Providing Universal Health Care In North Carolina Do-able

The following piece is part of an ongoing series of OffTheBus reports by citizen policy experts critiquing different aspects of Campaign 08.

I live and work in Cabarrus County, North Carolina. Our level of poverty is climbing (Smith-Arrants, 2007)). We lost Pillowtex and are losing Phillip Morris. The uninsured and underinsured numbers are almost immeasurable. Whenever I hear arguments against universal health because of the cost, or the problems of a single payer system I want all of them to come to Cabarrus County and see our plan in action. It's one that, point by point, speaks to the cornerstones John Edwards' health care plan: Business Responsibility, Government Responsibility, New Health Care Markets, and Individual Responsibility.

Business and Government Responsibility.

We have been in existence a year. Our raison d'etre was to cut costs for the County that had gone to a self-pay system. Premiums were climbing and health care costs were becoming prohibitive. After extensive research Cabarrus County (under the leadership of a very progressive County Manager, Mr. John Day) convinced the County Commissioners with no small effort to open a clinic that would afford their employees free health care. The county also instituted a wellness department and appointed a highly motivated Wellness Director.

The clinic is staffed with a Nurse Practitioner, a Medical Office Assistant, and a part time receptionist. The employees are seen not only at no cost to them, but also on County time instead of taking sick time. This was to encourage utilization and preventive care. The County was putting their money where their mouth was. The latest numbers show that while the average cost of healthcare per person in the U.S. has risen by 12 ½ %, that of the Cabarrus County plan has only gone up 4 ½%. This represents a cost savings of approximately $300,000 and does not include the savings on doctor's visits, medications, treatments, etc.

New Health Care Markets.

We provide preventive care in the form of "lunch and learn" classes. Cabarrus County has a Wellness Center with exercise machines that is free to the employees. Non-smokers received rebates on their healthcare premiums. Smokers did not.

We are completely electronic thus saving money and our trees. Pharmaceutical representatives provide samples, point-of-sale coupons, and rebate coupons all to keep the cost of the patient's co-pay down. Why fight Big Pharma when we can appeal to their good nature?

Individual Responsibility

Employees are expected to take their medications, incorporate therapeutic lifestyle changes, lose weight. They are encouraged rather than criticized. All of their plans of management for their chronic diseases (like diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, obesity, asthma, for example) are developed in collaboration with a healthcare provider. They return for weekly visits until their levels are at goal - all on County time. This gives them ownership as it is now their plan.

Both Senators Obama and Clinton have revealed their healthcare plans. They sound very similar to Senator Edwards' plan but more convoluted. The problem that I have with the Obama and Clinton plans is that they both seem to include competition among healthcare insurers - in my opinion, a death knell if I ever heard one. I could be wrong. Perhaps it's just an olive branch to the health insurance industry.

But what I am certain of is that the Edwards plan is simple and very easy to implement. I know. I am part of a small health care revolution that replicates his plan very successfully.

References

Dunham, R., & Epstein, K. (2007, July 3). One CEO's Healthcare crusade. Business Week Online, , . Retrieved September 4, 2007, from www.BusinessWeekOnline.com

Ginsburg, P. B. (2005, Nov/Dec). Competition in Health Care: Its evolution over the past decade. Health Affairs, 24(6), 1512-1522.

Kingson, E. R., & Cornman, J. M. (2007, Third Quarter). Health Care Reform: Universal access is feasible and necessary. Benefits Quarterly, 23(3), 27-33.

Smith-Arrants, G. (2007, August 30). Cabarrus poverty rate on rise, now at 10.6%. Charlotte Observer .

Comments

[research]

I apologize IF any of us Kucinich followers have misrepresented Edwards health care system. It seems to me, that Edwards plan does not cover everyone and Kucinich's single payer system does.

Kucinich also has not taken Insurance company money. (We sure need public financing of elections!)

