HEALTHCARE

I recommend that we implement a ¡§tiered¡¨, voluntary national healthcare system that will encourage people to treat their illnesses in the early stages with simple clinical visits, instead of costly emergency hospitalizations. The basic level of the plan will cover physician or clinical visits for preventive care, generic drugs, and vital operations, at no cost to all Americans. This will be a "safety net" program to cover the millions of currently uninsured families, especially children.

Higher tier policies, with higher premiums, can include more comprehensive care such as premium drugs, extended hospitalizations, elective surgery, and other higher-cost non-critical procedures. Individuals who currently have health insurance coverage can stay with their current insurance carrier or elect to join this system. This way, we can maintain the high quality of service offered by America¡¦s best care providers while ensuring affordability and freedom of choice for American patients.