Here’s one scenario for the future of U.S. healthcare:
- A national U.S. physician license to practice
- A national private health insurance market; State regulation overridden
- Worker access to the Federal Employee Health Plan
- National Medicare and Medicaid programs; States are out
- A combined Veterans and active military health care program
- A national medical technology assessment and medical standards board
- A national information technology systems to connect it all
- A national voucher system and tax credits to finance it all
- Washington, DC becomes the healthcare epicenter
I don’t like it much – primarily because it removes local input and control from healthcare — but a lot of what could make this scenario a reality is already on the ground or politically and administratively feasible. May be just a matter of time.
