Besides FDA and possibly the VA - get the Feds out of health-care completely, including Medicaid/Medicare and removing any tax benefits or penalties for corporate programs, self-insurance, etc..
In a transition period, turn over Fed Money for medicaid/medicare to the States on gradually declining basis over 5 years. Then let individual States decide if they want to raise taxes to maintain similar programs, and have more activist or less activist health-care programs. It would remove the most massive layer of bureaucracy (the Feds), reduce costs, and most important - provide a laboratory of best practices in 50 different states. Speed, adaptability and flexibility to change would also increase.
A good idea can come from someone running a liberal company. For example Apple is a liberal company but they make excellent products which many Freepers use so why should the CEO’s politics matter here. We must not discredit an idea completely just based on who it comes from. These 8 points I think are all free market common sense approaches which no conservative can disagree with on their merit. This is a superb article and anyone who espouses these beliefs deserves our support.
States don't pay anything for Medicare. Only Medicaid is a joint federal and state cooperative.
I would rather have the feds take over Medicaid completely and combine it SS, Medicare, and Veterans Affairs, consolidate it, privatize it (except for the verification and funds procurement of it), and give those who are on it some type of healthcare debit card.
In exchange for the feds doing this, states can take care of education, housing, highway funding, labor laws so the feds can get rid of these departments.
This new administration would strictly be for:
- Seniors 65 and older (in which they can join voluntary or they can use it as any type of plan that fits their needs)
- Those who are disabled (I'm talking real disabilites here, not paraplegic gang-bangers or "low-income" folks who scam Medicaid)
- Retired military veterans