Where is Richard Nixon when you need him?

[ramapo]

Thirty-five years ago (1974), Richard Nixon, with help from Casper Weinberger (remember him), proposed to Congress a plan to provide comprehensive health insurance to all Americans.

Obama should simply take this plan and present it as his own, offering proper credit to that great socialistic republican president, Richard Nixon. This would be great theater as current republicans would certainly be quite bewildered. I offer highlights of the the plan below. It will seem very familiar to those following the current debate.

Ironically, Ted Kennedy led the loyal opposition to the plan on the grounds that it did not go far enough. Perhaps it did not, but there's no question that the United States would be a very different country had Nixon's plan not been derailed by Wilbur Mills' stripper girlfriend and Watergate.

I actually find this quite sad to read. It just goes to prove that we are a nation of fools.
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Nixon's 1974 Health Plan Highlights

Nixon had seven principles. (no jokes here please)

1. Every American will be offered a balanced, comprehensive range of insurance benefits.

2. No American will have to pay more than they can afford.

3. The plan will build on the strength of the existing public and private systems.

4. Public funds will be utilized only when needed and there’ll be no new taxes.

5. It will maintain freedom of choice by patients and ensure that doctors work for their patient, not the Federal Government. (And I'll add the insurance company)

6. More effective use of existing resources will be encouraged.

7. All parties, from local to Federal governments, including insurers and patients will have a stake in making the system work.

Nixon proposed keeping the then existing system of employee health insurance but with a mandated cost sharing (75% employer, 25% employee)

There would be Assisted health insurance (aka public option) for those who could not afford or who were ineligible for employer-based insurance and Medicare.

Medicare would be modified to include additional but necessary benefits.

Participation would be open to every American but would be voluntary.

There would be no exclusions because of illness. Nursing and convalescent services would be covered. Amazingly, the proposal included covering home health care to enable people to stay out of costly nursing homes.

A doctor’s decisions would be based on the health care needs of his patients, not on health insurance coverage.

No family would have annual out-of-pocket expenses in excess of $1,500 and low-income families would have lower expense limits.

All participants would receive a Health Card. It would be honored across the country. It would include blood type and any critical information such as allergies.

The Assisted Health Insurance would replace state-run Medicaid. Premiums would be based on income as would be deductibles, co-insurance and maximum liability. It would be open to the unemployed, self-employed, those who cannot get coverage at reasonable rates, and those in high-risk categories.

[av8rdave]

1. Nixon...what a pinko!

:sarcasm:

Great post, btw. It illustrates how far the Rethuglican party has drifted over one generation.

[TheKentuckian]

2. Pretty fair. I will say that $1,500 translates to $6,566.96 today

A system that capped off at say 8k total out of pocket (progressively based on income) would be okay. I think Baucus' misguided squeeze play tax is trying to use market forces to do that but a cap a little above the per capita cost today should be workable and would accomplish what the Max tax attempts to do.

I still say everybody in though because when the day comes for single payer, we'll need everyone in to make it work.