Thread by @ZekeEmanuel

COVID-19 has exposed problems with a health care system that relies on employer-based coverage and has millions w/o any coverage. The US can’t replace its health insurance system overnight, but there are things we can do to improve it.

wsj.com/articles/covid…

Thread:

W/ unemployment skyrocketing, @KFF estimates ~50M US workers and their dependents will lose their health insurance. Many unemployed will end up enrolled in Medicaid, unless they live in states that haven’t expanded it. 2/7

So that everyone has some coverage, let’s make #Medicaid an entirely federal program, w/out shared state costs and responsibilities. Nationalizing Medicaid should also come with auto-enrollment for anyone who lacks another form of insurance. (More: nytimes.com/2020/06/15/opi…) 3/7

We should also simplify the system by merging #Medicaid, #MedicareAdvantage, and existing state exchanges into one nat'l marketplace, offering 120M+ Americans a choice in health care. 4/7

As for the employer-sponsored #insurance market: Plans can be made more affordable by limiting deductibles and out-of-pocket payments, as well as by capping the hospital prices that drive up insurance premiums. 5/7

One option would be to standardize deductibles at a manageable level; in the #Netherlands, it’s roughly $430 for most people. The U.S. could also require all plans to cover primary care visits and generic drugs with no deductibles or copays, as #Germany does. 6/7

Big Q: "How do you pay for it?"

A: A payroll tax on employers who don’t offer minimum standard of coverage. Many employers provide insurance for none of their employees or just some of them. Including retail, franchisees & the #gigeconomy. Read more: wsj.com/articles/covid… 7/7