Chapter[ Detailed Plan
Section[ Providing a Choice of Insurance Plans
Providing a Choice of Insurance Plans
The American Health Choices Plan preserves existing health insurance and offers new choices to those
with insurance and to the 47 million people in the United States without insurance. It ensures
portability so that Americans do not lose coverage when they change or lose their jobs. Americans will
have three options:
1) Keep Current Health Care Coverage: Americans who are satisfied with the coverage they
have today can keep it. Nothing would interfere with their insurance or their relationship
with their health care provider. The only significant change they will see will be lower costs
and higher quality health care as the modernization initiatives to improve value in our
health care system take effect and as the achievement of seamless coverage reduces the
hidden tax on premiums that comes from current cost-shifting.
2) A Choice of Health Plan Options: Businesses, employees, and the uninsured will have the
option of buying group insurance through a new Health Choices Menu. This Menu will
give all Americans the same set of insurance options that their Member of Congress has.
Without creating new bureaucracy, the Menu will be part of the Federal Employee Health
Benefit Program (FEHBP), which includes numerous, high-quality private health insurance
options. The Health Choices Menu will have the purchasing power of millions of
Americans in securing high-quality and affordable insurance. States will also have the
option of banding together to offer the same type of choices in a region of the country if
they wish. The benefits will be as good as those offered to Members of Congress. Such
coverage includes mental health parity, and many plans offer dental coverage. In addition,
as a condition of doing business with the federal government, insurers must cover highpriority
preventive services that experts agree are proven and effective. This focus on
prevention will improve health and lower costs in the long run.
3) A Choice of a Public Plan Option: In addition to the array of private insurance choices
offered, the Health Choices Menu will also provide Americans with a choice of a public plan
option, which could be modeled on the traditional Medicare program, but would cover the
same benefits as guaranteed in private plan options in the Health Choices Menu without
creating a new bureaucracy. The alternative will compete on a level playing field with
traditional private insurance plans. It will provide a more affordable option, in part through
greater administrative savings. It will not be funded through the Medicare trust fund.
Contents
Prev
Next
Last
