Contest Rules

Entrance Fee

You need to put your money where your mouth is to enter. These funds will be used to add second and third place cash prizes; cover travel costs to The O’ConnorReport Conference in 2003 and cover some of the administrative costs associated with the contest.

Finally, my estate will fund at least one scholarship in my son’s name—The Remi Miles Kaemke Making a Difference Scholarship—for the academic institution that provides the best student/collegiate entry.

The top three entries will be given to the Washington State Congressional Delegation to direct to Congress.

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Terms and Conditions of Contest

1. Must use the principles outlined in the Health Care Magna Carta, (see www.oconnorhealthanalyst.com or The Buck Stops Nowhere: Why America’s Health Care is All Dollars and No Sense). Others have created principles to organize the health care system. You may use those principles as well. See: Institute of Medicine Crossing the Quality Chasm; The Collaboration.org; and the Belmont vision; You may change some principles and/or add others, but in all cases you will need to indicate why you are not using or changing some of the principles. What principles will drive your system and why?
2. Must take into account the interests of all stakeholders—businesses; individuals; government; and providers—how will their interests be met in your system?
3. Must demonstrate a sustainable financing mechanism. How will your plan be financed and who is going to pay for it and how?
4. Must find a way to assure everyone has coverage and must describe each group’s expected financial contribution. How will your plan assure that everyone has health care coverage?
5. Must demonstrate accountability and responsibility for all the participants in the health care system. What incentives will your plan create to assure all the participants are accountable for themselves and the system, and have responsibility for their actions?
6. Must address the plurality of the current system. Would you keep the employer-based model? Why or why not? If not, how will you deal with an employer community that has significant tax advantages now?
7. Must address the regulatory challenges. What regulatory changes would you make for commercial insurance and public programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid and ERISA?
8. Must recommend a management structure. Who will manage your system and why did you choose this management model?
9. Must include a section on how we migrate from where we are to where you want us to be and the time that will be necessary to get there. How will we get from where we are now to your new vision of health care in America?
10. Must address on-going advocacy and oversight. What kinds of on-going advocacy and education, and by whom, would be necessary to keep your health care system both effective and humane?

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Contest Rules and Procedures

1. Letters of intent to participate in the contest must be received in The O’ConnorReport office by April 15, 2003 by 5 p.m. PST and final plans must be submitted to The O’ConnorReport by July 1, 2003 by 5 pm PDT.
2. Finalists will be invited to present and defend their ideas at an O’ConnorReport Roundtable in October 2003, at which time the winners will be selected.
3. All entries will be blind entries. We will take all entries and assign numbers to them. Your name and company name can only appear on the entry form and cover letter, if any. All entries will be stamped upon receipt and a master list will be made to match the entry with the author. The judges will only see the numbered entries.
4. All entries must be on 8.5 x 11 white paper and printed in black and white. Applications may be submitted electronically, but they still must meet the same time deadlines and format requirements noted above.
5. Each entrant must use the entry form and have a one page executive summary that is separate from the plan itself. The executive summary can be no more than one page. If it is more than one page, the extra page or pages will not be forwarded to the judges.
6. Entries must be no more than 50 pages; single-spaced, in addition to the entry form and executive summary. Only 50 pages will be sent to the judges. Technical appendices may be included, such as a financial spreadsheet, but the judges are not required to read these appendices and your application should not depend on the appendices.
7. The O’ConnorReport will assign entry numbers to applications as they are received. The numbered copies of the entries will be sent to the judges for review in July and they will select no more than 12 semi-finalists by September 1, 2003.
8. The O’ConnorReport will contact the semi-finalists and invite them to present and defend their ideas at The O’ConnorReport “Build an American Health System” Summit in October 2003. Judges will rank the paper semi-finalist entries first, then question the semi-finalists at the meeting. The judges will make a final vote based on both the written and oral presentations and select the winners. The decision of the judges is final.
9. Teams can enter the contest, but each member must pay the entry fee. For example, a team of five students would pay $10 each for a total of $50.

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Disqualifiers

1. Applicants will be disqualified if they enter as an individual when they are really with a non-profit or a corporation. If you work for a non-profit or a corporation, you may apply as an individual, but must address that in advance why you are applying by yourself vs. your company.
2. The entry form is the only place where you can put your name or your company’s name or your affiliation. If your name appears anywhere else on your application, you will be disqualified.
3. You may not work for any of the organizations that serve as judges of the contest or be a relative of any of the judges.

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