The following is based on a draft of the President's plan dated Sept. 7
Federal grants to states to increase the number of school clinics and broaden the scope of their services. Emphasis would be placed on regions that currently lack adequate health services.
OVERVIEW
STANDARD BENEFITS PACKAGE
FUNDING
- The Administration estimates it will cost $700 billion over five years to launch the program.
- Costs partially offset by controls on Medicaid and Medicare expenditures.
- Higher taxes proposed on tobacco.
SCHOOL CLINICS
- Federal grants to states to increase the number of school clinics and broaden the scope of their services. Emphasis would be placed on regions that currently lack adequate health services.
- Among other things, clinics could offer mental-health and family-planning services and immunizations.
- Services provided through school clinics would be automatically covered under all health-care plans.
HEALTH EDUCATION
- Federal grants to states for school-based health-education programs for adolescents and adults. Emphasis would be placed on sex-education and AIDS-prevention programs and other efforts to reduce high-risk behavior.
MEDICAID
- The federal government would pay premiums for poor and disabled persons who are unemployed.
- Funding could be used to pay for services at school-based clinics.
RURAL HEALTH
- Federal funding to help establish health-care networks in rural communities.
- Development of new “academic health centers’’ to support rural health-education efforts.