Post on 01-Jan-2016
The Obama PlanCedric K. Dark, MD, MPH
Disclaimer: I’m not advocating for the plan, I’m just analyzing it...but you gotta admit...it’s a million times better than McCain’s
Scope of the Problem
• 47 million uninsured
• 9 million uninsured children
Rising Costs
Source: Kaiser Family Foundation
How To Fix It
National Health Plan
• Guaranteed enrollment
• Comprehensive benefits (similar to FEHBP)
• Fair premiums & minimal co-pays
• Subsidies
• Simplifying paperwork
• Easy enrollment
• Portability and choice
• Quality & efficiency
National Health Insurance Exchange
• A “watchdog” & reformer of private market (creates rules and standards)
• All plans must at least be as generous as “public plan”
• Guaranteed issue & no risk rating
Employers
• Pay or play philosophy
Children
• Mandated coverage
• Expansion of S-CHIP
States
• Can continue to experiment as long as provide plans at least as generous as “public plan”
Re-insurance
• Government to re-insure for “catastrophic” coverage
Quality• Comparative effectiveness
research
• Pay-for-performance
• Care coordination & disease management
• Disparities
• Health information technology ($10B/5yr)
Insurers
• Need more competition
Pharmaceuticals
• Drug reimportation
• Generics
• Negotiation of Medicare D Rx prices
Prevention & Public Health
• Healthier workplaces
• Tackle childhood obesity
• Support health care providers
Malpractice
• Will be improved...but how?
What’s Your Take...
• Who are the winners? Losers?
• What’s easy to accomplish? Hard?
• Short term goals? Long term?
References
• “Barack Obama’s Plan for a Healthier America.” 2008. Accessed from: www.barackobama.com
• Kaiser Family Foundation. “Employer Health Benefits 2006 Annual Survey” 2007. Accessed from: www.kff.org