As Cover the Uninsured Week kicks off, policymakers are dusting off an old idea: a national health insurance exchange
By Rebecca Vesely
Posted: March 23, 2009 - 5:59 am EDT
It has become a familiar American story. An uninsured, unemployed father of two children sustains an injury, say a hernia, and can’t afford the procedure to correct the problem, which typically runs between $10,000 and $15,000.
The man is unable to seek work, and the hernia gets worse. Ultimately, he ends up in the emergency room, requiring immediate surgery. He faces steep medical bills, and the hospital where he sought care must absorb the cost as charity care or bad debt.
As events this week around the nation kick off Cover the Uninsured Week, policymakers in Washington are crafting proposals on how to expand coverage to the nation’s 45 million uninsured. A lack of insurance is a problem that costs the healthcare industry an estimated $56 billion per year in uncompensated care and untold amount of pain and heartache for those without coverage.
One old idea with a powerful supporter—President Barack Obama—is gaining new traction: a national health insurance exchange.
A health insurance exchange is a clearinghouse where consumers and employers can pick and choose among a defined set of affordable health plans. Insurers compete within the exchange for members, while the government may set a minimum standard of benefits that must be provided.
The idea has been around for at least 20 years. Most recently, Massachusetts created such an exchange as part of its health reform overhaul.
At issue in Washington is what the exchange would look like, and whether it would contain a Medicare-style public-insurance option.....
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment