Executive Summary

My plan is founded upon a graded system of taxation and line item income tax deductions based upon well known risk factors. It is a system that through risk-factor taxation motivates each constituent to improve life-style and health through financial means. This is by no means meant to be punitive. Rather, it is meant to guide individuals through costlprice incentives into healthier living. I would leave untouched medicare and workers compensation insurance as they are currently funded; but, use them instead as supplements to the primary source of funding ( being the graded system of taxation). This plan is intended to provide universal coverage ( medical, psychiatric and dental) and to be open to all current citizens.

Accountability in this system is self-in forced since partaking in unhealthy lifestyle choices leads to further funding of the system thereby anticipating future illnesses and costs.

Management should be by individual state governments with oversight by a centralized federal governing body to assure that moneys are spent appropriately. Further oversight by professional groups (AMA, ACOG, AAP, etc.) should also be included to ensure adequate levels of physician and hospital funding, ethical and humane treatment of the plan constituency, and sufficiency of medical and pharmaceutical intervention.

Mitigation of the current system of funding should be phased out all-at-once after several years of gradually implementing the new system of taxation. This would be to provide an acclamatory period and an adequate funding source upon initiation after the all-at-once phase out.

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