Reply #36: his plan DOES NOT throw money at insurers, it puts them out of business

[LSK]

Third: New Health Care Markets. The U.S. government will help states and groups of states create
regional Health Care Markets, non-profit purchasing pools that offer a choice of competing insurance
plans. At least one plan would be a public program based upon Medicare. All plans will include
comprehensive benefits, including full mental health benefits. Families and businesses could choose to
supplement their coverage with additional benefits. The markets will be available to everyone who
does not get comparable insurance from their jobs or a public program and to employers that choose to
join rather than offer their own insurance plans. The benefits of Health Care Markets include:
• Freedom and Security: Health Care Markets will give participants a choice among affordable,
quality plans. Americans can keep Health Care Market plans when they change or lose their jobs,
start new businesses, or take time off for caregiving.
• Choice between Public and Private Insurers: Health Care Markets will offer a choice between
private insurers and a public insurance plan modeled after Medicare, but separate and apart from it.
Families and individuals will choose the plan that works best for them. This American solution
will reward the sector that offers the best care at the best price. Over time, the system may evolve
toward a single-payer approach if individuals and businesses prefer the public plan.
• Promoting Affordable Care: Health Care Markets will negotiate low premiums through their
economies of scale so they can get a better deal than individuals and many businesses can get on
their own. Health Care Markets will also hold down administrative costs by reducing the need for
underwriting and marketing activities (two-thirds of private insurers’ overhead), centrally
collecting premiums, and exercising leadership to reduce costs on billing practices, claims
processing, and electronic medical records. Finally, they will be able to work with insurers to
adopt cost-effective approaches to health care like preventive care and to collect the data necessary
to drive quality improvement.
• Reducing Burdens for Businesses: By assuming the administrative role of negotiating benefit
plans with insurers and collecting premiums, Health Care Markets will minimize administrative
burdens for participating businesses and other employers. Businesses that opt into the markets will
only have to make financial contributions to the cost of covering their employees through markets,
similar to their role in Social Security and Medicare.

http://johnedwards.com/about/issues/health-care-overview.pdf

The amount of DISINFORMATION on DU lately is STUNNING.