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    A Plan for a Single-Payer Health Care System: The Best Health Care in the World
    A Plan for a Single-Payer Health Care System: The Best Health Care in the World
    A Plan for a Single-Payer Health Care System: The Best Health Care in the World
    Ebook101 pages54 minutes

    A Plan for a Single-Payer Health Care System: The Best Health Care in the World

    By Charles H. Chen

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    About this ebook

    Approximately fifty million people in the United States have no health insurance. Dr. Charles Chen, an obstetrician and gynecologist for almost thirty years, agrees with many people in this country that health insurance should cover every citizen, not just those who can afford to pay the rates.

    A Plan for a Single Payer Health Care System takes an in-depth look at every aspect of our current health care system and provides a strategic plan, along with innovative solutions for reforming the system.

    In an easy-to-understand format, Dr. Chen provides clear definitions and the pros and cons of utilizing three potential health care systems. Dr. Chen presents the results from his research on several international health care systems and then proposes the best solution for America. He recommends several concrete ideas, including establishing a Department of the National Health Care System, requesting the support of large corporations who pay high medical premiums for employees, and allowing uninsured citizens to purchase a low-cost health plan from the government.

    The ability to receive medical treatment should be a basic human right. Dr. Chen's plan for improvement helps shine a bright light on a situation that has quickly become critical for this country. His plan will ultimately help ensure that all citizens have access to health insurance.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisheriUniverse
    Release dateMay 30, 2008
    ISBN9780595914388
    A Plan for a Single-Payer Health Care System: The Best Health Care in the World
    Author

    Charles H. Chen

    Charles H. Chen, MD, is a fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and is a board-certified obstetrician/gynecologist who has been in private practice in southern California for more than twenty-nine years. He was a chairperson of the Fountain Valley Regional Hospital OB/GYN department for four years. Dr. Chen lives in Newport Coast, California.

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      Book preview

      A Plan for a Single-Payer Health Care System - Charles H. Chen

      A Plan for a Single-Payer

      Health Care System

      The Best Health Care in the World

      Charles H. Chen, MD, FACOG

      iUniverse, Inc.

      New York Bloomington Shanghai

      A Plan for a Single-Payer Health Care System

      The Best Health Care in the World

      Copyright © 2008 by Charles H. Chen, M.D.

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any

      means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording,

      taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written

      permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in

      critical articles and reviews.

      iUniverse books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:

      iUniverse

      1663 Liberty Drive

      Bloomington, IN 47403

      www.iuniverse.com

      1-800-Authors (1-800-288-4677)

      Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any Web addresses

      or links contained in this book may have changed

      since publication and may no longer be valid.

      The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily

      reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility

      for them.

      ISBN: 978-0-595-47158-4 (pbk)

      ISBN: 978-0-595-71112-3 (cloth)

      ISBN: 978-0-595-91438-8 (ebk)

      Printed in the United States of America

      Contents

      Preface

      Introduction

      1

      2

      3

      4

      5

      6

      7

      8

      9

      10

      11

      12

      Conclusion

      References

      Preface

      The health care system in the United States is in crisis and needs to be reformed right now. In order to clarify the complex health care system, I will explain the scope of the health care system and give the definitions of single-payer system, multi-payer system, and universal health care system.

      The scope of the health care system includes coverage, funding, and management. Health insurance should cover every citizen. Fees paid for health care costs should be funded through various methods. Management of the system includes collecting all the funds, paying out all health care costs, monitoring the costs and quality of care, contracting and setting up policy for all health care participants, collecting and reporting health care outcome data, educating consumers on health issues and disease prevention, estimating the health care budget, and improving the system.

      A single-payer system is one in which health insurance covers every citizen. The central or federal government acts as one entity to collect all the funds through a general taxation for citizens who pay income tax (parents have to pay for their children), to collect the money from the states for those citizens whose income is below the state poverty level, and to sell low-cost insurance to those citizens who do not pay income tax or to uninsured citizens. The government needs to pass a law that requires every citizen to carry health insurance; this is the same as universal health care. However, one payer (the federal government) will manage the system. A single-payer system is not socialized medicine, nor is it government bureaucracy. It is not free care; it is cost-saving and more efficient health care management.

      A multi-payer system is one in which health insurance does not cover citizens who cannot afford to buy insurance or do not want to buy insurance. The current U.S. health care system is a multi-payer system. Funding is through private insurers, individuals, programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, health maintenance organizations (HMOs), and employers. A multi-payer system creates multiple managers, so the administrative costs are very high and the quality of health care is difficult to evaluate. Multiple managers create serious problems for health care management.

      A universal health care system is one in which every citizen is required to have health insurance coverage. Funding is similar to a multi-payer system, but the government passes a law mandating that private insurance companies sell affordably priced policies to uninsured citizens. As with a multi-payer system, there are multiple managers (in multi-payer mode). Universal health care (in multi-payer mode) emphasizes universal health coverage, but it does not have a well-designed health care management plan.

      The health care system is so complex that no single person has the experience and knowledge to handle every aspect of it. However, my experience and research have given me the background to be able to address what types of reform are important. In my private practice, as a doctor specializing in obstetrics and gynecology, I have been dealing with the health care system for twenty-nine years. This book is based on the knowledge I have obtained from my own experience and research; from talking to insurance carriers about medical claims; from chairing departments that deal with hospital administration; from discussing the health care

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