Medical Notes: 2005-2009 Term

Julio Wilsonoff

With my election to another term, I am required to submit a proposal of plans for the medical center and health care in the hood.

Renovations at the Medical Centre
With the help of Li Yoo, we're revamping the medical centre. The medical centre will now have a small waiting area, two examination rooms, private doctor offices, lab, small cafeteria, inpatient room, and an operation room. Renovations are expected to be finished by the end of 2006.

New Employees
We have hired Dr. Donna O'Dale from Pahala Shore. Dr. O'Dale is in charge of pediatrics, which leaves Dr.McMillian in charge of OB/GYN and I in charge of general health.

Public Medical Files
I propose that we make a public medical file for other hoods to access and add to as well. This file would have information on simmish illnesses such as the Plumbbob Virus and Stone Veins in one central location.
Universal Health Care
I propose that we set up a health fund for residents-almost like a common insurance. Residents pay a fee-which can be added to their tax bill. The fee would be based on a combination of income and age and assessed every summer along with taxes. When a sim visits the medical centre, they will pay a small deductible of $100 and then all other funds will be taken from the "health care pot" for the hood. This plan would only cover basic care, advanced services such as plastic surgery and IVFs would not be fully covered. In fact, plastic surgery wouldn't be covered at all, while the first round of IVF is covered.

This fund does not pay for the salaries of the medical employees, funding for that comes from taxation. The fund directly pays for costs associated with medical care such as birthing fees, medicines, equiptment and materials cost not the labor of the medical employees.

The fee schedule for the Universal Health Care is as follows:
-Elders $75
-Adults $50
-Youth (young adult and younger) $25

With the following income multipliers:
-Tier 1 = 3
-Tier 2 = 2
-Tier 3 = 1
-Tier 4 = 0.75

For example, a family with 2 adults and 3 youth would pay $175 [(2 x $50) + (3 x $25)], if their tax rate is Tier 2, then their universal health care fee would be $350 (2 x $175) which is added to their tax bill so residents do not have to worry about paying an additional bill.

I propose that we start collecting fees in 2007 as the summer tax collection has already passed. The research forecasts that in 2007 we would collect $4,000 from active residents with an addition $11,000 from inactive residents for a total of $15,000 for the health fund.