Drop Dillon idea ... reform health care instead

The Michigan Legislature cannot be trusted. (0.00 / 0)

They have NOT kept their bargain with school funding.  Why would we expect them to keep their bargain here?

We MIGHT have the same services the first year under Dillon's plan but I doubt it and a few years down the road, our coverage will be cut and cut again until it is nearly non-existent.

The economy will not recover by destroying people's spending ability.

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by: Lisa @ Fri Jul 17, 2009 at 17:05:19 PM UTC

On national health care (0.00 / 0)

Even if Obama passes a plan, it will not solve the problem because he 'governs' by consensus.. at least consensus with the corporations.  Hospitals and insurance companies are coming online because THERE IS NO COST CUTTING, only adding paying customers.

To truly reform health care in this country, we need a nationalized health care system.  It needs to do the following:

1.  Increase the number of medical students and nursing students by increasing the number of spots and decreasing costs of attendance for primary care specialists (family medicine, pediatrics, obgyn, some internists).  Having more doctors means  more care, longer time with patients and less costs.

2.  Increase the number of urgent care centers throughout the country.  It is often difficult to get a same day appointment to see your doctor when you are ill and impossible at night.  You are left with the choice of waiting till morning and hoping for an appointment or going to the ER.  There has to be an in between.  Most ERs should have an Urgent Care clinic attached to them.

3.  Provide a choice of about 5 plans with the coverage and costs clearly laid out in an easy to read format.  Some suggested ideas for services include:  catastrophic plan (pays for accidents and major illnesses like cancer, heart attack, etc.), a traditional 80/20, an HMO, and a very generous but expensive plan.

4.  Require everyone to sign up for insurance through their (primary) employer.  Employers will take on at least half the burden of insurance premiums; part time employees will be paid respective of their employment (so if you work 20 hrs per week, your employer will pay 50% of 50% or 25%). If self-employed, individuals must pay for it themselves.  This must be mandatory.  Citizens who earn under a certain threshold will be paid for or subsidized by the Federal Government.  

5.  Provide a window once a year to change insurance.

6.  All licensed medical practitioners and facilities MUST accept insurance for covered procedures and visits.

7.  Immigrants must be able to pay for their insurance in order to stay in the country.  Illegal immigrants are not eligible for insurance.

8.  All children will be covered by the same extensive plan and with the Federal and state government picking up the employer piece.  

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by: Lisa @ Fri Jul 17, 2009 at 17:21:22 PM UTC

The Dillon Plan (0.00 / 0)

I've read the plan. It's standard political garbage:

The Savings:

$65 to $75 million, from no longer negotiating and administering multiple health care plans.

$100 to $200 million, from "economies of scale."

An unknown amount, from exploring "holistic treatment" and making "medical cost and quality information available to patents."

$400 to $600 million, from "standardized health care coverage"

An unknown amount, from a "mechanism" that ensures "best medical practices"

That's it. $900 million based on just that. Those of us who have worked in the legislature know baloney when we read it. (Some of us used to write it.)

This is politics, not policy.

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by: gregsteimel @ Fri Jul 17, 2009 at 19:18:11 PM UTC

This is not single payer (0.00 / 0)

Dillon's plan would still have every unit of government and and every employee group be the payer. This an anti-union agenda run by the Right-to-Work crowd. It will strengthen the hand of the enemies of single-payer by weakening the strongest voices for real health care reform - unions and progressives.

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by: TomPaine09 @ Sun Jul 19, 2009 at 14:16:32 PM UTC