My take on healthcare

Here is my take on healthcare.  You can also find it in the Issues page linked above.

1. Necessity: Healthcare is a necessity for a well functioning society, designed along the lines of compulsory education.
2. States Rights: Each state should implement their own healthcare coverage.  Some will choose single payer.  Others will have a regulated market.
3. Coverage: Everyone is covered - no exclusion for pre-existing conditions.
4. Affordability: No one should have to pay too much - put the high-cost patients in a large enough actuarial group to spread the cost.
5. Choice: You can choose the doctors, specialists and drug companies you do business with.
6. Competition: Protect the free enterprise nature of the industry - not so much the insurance companies, but the drug companies, hospitals, research labs, equipment/device companies.  
7. Funding: There is some federal tax dollars given to those states who implement compulsory healthcare.  State taxes pay for the rest.  One idea is to allot an amount to the insurance card carrier.  That person will spend that money.  If you need to exceed the amount alloted, your insurance rates will go up to a higher bracket which is also subsidized by state taxes.
8. Medicaid and Medicare: These remain federal programs for those states that do not adopt compulsory healthcare.  They become part of the state program for those states that do adopt compulsory healthcare.  The federal funds will go to the state, and will be phased out over time as the state collects revenue for these programs.