The Medical Security System: A Proposal to Ensure Health Insurance Coverage for All

Publication Date:

Publisher: Economic and Social Research Institute

Author(s): A.R. Weil

Research Area: Health

Type: White Paper

Abstract:

Alan R.Weil proposes a plan for universal coverage that com bines three key elements: making access to a standard free health insurance plan a "right," requiring employers to "play or pay," and allowing everyone not covered by an employer plan to buy coverage through large purchasing pools called "insurance exchanges." Unless an employer offers one of the federally-defined standard benefit packages, automatically enrolls all employees, and pays for 85 percent of the employer premium and 75 percent of dependent coverage, the employer and the firm's employees pay a payroll tax equal to approximately what the average employer and employee premium is today. People not covered by employer plans receive coverage through insurance exchanges that operate in all geographic regions and can be private or public entities licensed by the federal government.