Universal Private Choice: Medicare Plus

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Presentation to Atlas Economic Research
Foundation and State Policy Networks New
England Regional Leadership Development
Workshop Innovation in Health Care Policy
Reform Boston MA June 5-6, 2003
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by J Edwin Coffey MDSenior Research Associate
Presentation
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(No Transcript)
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Universal Private Choice Medicare Plus

• A concept of health care with quality, access
  and choice for all Canadians

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Universal Private Choice Medicare Plus
Universal Private Choice Medicare Plus

• Retains universal medicare for core med hosp
  services
• Publicly funded
• Patient centred
• Provides Consumer choice

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Universal Private Choice Medicare Plus
Universal Private Choice Medicare Plus

• Calls for repeal of health legislation that
  prohibits private medical hospital services and
  insurance

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Universal Private Choice Medicare Plus
Universal Private Choice Medicare Plus

• Liberalize health legislation to meet or exceed
  OECD and European standards of choice

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Universal Private Choice Medicare Plus
Universal Private Choice Medicare Plus

• Permit pluralism, free choice and innovation in
  financing, insuring and delivery of health
  care like Europe

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Universal Private Choice Medicare Plus
Universal Private Choice Medicare Plus

• Revise Canada Health Act (CHA)
• Modify criteria for federal transfers to
  motivate provinces to restore personal freedom in
  financing, insuring and delivery of health
  services

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Universal Private Choice Medicare Plus
Universal Private Choice Medicare Plus

• Remove CHA requirement for public administration
  of medicare
• Replace uniform terms and conditions with
  reasonable terms and conditions in
  accessibility criteria

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Universal Private Choice Medicare Plus
Universal Private Choice Medicare Plus

• Consumers may opt out of certain categories of
  medicare benefits
• - Office or clinic visits, lab tests, imaging,
  hospital, etc

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Universal Private Choice Medicare Plus
Universal Private Choice Medicare Plus

• Refundable tax credit or voucher for opted out
  consumer
• Must be used for equivalent benefits in private
  health insurance, health plan or MSP/MSA

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Universal Private Choice Medicare Plus
Universal Private Choice Medicare Plus

• Low income consumers also have choice of opting
  out with a guaranteed voucher to buy core private
  insurance

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Universal Private Choice Medicare Plus
Universal Private Choice Medicare Plus

• No opting out of taxes and premiums for core
  medicare insurance

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Universal Private Choice Medicare Plus
Universal Private Choice Medicare Plus

• An alternative to high premium insurance
• Medical savings plan (MSP)or account (MSA) with
  low premium, catastrophic health insurance or
  medicare insurance

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Universal Private Choice Medicare Plus
Universal Private Choice Medicare Plus

• MSPs and MSAs
• similar to RRSPs IRAs
• contributions tax deductible
• withdrawls tax free for health care services
• pay for routine health costs

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Universal Private Choice Medicare Plus
Universal Private Choice Medicare Plus

• Health Purchasing Agency (HPA)
• Voluntary and mutually owned by consumers,
  10,000 members minimum
• Provides information for patients on health
  insurance and health plans, negotiates the group
  purchasing of insurance for members

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Universal Private Choice Medicare Plus

• HPAs keep patients well informed about hospital
  standards, quality, technology, waiting times

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Universal Private Choice Medicare Plus
Universal Private Choice Medicare Plus

• Patient Guarantee of timely access to diagnosis
  and treatment
• If unreasonable delay, offending hospital or
  regional board gives voucher for services
  elsewhere

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Universal Private Choice Medicare Plus
Universal Private Choice Medicare Plus

• Hospitals to be more independent and competitive
• Revenue from financially empowered patients
  rather than global budgets
• Patients seen as a benefit rather than a burden

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(No Transcript)