Richard Scheffler worked with colleagues to publish an article titled “Better Care Plan: A Public Option Choice” in Health Affairs on November 16, 2020. This recommends that the Biden-Harris health care proposal not be operated under fee-for-service like traditional Medicare.
If the public option were to be operated under pre-determined risk-adjusted capitation payments to teams of providers, health professionals would be incentivized to provide evidence-based care. In addition, payments made per-member-per-month would provide a predictable revenue stream–which is particularly important as COVID-19 threatens providers’ financial stability.
All authors: George C. Halvorson Stephen M. Shortell Laurence Kotlikoff Elizabeth Mitchell Richard M. Scheffler John Toussaint Peter A. Wadsworth Gail R. Wilensky