A New Health-Care System for America: Free Basic Health Care

This paper proposes a new health-care system for the United States, based on the provision of free basic health-care services to all Americans. The paper describes a new approach to delivery of health-care services that will cost a fraction of the current amount and deliver more appropriate care. Specifically, it is proposed to move away from a national health-care system based on insurance and establish a national health-care system based on the provision of free basic health care through neighborhood clinics and regional hospitals.
The new system will provide basic health care to all Americans at no cost to the patient, and less cost to the government / taxpayer than the present system. Based on the experience of other developed countries, high-quality basic health care can be provided for a “cost” of about five percent of gross domestic product, rather than the 17 percent of the present system.
The new system will achieve a very high level of equity, or “fairness.” All Americans will receive, from the public health system, exactly the same level of care, for exactly the same cost – zero! Under the present system, high-quality care is provided to those with high incomes, while those with lower incomes may receive a lower level of care and experience financial distress. This situation will end. Like public education and national defense, public health services will be provided free of charge.