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Obama’s Heath Reform Proposal. Helen Halpin, PhD. Professor of Health Policy UC Berkeley, SPH. Obama’s Goals for the US Health Care System. Health care is a right ; every American has access to affordable, high quality health care. Universal coverage is the goal.
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Obama’s Heath Reform Proposal Helen Halpin, PhD. Professor of Health Policy UC Berkeley, SPH
Obama’s Goals for the US Health Care System • Health care is a right; every American has access to affordable, high quality health care. Universal coverage is the goal. • Give Americans more choices. • Reduce the costs of health care to individuals and families. • Emphasize prevention and public health. • Improve the quality of care. • Achieve greater efficiency in delivery of health care.
Obama’s Proposal • All large businesses offer coverage or pay into the pool --offering choices of private plans or a single payer plan (like Medicare). • Small businesses offer coverage or put employees in the pool at no cost. • The uninsured(those without employer or govt. coverage) can buy coverage in the pool. • Choices in the pool include a list of private plans (like FEHBP) or a public plan where you can go to any MD or hospital with no insurance company involvement (like traditional Medicare). • Premiumsin the pool will be directly subsidized based on household income and will be offered at group rates. • Expand Medicaid and SCHIP; improve Medicare. • Regulate insurance companies so that they cannot deny coverage or charge higher rates for people with pre-existing conditions. • Paid for by rolling back the Bush tax cuts for person earning over $250,000/yr (35% to 39% bracket -- @ 2000 levels)
A Centrist Reform that Builds on the Existing System • “Free-riders”: Most are in the 18-29 age group. Obama will allow adult children 18-25 to stay on their parent’s family policies (NJ permits to age 30). There is no such thing as free health care. • Mandates: Does not mandate coverage for adults (only for children). • Choice - Increases choices for Americans. • Promotes efficiency - reduce administrative costs (3% under Medicare/15-20% under private insurance). • Government “run”/Socialism - NO GOVERNMENT TAKE OVER OF THE MEANS OF PRODUCTION OR PROVISION OF CARE. Ownership and operation of all private health care institutions and salaries/wages of private health care professionals remain in the private sector. • Does not cover undocumented workers but covers legal residents. • Universal coverage: 95-98% of Americans covered under Obama’s plan. • Individual market - no one will be forced to buy coverage in the individual market and insurers can no longer exclude pre-existing conditions or medically underwrite.
