Real Health Care Reform needs to include a change from employer based coverage to individually based coverage.
Currently, the vast majority of Americans obtain health insurance coverage through their employer. This is a huge obstacle for purchasing health insurance across state lines. However, if business offered vouchers for individuals to purchase insurance, the individual would benefit.
For example, I am a nurse, if the hospital would give me an insurance voucher equal to what the hospital currently pays for my health insurance, I could go and find my own individual plan, possibly from another state, at a lower monthly rate. This increase in competition would help to drive down my monthly premium.
This aspect of Health Care Reform would also be an incentive for people to take better care of themselves. This is because those who are not currently implementing healthy practices in their lives would directly pay for it, rather than the employer or the other employees in the businesses group health plan.
Another benefit for business with this sort of reform would be a decrease in the capital and overhead necessary to organize and administer a health plan, in turn saving the business money.
The government public option doesn’t allow for this set up in any way, it actually further ties health care and premiums to business in a negative way. The government will actually charge the business premiums based on the payroll amount of the company. If the business decides not to offer a public option then they will pay a fine based on the payroll amount of the company.
As you may have guessed the cost for the business to be enrolled and offer the government public option is less than paying the fine for not offering it, naturally leading to the vast majority of Americans being covered on a predetermined government run option with no alternatives if it doesn’t suit your individual needs.
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