Covering Health Care

Here in Austin there are lots of people with little or no health care coverage. Many are Artists and many own small businesses. Periodically there will be someone with a crisis and the community will respond with some sort of benefit to raise funds. People donate time and money because they know they too are at risk.

Morally, this is indefensible. Economically, this is inefficient. Surely we can do better?

Let me propose a partial solution: the not very good health plan.

Sign everyone up for a federally and state funded health care plan which does not cover very much. This plan would cover preventive care, basic medicine, treatments for common diseases, and other very basic services. It would not cover heroic care.

This sort of minimal care should help people transitioning off welfare stay off by keeping themselves and their children healthy. It can help keep everyone's health care costs down by ensuring all have access to preventive and well-baby care.

We can make it efficient to run by outsourcing the care to existing non-profit health care services. A stable source of funding will help areas which don't currently have such providers start them. If the community wants, they can add more services without worrying about funding for the basics.

One big advantage: we can get this idea through Congress. It will be simple for any existing service provider to compete against this plan so there should be few complaints about Socialized Medicine.