re: Covering preexisting conditions...

quote:

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Covering preexisting conditions...
I proposed two plans, one in which insurance was only utilized for catastrophic care and was tied to an HSA, and the other in which we had public clinics and hospitals which would be "free" to any citizen who walked in the door.

In the latter case anyone who wanted care would be able to get it at taxpayer expense.

The former case is the one in which costs would come down because we would re-introduce market forces that do not operate right now. So I'm not sure what you mean.

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So if I wanted to buy a healthcare financing product to protect me against healthcare costs for "non-catastrophic care" (good luck defining this by the way) would that legal in your first system? Is Medicare present in its current form in your first system? If not, would I be correct assuming that folks over 65 are in the same boat as everyone else - limited just to catastrophic plans? Would, in your first system, a patient with a chronic condition that is being managed medically or with drugs have to pay for all of that out of pocket since that wouldn't be a catastrophic event? Am I correct in that thinking?

Your second system is straight-up UK styled government-run healthcare. How do you plan on getting from here to there? Presumably, the government would have to take over all of the hospitals and all of the clinics and employ all of the doctors. Do you see any challenges with the transition?