Reply #7: Agreed, however there would assuredly be a lot of backlash. [View All]

[tmyers09]

I think we can all agree that a Single Payer system, one in which the government takes care of any and all medical bills would be ideal. However, due to the deep control that these companies have over the government, it may not be possible to abolish these companies altogether as of now. Hopefully down the line, but in the meantime, here is what I would do for reform.

1) Lower Medicare's age eligibility to 50.

2) Further open up requirements for Medicaid.

3) For everybody else, create a strong, true public option. One in which you pay a relatively small amount to get into, and is either run directly by the government, or by a "private" company, but one with no profit motive.

4) For everybody who doesn't want "government-run insurance", institute very strict restrictions on the private sector by doing any or all of the following:

A) Open up state borders so that any person in any state can buy any plan they so choose.

B) Have caps on how much a company can charge for premiums.

C) Ban the dropping of people with preexisting conditions, and the denying of care for any reason.

5) For the aforementioned government plans, raise the reimbursement rates, so there is no reason that doctors wouldn't treat patients with these programs due to pay.