There needs to be some cost born by the patient and negotiation with doctors to control costs. With some sort of "Universal Basic Medicare Option", there might become four options:
1) For the poor and over 65, Medicare/Medicaid
2) Employer covered with copays (increasing) for "full coverage".
3) Employer sponsored Medical IRAs in which $4k per year is placed in your Medical IRA account, for you to use as you wish, with accompanying $10k Major Medical deductible.
4) A "Medicare Option" for everyone, where we might all get $1000 of annual basic care and a $10k Major Medical deductible, paid for by our taxes, with the patient paying everything in between (could be combined with employer Medical IRA)
The kicker is the illusion that "Major Medical" covers all major illness. Often people only learn at end of life that the medical establishment throws big $$$ at incurable things for which they have few answers. Basic care is relatively cheap and effective, controlling major medical cost the key to affordable and realistic health care. My article:
