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I think the way I would like to see it go down is kind of like this:
The employers, through a tax would pay for a basic level of care. We have an outfit here called Kaiser that is a clinic and hospital all rolled into one. They have their good points and bad points. Worst point is insisting on treatment when the staff wants to blow you off. Decisions are often made by accountants. (Hint: in "person to notify in case of emergency" enter your lawyer's name. They won't wheel you into the hall to die).
Best point: Once they take you seriously you get great care. For example, you are not screened for lung cancer until you are 50 something. If you get it earlier than the statistical model says you should, you die.
Then offer the employee (or employer) the option of paying extra money for the better plans like Blue Cross, etc.
The billing should be handled through the private sector, with the government paying them back.
Lawsuits here in California are capped at 250K for pain & suffering, and negligence. That should stay.
We need to find the right mix that would not deny care as is common in most socialized systems. That comes with supplying adequate money to retain doctors and especially nurses (who are leaving in droves)...
My $ .03
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