University of Alabama-Birmingham Health System CEO Will Ferniany, PhD, argues that both the ACA and GOP efforts to repeal it are deeply flawed. Instead, the most effective and politically feasible policy for Americans is an option for all citizens to purchase Medicare, according to an op-ed he penned for the Birmingham Business Journal.
Dr. Ferniany argues that employers should not provide insurance but instead give employees vouchers for either private insurance policies or the public Medicare option. He believes the Medicare option would increase competition among private insurers and drive down costs. The op-ed also calls for marketing restrictions on insurance companies to cut down on the cherry-picking of customers.
"It is possible to balance compassion with good business sense and fiscal responsibility in healthcare reform," Mr. Ferniany writes. "A foundation like the one outlined here — with the right amount of good-faith debate and insight from other experts — could lead to that very outcome."
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