The features of Obama’s proposed health care policy are universality, public option, deficit neutral, “bend the cost curve,” and insurance reform. There are currently about 45 million people who lack health insurance, and Obama’s plan would increase the availability of health insurance, both public and private, by mandating coverage and granting government subsidies to existing health systems (Muskal). In this respect, the plan aims to guarantee “universal” coverage for all Americans.
The president has called for the establishment of a “public option,” which can potentially compete in the market with existing health systems. The logic is that the market is currently acting too oligopolistic, and another firm (the government) participating in the market may drive down costs. This way, consumers would have greater choice in choosing a health plan. Some of the specific proposals to this end are: a government insurance plan, consumer-owner cooperatives, and a centralized insurance exchange that gives clear information about price and service tradeoffs (Muskal).
Obama has demanded that the final health care overhaul not increase the federal deficit. In order to achieve deficit neutrality, revenue and costs need to be reassessed. One proposal in the House has been to levy a tax on the rich or force businesses to pay new taxes (Muskal). Structurally, the proposed system will necessarily require a method of cutting costs over time. These could take the form of top-down orders, i.e. cut the number of surgeries this year by 6,000. In fact, this is exact statement that was released by the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority in August 2009, citing a $200 million dollar budget gap in the region’s socialized health system (Hansen). Obama has argued to “bend the cost curve” by as much as two-thirds by eliminating unneeded procedures over time (Muskal).
Finally, Obama has called for some new rules of the...