As for transitioning, I would count Medicare and the health care for life that congress and BushCo get as “good enough” transitional programs. Nor does precedent prevent us from changing all at once.

[research]

I apologize IF any of us Kucinich followers have misrepresented Edwards health care system. It seems to me, that Edwards plan does not cover everyone and Kucinich's single payer system does.
Kucinich also has not taken Insurance company money.

We sure need public financing of elections!

As for transitioning, I would count Medicare and the health care for life that congress and BushCo get as “good enough” transitional programs. Nor does precedent prevent us from changing all at once.

[JoAnnCr]

How exactly does Edwards's not cover everyone? He will require everyone to be insured but if there are some who refuse because of religious reasons, they have that option.

Edwards does not take money from Federal Lobbyiests and never has.

As far as insurance companies, only individuals can contribute to campaigns. This means no one has taken money from insurance companies although they can take money from individuals who work for the companies.

It is the lobbyists, whose job it is to influence elected officials in favor of their clients, who are suspect.

I agree we need public financing of elections.

[research]

I apologize IF any of us Kucinich followers have misrepresented Edwards health care system. It seems to me, that Edwards plan does not cover everyone and Kucinich's single payer system does.
Kucinich also has not taken Insurance company money.

We sure need public financing of elections!

As for transitioning, I would count Medicare and the health care for life that congress and BushCo get as “good enough” transitional programs. Nor does precedent prevent us from changing all at once.

[Wilson33]

Too bad Edwards stands no chance in this race. And he didn't even win HIS STATE in 2004.

[JoAnnCr]

That's so old a statement, I think I fell off my dinosaur the last time I heard it.

You underestimate John Edwards. Never underestimate John Edwards.

[CyberCitizen]

Democratic party leaders/consultants did not budget ANY advertising for North Carolina and did not give him time to campaign in such states. Nobody likes to be neglected. Please blame a lot of it on the consultants, not Edwards. With friends like that, who needs enemies?

[dchavern]

I get the argument on preventative care. Lots of businesses and nonprofits can (and actually do) have clinics that they staff with non-physicians. But two questions:

- what do you do about surgical procedures and/or anything extensive or complicated (cancer, etc.)? How about specialty care?
- if this is a good model for the entire country why haven't you extended it to all citizens in your county?

[annefrank]

Yes - John Edwards has the best health care plan - and envisions it transitioning to single payer.
Hillary and Obama do NOT support single payer!

Kucinich and his supporters have worked overtime smearing John Edwards on health care and other issues.
NO COUNTRY has ever switched from private insurance to single payer WITHOUT a transitional process. This is the brilliance of Edwards' plan.
Single payer will never pass Congress - because too many critters are taking bribe money from the Insurance and Pharma industries! Kucinich knows it would never pass - even if he were elected in a landslide!

Edwards has NEVER taken their bribe money - and has a very REALISTIC health care plan.

Our entire family is voting for him - even the Repubs.

[research]

I apologize IF any of us Kucinich followers have misrepresented Edwards health care system. It seems to me, that Edwards plan does not cover everyone and Kucinich's single payer system does.
Kucinich also has not taken Insurance company money.

We sure need public financing of elections!

As for transitioning, I would count Medicare and the health care for life that congress and BushCo get as “good enough” transitional programs. Nor does precedent prevent us from changing all at once.

[ADVOCATE4ZPG]

To begin this County and its environs has suffered mightily as a result of so-called "free trade policies," including NAFTA and the continued REFUSAL of the U. S. to FORCE the CHINESE to revalue the renminbi! Why add unemployed to the U.S. aggregates in pursuit of a trade policy which consistently maintains an a current accounts imbalance of $230+ billions with a regime with a social and environmental history like the PRC? Except to finance an unnecessary fiscal deficit, the U.S. economy DOES NOT NEED China except to fulfill the PIPE DREAM that China could become a massive market for the U.S.!!!

[JScott]

Isn't there a similar plan in San Francisco, I just read about something like that?