Here's a health plan that preserves the private sector, insures everyone, and provides for a moderate degree of cost controls.

The Dept. of Health and Human Services, authorized by federal law, writes a health-insurance policy (structured similar to United Health, Cigna, etc, with coverage for prescriptions, preventitive care, pre-natal, disabled and elder/long-term care). The policy is THE ONLY HEALTH INSURANCE POLICY health insurance companies nationwide can offer, and with no modifications, no declines, and no one written-up. Health insurance companies could compete only on the basis of their premiums and the efficiency of the operations; not by denial of care. Other than writing and occasionally revising the policy, the only role for the federal government (no role at all for the states) would be to subsidize premium payors, on a sliding scale, thru the income tax system.

The system would be self enforcing. Health-care providers (doctors, clinics, hospitals) would enforce insurance company compliance thru lawsuits; the governments would not have to have an enforement role. The affluent would pay the full premiums; with declining percentages for less affluent patients.

Prescription costs and medical technology costs would be controlled by the policy established recompensation to the pharma/tech companies.  Example: Prescription copays of, for example, $5, 15,25 would be recompensated by the insurance companies to the pharma companies at $50,100-500 or so, for one month supply.  No $2,000 a month pharaceutical costs.  Similar situation with advanced medical technology, recompensation built into the plan would force technology back into the larger (mostly public and not-for-profit) hospitals, due to economies of scale.  No more private doctor boutique practices.

Tell me what is wrong with this? Please. I have yet to see one serious valid economic or structural criticism of it.  Political?  Yes, I know.  But this plan gets around the mindless "socialized medicine" scam, as it leaves companies, insurance and otherwise, completely intact.  The government would NOT be running any company....