Health Care insurance solution: Buy-in Medicare

According to https://www.hhs.gov/about/budget/fy2017/budget-in-brief/cms/medicare/index.html, "Total Outlays" for Medicare paid in 2017 was $720,741M, which covered 58.4M "Total Beneficiaries". That works out to a cost of about $1000/mo/person. According to https://www.cms.gov/research-statistics-data-and-systems/statistics-trends-and-reports/nationalhealthexpenddata/nhe-fact-sheet.html, "Per person personal health care spending for the 65 and older population was $18,988 in 2012, over 5 times higher than spending per child ($3,552) and approximately 3 times the spending per working-age person ($6,632)". If those ratios are still accurate, Medicare coverage should be available of a cost of less than $400/mon/person for under-65 adults and around $200/mo/person for children.

THERE IS AN STRAIGHTFOWARD AND AFFORDABLE SOLUTION TO THE HEALTH CARE INSURANCE PROBLEM. one that satisfies both Republican and Democratic concerns. "Buy-in" medicare (let anyone buy medicare coverage at its cost).

  1. Allow any citizen 18-65 not on Medicare to buy into Medicare AT COST, which it appears would be around $400/mo/person.
  2. Premiums can be paid by individuals or paid for by employers as a benefit.
  3. There would be no mandate forcing people to buy Medicare. However, the cost structure would work similar to Part D drug coverage where if one does not obtain coverage at age 18, there would be a premium penalty of 1% for each month of delay in signing up. Assuming a monthly cost of $400, someone waiting to age 23 to signup for buy-in medicare would have a 60% (5*12) late enrollment penalty and would have to pay $640/mo for their coverage. (Why re-invent the wheel. We already solved the problem of people waiting until they get sick to get coverage with Medicare Part D. Use the same solution here, no mandate needed.)
  4. Provide full Medicare coverage for free to all citizens under age 18. (A child should not be penalized for their parents irresponsible behavior of not getting them access to health care.)
  5. Create an independent program for subsidizing the cost of buy-in Medicare for those without the income needed to afford it.

Features:

  1. The Medicare system provides choice, with supplemental plans available for regular Medicare. Medicare Advantage plans are also option, with the insurance being provided by private companies. This choice and private company involvement would be a postive for Republicans.
  2. The program is mostly self funding (accept for the low-income subsidies and child coverage). A plus to Republicans.
  3. There would be no pre-existing conditions because one is covered for the entire time one has existed.
  4. There would be no payment mandate, people could opt-out, if they were that stupid.
  5. The premium penalty works as it does in Part D coverage. It levels the cost structure.
  6. Affordable coverage would be available for all citizens that want it.

$400 per month per person comprehensive Health Insurance

Congress, make it so.