Health insurance is a major issue dividing Americans as well as politicians. Some believe that government should stay out of medicine and health insurance. They feel that a government-run health care system would burden taxpayers, especially for those who already have health insurance.Others feel that a government insurance plan should be offered for those who cannot afford their private insurance plan. These people also agree with new regulations such as prohibiting an insurance company from denying coverage to somebody because of a condition.
Charity Health Insurance
One alternative choice many people may not have considered is starting a 501(c)3 nonprofit charity health insurance. It could be modeled after medical charities such as Children's Miracle Network. It is an organization that raises money to pay for medical treatment of children with terminal illnesses. To some degree, Children's Miracle Network functions as a form of health insurance paying for the medical treatment of a patient. Granted, health insurance companies charge clients a monthly fee regardless of whether the patient is healthy or sick. Children's Miracle Network, on the other hand, collects donations, and it does not charge patients money for treatment. Nonetheless, the basic function of Children's Miracle Network and health insurance companies is the similar; paying for a patient's medical expenses. There are also other medical charities such as March of Dimes, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and American Cancer Society that raise money for medical treatment as well as research. Gesundheit Institute, the organization of Patch Adams, also raises money for medical treatment as well as clown trips to third world countries.
A health insurance charity organization could function much like medical charities, but instead of dealing with a specific condition, it would deal with a variety of conditions. In addition to collecting donations, they can charge for services such as doctor's examinations and group fitness classes or personal training.
Combining Government and Non-Government Regulation
Because Congress has spent so much time and money on discussing health care reform, one compromise is for them to create a nonprofit charity account that raises money through donations rather than tax money. UNICEF is a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization that is part of the United Nations, which is a government organization. A health insurance charity organization can model itself after UNICEF. Such a model can offer a compromise between supporters of a public health insurance option and its opponents. While it would be run by the government, funds would come from private donations rather than tax revenue.
Although this health insurance charity organization could be part of the government, it can also be run by people outside of government. For example, the Federal Reserve is a government organization, but it is run by economists and bankers. Maybe a health insurance charity organization can be run by a board of directors consisting of of medical doctors, alternative health practitioners, economists, volunteers and even patients.
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