title: A relevant universal coverage proposal.
abstract: Karen Davis and Cathy Schoen offer a strategic vision for universal coverage that attempts to move beyond ideological battles that have stifled progress. However, I believe that there are a few specific shortcomings with the proposal's logic that could thwart political consensus. I review some of these shortcomings and make suggestions for incremental technical improvements. In particular, I suggest that future versions of the proposal consider administering the tax credits as a "passthrough" from the government through employers to individuals. I also believe that reform proposals should address more directly the issues of provider accountability and patient information needs.
authors.affiliation: Progressive Policy Institute, Washington, DC, USA.
authors.forename: Jeff
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lemieux
mesh_terms: D032921:Consensus; D005380:Financing, Government / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D018166:Health Care Reform / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D011057:Politics; D011332:Privatization / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D019464:Tax Exemption / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D014481:United States; D019472:Universal Health Insurance / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*