Universal Health Care Is Possible -- With No Premiums or Deductibles

Universal Health Care Is Possible -- With No Premiums or Deductibles

Imagine a proposal for health care reform that guarantees free, high-quality health care for all Americans. No premiums. No deductibles. In this plan, the government insists that all insurers offer the same comprehensive benefits to everyone, including: office and home visits, hospitalization, preventive screening tests, prescription drugs, some dental care, inpatient and outpatient mental health care, and physical and occupational therapy.

If this sounds too fantastic to be true, you need to read Healthcare, Guaranteed: A Simple, Secure Solution for America by Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel. He offers a bold, refreshing plan for health care in America. The beauty of his proposal is four-fold: It faces up to the fact that reform won't pay for itself, and it offers a funding mechanism that is fair and efficient and could deliver high-quality care nationwide. It regulates insurers, forcing them to concentrate on quality. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, this plan insulates our health care system from the lobbyists who, today, have far too much control over our health care system.