Executive Summary
Universal Enhanced Medicare

In 1965, as part of President Lyndon Johnson's Great Society Program, Congress agreed that no elderly American will be without access to health care and created Medicare. Instead of covering only those of age 65 and older, if Congress had made Medicare apply to all Americans, and if Medicare had since been modernized, our health care system would not be in meltdown today.

It's not too late for Congress to do so. And that's the crux of this proposal -- a universal, publicly funded, single payer health care system, based on the Medicare model but enhanced to meet the needs of those who receive health care and, as importantly, those who deliver health Care. This new health care system is called Universal Enhanced Medicare.

Under Universal Enhanced Medicare, all citizens, and all non-citizens who legally reside in the United States will be insured for a basic package of health care. The federal government will be the principle insurer and each state will regulate and administer the delivery of health care.

The basic package of Universal Enhanced Medicare health care coverage will include all medically-necessary hospital, outpatient, prescription drug, dental, mental health, hearing, and vision care. Elective and non-medically-necessary expenses must be paid out-of-pocket or by private insurance. The determination of what is considered to be "medically-necessary" will be made primarily by health care professionals -- not by insurance executives or legislators.

In addition to the basic package of health care coverage, those in each of five agerelated categories will receive enhanced coverage tailored to their special needs. For example, each state will provide facilities in schools for school-based preventive health and dental care of students. Federal funds will be provided to do so. The funding structure for Universal Enhanced Medicare will be based on the principle that everybody benefits -- everybody pays. Just as we pay for public education by general taxation, we will pay for universal health care insurance by a surcharge on individual and business federal taxes.

To counter special interest opposition and convince Congress to do the right thing, a broad coalition must be mobilized; campaign finance reform and medical-liability reform must be adopted.

The basic goal of this proposed health care system is wellness for the common good, for the health of a nation.

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