Commissioner Candidate Stoops Proposes Single Payer Health Plan For Monroe County

DFMC A-List Candidate for Monroe County Commissioner Mark Stoops filed the following press release.

I would like to discuss universal health care – but on a local level. I would like to propose that we in Monroe County can create a single payer health care system that is efficient and comprehensive – but most of all, humane.

It is not necessary for us to wait years for a state or federal health care plan that has been transformed by special interests into a shadow of true universal health care. I believe we have the people, the knowledge, and the basic infrastructure to create a local system now.

Let me talk briefly about what a single payer system is. Far from being complicated, in reality and practice – a single payer health care plan is probably the simplest of all health care proposals: You get medical treatment. The doctor sends the bill to one place. You get a prescription, the pharmacist sends the bill to that same place.

One entity pays the bills for its covered members. Monroe County government is technically a single payer health system. Like the City of Bloomington and IU, we are self-insured, which means all medical bills for covered county employees are paid out of a single cash fund, maintained by Monroe County government.

And like IU and the City of Bloomington, we hire an administrator to handle the billing. In Monroe County’s case, that is Anthem. Anthem is not the insurer, it is simply the administrator of the funds. And for that Anthem charges us 25% of the total cost. Not bad, considering Anthem carries none of the risk.

All local government units and larger not-for-profits have their own insurance plans and groups – Monroe County government, City of Bloomington, IU, Monroe County Schools, Richland-Bean Blossom Schools, Ivy Tech, Monroe County Public Library, Bloomington Hospital. United Way has a nice pool of organizations covering 700-800 people. The list goes on and on. Dozens of separate groups representing thousands of local people.

There is no reason, except for a lack of political will, that local government units and not-for-profits cannot pool their employees and create an efficient, low-cost, administrative agency. The savings on administration alone would be greater than 10%. That is 10% savings on millions and millions of dollars.

Once an initial larger pool is created, the lower cost would encourage still more participation by local, large employers. At that point, the economies of scale and dilution of risk would allow us to offer the plan to small businesses and individuals in the community.

Medicare and Medicaid already cover a portion of our population. The Healthy Indiana Plan covers people within a low income threshold. An entity that manages the Health Network countywide would also allow us to enroll many more local residents who qualify for Medicaid and Healthy Indiana but do not know it.

Bloomington Hospital would serve as one of the key care providers. Funds would be available for, and greater savings will be achieved by, expanding our Volunteers in Medicine program and clinic, including Monroe County’s Family Planning Clinic. A local health network, under the umbrella of the Monroe County Health Department, and focused on preventative care for everyone, would pay untold dividends. Bloomington Hospital already pays millions of dollars in uncovered local indigent care that could be offset with proper preventative measures.

So, what are the benefits? Lower cost of health care; a healthier population with access to quality care, regardless of pre-existing conditions; greatly reduced indigent care expenses for the hospital; a straightforward relationship with local care providers and physicians; and a greatly reduced billing bureaucracy.

What are some other benefits? Local governments already spend millions of dollars annually on economic development initiatives. Can you imagine the economic development benefits to a county with its own health care system? Health care expenses are a huge cost of doing business. If you were a small business owner or entrepreneur, why would you not locate here? Why would large businesses not prefer to locate here?

As I said earlier, we have the pieces in place to accomplish a single payer Health System in Bloomington and Monroe County now. This is not a pie-in-the-sky, idealistic wish. This is a concrete goal for Monroe County that can be achieved with current resources and available knowledge. The County Commissioners are one of only two local political entities that could spearhead this initiative.

We do not have time for any eventual plan produced at the state or federal level. A large percentage of our friends and neighbors are going without any health care because they cannot afford it. Many others are denied coverage because of preexisting conditions. Medicaid coverage is seriously flawed and under-funded. Local people are dying or losing their financial stability because they do not have access to the simplest and least expensive type of medical care:
vcheck-ups and preventative health measures. This is more than a shame, it is a scandal.

If I am elected Monroe County Commissioner, I promise to take the steps necessary to accomplish this important task.

This is a prime example of why Mark is on our A-list!