A Plan In Florida

Written by: Ray Guillory on Aug 27, 2007 1:30 PM EDT

How can we fix Florida's Health

With almost half of Florida's working population being without healthcare coverage, something must be done. Almost 38% of working class people have no access to workplace policies. Most have been uninsured for up to 3 yrs. .

In 2005, Florida families that did have private health insurance paid an extra $1313 more, due to the cost of the uninsured. That is 5 million families, paying more than $5 billon dollars. $2.9 billon worth of medical expenses were paid by the state and private insurance companies for the uninsured. Overall more insured people means less expensive medicine. People with insurance will get cheaper preventative care, instead of waiting to get seriously ill, costing state programs less, and creating less of an impact on all medical resources.

I propose that the state create a non profit insurance company. With premiums being based on ability to pay. I would propose that premiums be a percentage, 1%, of after tax income. Say if a family of four has an after tax income of $42,000 a year they could pay $420 per person a year, or $1680 for all four, for full coverage, $35 monthly per person or $140 for all four, with a .1% co-pay per visit or $42 for regular doctor visits, and checkups. With the average annual pay of the uninsured of $ 22,000 , or $220 in yearly payments, with 3.1 million participants would generate $682 million in funds. With a clientele of 3.1 million people the state could also negotiate prescription drug prices for it's clients. Ease of use could be provided by work place enrollment, and pay roll deductions. The program would be voluntary ,already insured people may pick up the program as a supplement to current policies.

With the state wide insurance program, the price of private insurance policy premiums could be reduced, with the benefit of more affordable private insurance, even with some portion of policy assessments being held over to help fund the program.

Private insurers make a profit off of family policies that cost on the average of $3000 yearly even with $1300 going to pay the cost of the uninsured. That means they provide coverage and cost for $1700 and still make billions in profit. A non profit state program could do it for an annual average of $880 per family, plus co pays .

We can no longer afford not to.

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Location: Pensacola, Fl 32507