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Keep health-care options open

Commentary: Better plans for the future

For the good of our country all Americans should have good health care. A healthy society is a productive society. But healthcare is expensive.

Most Americans need insurance. Under the current U.S. health-care system there is a gap in health care insurance coverage. Only certain Americans qualify for government run programs like Medicare, Children’s Health Insurance Program and Medicaid. This leaves working age adults with moderate incomes struggling to pay high private insurance premiums or accepting inadequate coverage because the premium is lower or having no insurance.

Today, health care is a hot topic in politics.. Medicare for All is attracting most of the attention but the thought of a healthcare system run entirely by the government worries many Americans as it implies high taxes and no freedom to choose your insurance plan or healthcare provider. There are some less worrisome Healthcare proposals emerging. One is a Federal Public Plan Option.

A Federal Public Plan Option is a federally run nonprofit insurance plan available to those in the “gap.” Because enrollees pay premiums the plan could be basically self supporting thus avoiding high taxes. The plan is optional. One could still have private insurance. The Public Plan is nonprofit so the preminums would be reasonably priced. Even if you choose private insurance competition from the Public Plan would result in lower premiums overall.

There are several Federal Public Plan Options being proposed including Keep Health Insurance Affordable; MedicareX CHOICE and Choose Medicare. All of these proposals adhere to the basic concept of a Public Option Plan but may differ in eligibility requirements, for example available only to individuals and businesses; benefits,although all would offer the essential benefits outlined by the Affordable Care Act; financing for example the plan could be entirely self supporting or receive partial goverment funding and provider payment rate for example it could pay Medicare or Medicaid rates or rates negotiated directly with the goverment agency that oversees the Public Plan.

The Affordable Care Act was a significant step toward good affordable healthcare for many Americans. Maybe a Federal Public Plan Option would take it a step further.

Christine Nelson-Scherman is a Conewango Valley resident.

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