THE FLORIDA UNIVERSAL HEALTH ACCESS PLAN

The following is proposed legislation to be enacted by the Florida Legislature on passage of Article 1, Section 26 of the Florida Constitution entitled Single Payer Health Care.

ELIGIBILITY: All Florida residents.

BENEFITS: All health care reasonable and necessary for diagnosis, treatment, and or prevention as determined by the person and their chosen health care provider.

Includes:

• All health care practitioner services;
• All hospital inpatient and outpatient services;
• All ambulatory surgical services;
• All mental health services;
• All home health care services;
• All nursing home services;
• All hospice services;
• Prescription medications;
• Laboratory and X-ray services;
• Vision and dental benefits.

FUNDING: All persons with an earned income in excess of 250% of the federal poverty level and not on Medicare will pay a flat rate premium to the Florida Universal Health Access Plan. Those who earn between 100% and 250% of the federal poverty level will pay on a sliding scale. Medicare recipients would pay their part B premium as they do now thru their social security.

All current health spending by the Federal, State and Local governments for the health care of Floridians will be collected by the Single Payer in Florida.There will be no increase except to account for an increase in population. The overall budget will be limited to Florida's current total public and private health care spending corrected for change in population and inflation.

METHODS OF PAYMENT: Employed residents can have their premiums collected at their workplace or they can as self employed residents pay thru other outlets such as, banks, state offices etc.,. There is nothing in this plan to prohibit employers from paying for their employees or sharing the cost.

THE SINGLE PAYER: The Florida Legislature will contract with a private for profit company, or a private not for profit company or identify a public agency to be the Single payer, that is the sole administrator, and the sole collector and the sole payor of funds for Comprehensive Health Care Services and its administration.

BUDGETING:

• Maximun administrative costs at 1%;
• Global budgets for:
• System as a whole;
• Health facilities;
• Fee-for-service;
• Capitated systems.

COST CONTROLS:

• Elimination of administrative and other waste, cutting both the private and public bureaucracy;
• Emphasis on health care, prevention, early diagnosis and treatment, and providing necessary rehabilitation and long term care reducing the revolving door of expensive and ineffective use of emergency and hospital care;
• Negotiated fee-for-service and per capita payments for health care providers;
• Negotiated global operating budgets for all heath care institutions.

ADVANTAGES FOR ALL CONSUMERS:

• Full choice of health care provider and health care institution;
• Comprehensive health care services at a lower cost;
• Elimination of all deductibles and co-payments;
• Elimination of all pre-existing conditions restrictions;
• Improved quality of health care thru provider competition for consumer satisfaction.

ADVANTAGES FOR MEDICARE RECIPIENTS;

• Full home health care and nursing home benefits limited only by need;
• Elimination of the need for supplemental insurance;
• Prescription drug benefits.

ADVANTAGES FOR HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS AND INSTITUTIONS:

• Eliminates both the public and private bureaucratic intrusions;
• Freedom of practice style including Solo or Group private practice and H.M.O.'s etc;
• Profession-wide negotiating on fee-for-service;
• Prompt payment of bills at negotiated rates with no uncompensated care;
• Reduction in overhead costs by 15%;
• Less time with paperwork, more time for patients;
• Return to traditional roles as healers;
• Encourages private entrepreneurship.

If you would like more information please e-mail us at info@ffhs.org

Pd. pol. adv. by Floridians For Health Security