Assume that everyone in America has finally agreed that we must have universal health care in the United States within the next 3 years. You have been appointed by the President to recommend the best way to get there. Since you have studied an National Health Service (England), two National Health Insurances (France and Canada) and the current US health care system, you must choose the best system to adopt for the United States from these 4 choices. (Realize that if you choose the current US system you will have to adapt it in some fashion to achieve universal coverage.)

The Assignment

Part 1: Outline the salient details of the System you have chosen and the pathway to implement it. Describe the main advantages of adopting your choice and also discuss a few of the potential major pitfalls. Provide details about where the money will come from – taxes (type), insurance premiums, personal payments, etc. (In other words, how are you going to pay for it? How will the cost of your choice compare to that of the present system?)

Part 2:  Address how your choice will 1) impact payments to hospitals and doctors, 2) affect payers – insurance companies, employers and current government insurance programs, and 3) change the way patients interact with the Health Care System. No one argues against the advantages of universal coverage, so don’t spend your time defending this idea. Rather, get into some of the details about how your Plan  will work and, be better for America and her people.