Introduction to Guidepath - Health Care Reform

Improve 2ndry science education
1. Require teachers of high-school chemistry, biology, mathematics and physics to have majored in college in one of these four subjects, minored in another and had courses in the remaining two. Survey course will not qualify a person to teach sciences.
2. Require students planning to pursue a medical education and students planning a career in science education to take and pass with at least a “B” high-school courses in biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics.
3. Provide an introductory course in the ethics of scientific research and its application.

College Education in science.
1. Require students majoring in a scientific field, or pre-medical studies, to have passing grades in standard (not just courses for “non-scientists”) courses in biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics. State law and medical school requirements will govern the remainder of the required courses.
2. Provide an introductory and intermediate course in the ethics of scientific research and its application.

Medical School
1. Require standard medical curriculum.
2. Provide yearly courses in medical ethics.
3. Provide an orientation to health law.

Medical Education Funding
1. Provide a full scholarship loan for college and medical school tuition expenses, appropriate housing, health care and food to each student who complies with the requirements above. The loan may be paid back in full after completion of medical or postgraduate scientific studies (including internship, residency, fellowship or postgraduate degree), federal and state tax free, only through completion of 2 years of service in a federal health corps for each year of support. If the loan is not paid back through completion of service, it must be repaid within 8 years of completion of the medical and/or scientific education, or if it is not completed, within 8 years of college graduation.

Advanced Medical Education and Postgraduate Studies Leading to an M.D. and/or Ph.D.
See paragraph immediately above.

Establish an Independent Agency - the Uniformed Federal Health Corps to provide public health services as well as staffing for patient services as federal health facilities. Establish federal health clinics (“Federal Health System”) and services in communities throughout the United States staffed by the Federal Health Corps.

Single Payer" Establish a federal system for collecting all revenues for health insurance and payment of all costs relating to patient health services.

Competing Systems
Provide competing programs for health care among insurers and the Federal Health System. One equivalent “premium” structure for all competing entities.

No Favoritism Each state- professionally licensed health care provider may contract with any or all of the competing entities. Quality requirements, evaluations, and corrective actions to be established and monitored by a separate federal agency within DHS with consideration to preservation, maintenance and safeguarding the life and health of all Americans through provision of medically necessary goods and services which meet generally accepted professional standards of care as determined by non-conflicted standards-setters.

Pharmaceuticals and Devices The federal government will negotiate a schedule of drugs and devices, with related services (i.e., dispensing) and rates of payment. Pharmaceuticals and devices not on the approved list for safety and efficacy for the purpose prescribed, will not be paid for under any government payor program, but pharmaceuticals services on the approved list will be covered.

Hospital, Nursing Home and Other Services Which Are Non-Custodial. Principles are those described in the paragraph above.

Financing. Value Added Tax on goods and services.

Who is Covered Every American citizen, permanent legal resident, and in-utero fetuses.

Medicaid. States may continue Medicaid at their own expenses for non-citizens who are not permanent residents.