Today's Washington Post has an article by Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal on how to reform healthcare and actually make it work. He lists ten points:
1. Voluntary purchasing pools--make it easy for small business and individuals to form groups to purchase healthcare at cheaper prices.
2. Portability--when you change jobs, your health insurance can go with you.
3. Lawsuit reform.
4. Coverage of preexisting conditions.
5. Transparency and payment reform--let consumers know exactly what they are paying for and be able to determine the quality of the company they choose.
6. Electronic medical records.
7. Tax-free Health Savings Accounts.
8. Reward healthy lifestyle choices.
9. Cover young adults--this evens out the risk pool and lowers premiums for everyone.
10. Refundable tax credits--this would allow lower income people to purchase health insurance.
As the debate on healthcare plays out, we need to be aware of the options that are not included in the current proposal. Some of the options listed above would result in immediate savings for consumers without creating a government-controlled healthcare system.
Please read the entire article--there are some good ideas there.
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