California wants single payer and Texas wants free market - say hello to ‘StatesCare’

California may try to create a statewide single payer healthcare system. Bernie Sanders still wants single payer Medicare-for-All for Vermont despite its demise aborning in 2014. Texas wants a free market system. Washington desperately seeks a way out of their healthcare dilemma, especially the imploding Medicaid program.

Believe it or not, there is a way to make everyone’s dreams come true. Washington just has to do two things: one fairly easy and one very hard.

The easy part is to give each state:

(a) a large, fixed amount block grant for Medicaid plus 

(b) a portion of the state’s federal tax contribution according to how much was spent on healthcare in prior years.

The hard part is easy to write but most would say is politically impossible. (I don’t.) Washington should repeal all federal mandates referring to healthcare.

Then, let the states to decide how to structure their healthcare both for the medically needy and the general population. Read More...

Dr. Deane Waldman