Huh, I really like this approach. My economics knowledge isn't great, but I do know that healthcare is quite inelastic because people are willing to pay high prices to be healthy. A mixed model would siphon off the most desperate to a good option, and inject local competition.
I advocated against universal healthcare for a long time, since I was worried that it would cause stagnation in health innovation, but now I see a need for universal healthcare for the 80-90% most common procedures (and leave private clinics to innovate). The only downside I can think of is less dependence on insurance, which has the potential to drive up premiums. But, if that means taking care of the poor for the most common ailments, then it's a worthwhile tradeoff.
I advocated against universal healthcare for a long time, since I was worried that it would cause stagnation in health innovation, but now I see a need for universal healthcare for the 80-90% most common procedures (and leave private clinics to innovate). The only downside I can think of is less dependence on insurance, which has the potential to drive up premiums. But, if that means taking care of the poor for the most common ailments, then it's a worthwhile tradeoff.