site.

Continue reading Wyden’s on to something

The body of knowledge concerning consumer directed health plans is increasing steadily, and unfortunately for advocates, it does not appear to include much in the way of good news.

Continue reading What’s really happening with consumer-directed health care