As another means of redistributing funds for medical care from people with health insurance to people without health insurance, add a fee / tax onto medical co-pays. These fees would be collected along with their insurance co-payment at the time of visits to clinics, ER's and hospitals. These entities would collect the money and send the funds collected to a state agency which would use these funds to help provide care for indigent patients withing their jurisdiction. The amount of the fee could be flat (ie per visit), variable based on type of visit (routine vs. urgent), variable based on site of visit (office versus emergency room), or variable based on the payors health plan - the fancier the plan, the higher the co-pay. Annual ceilings could be placed on collections to prevent undue burden on those who access the medical system more frequently. It could be waived entirely for Medicaid and Medicare visits. The patient who pays the fee could have the funds reimbursed with the pre-tax dollars they have set aside in their employee health care spending accounts.
In every case, I would make the fee VERY transparent on the patient's receipt. For example, Insurance Co-Pay = $25. Co-Pay Tax for the Uninsured = $5, Total = $30. In the short term it would help raise some money to offset expenses incurred providing care for the indigent. In the long term, it might help create the political will necessary to create more equitable solutions to the current health care funding system.
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Several states require health insurance companies to pay into pools that provide benefits to high risk and uninsured state residents. These fees are already incorporated into the premiums and copays that the insured pay.
While this is certainly true, having the insurance companies pay this way makes those payments into "hidden costs" for the individual consumer, which is true for most aspects of the health insurance system. The monies collected in this manner also appear to be inadequate. How much of the price of the goods and services we enjoy every day actually go to pay for the health benefits of the employees who provide that service? It averages around 13 % of the GDP.
Making the co-pay aspect more visible to patient / consumers may help increase awareness so that we as a society can begin to make the tough choices necessary to remedy the inequitable distribution of health care services.
A growing problem in the United States is the growing number of VOLUNTARY uninsureds. While we need to find solutions for those unable to afford health insurance, a rapidly growing percentage of uninsureds are individuals that choose to "go bare". These individuals are typically those that have high risk tolerances and/or young adults that just don't think they will need the coverage and "roll the dice". Your tax idea relies on individuals with insurance to cover those that are uninsured. We need to find incentives for individuals to buy insurance (or laws to require that individuals have a certain level of coverage.) Your tax idea further creates a penalty for doing the right social action - of buying health insurance.
I agree with the other commentors. Making health care more expenses for those who already have insurance is not the solution to the uninsured population. Higher insurance costs will drive more people to drop their insurance and join the ranks of the uninsured.
EHS got it right... You want hard working smart responsible individuals to pay a 20% co-pay tax to pay for services rendered to the uninsured (which MOST are by choice, AND abuse our EMERGENCY systems for non-emergency issues ESPECIALLY ILLEGALS) THAT'S INSANE. Furthermore, you call this 'creating political will' to 'create equitable solutions'???! Where's the EQUITY in stiffing the 'payers' to fund the 'pay-NOTS'?!
BAD IDEA, sorry.