Private health insurance plans - including franchises of overseas insurance plans - should be allowed, subject to rigorous procedures of inspection and to satisfying financial and governance requirements. Such competition is bound to shake inefficient and corrupt state Health Fund and reshape it.

Procurement of medicines - should be transferred to an autonomous central purchasing agency. Both this body and its tenders will be supervised by a public committee aided by outside auditors.

The Approved List of Medicines - will be recomposed to include generic drugs whenever possible and to exclude expensive brands where generics exist. This should be a requirement in law.

To maintain their license to practice medicine, medical stuff - from nurses to doctors - would be required to acquire continuing education and to publish in peer reviewed papers. To prevent nepotism and corruption in appointments of doctors to jobs in clinics and hospitals, all positions from ward doctor upwards will be subject to periodic review and open, public tenders.

The law should explicitly allow for following arrangements with private sector for provision of healthcare:

Service Contract (Dominican Republic)

The government pays private entities - including doctors - to perform specific healthcare tasks, or to provide specific healthcare services under a contract. The private service providers can make use of state-owned facilities, if they wish - or operate from their own premises.

Payments by government are usually based on capitation (a fixed fee for a list of services to be provided to a single patient in a given period, payable even if services were not consumed) adjusted for patients' demographic data and reimbursement for fee-for-service items.

Management Contract (Cambodia)

The government pays private entities to manage and operate public health care facilities, like clinics, or hospitals.

Lease (Romania since 1994)

Private entities - including doctors - pay government a lump sum or monthly fees to use specific state-owned equipment, state-employed manpower, clinics, or complete public health care facilities.

The private entity is entitled to all revenues from its operations but also bears all commercial risks, is responsible for management and operations and liable for malpractice and accidents.

The state is still responsible to make capital investments in leased facility or equipment - but maintenance costs are borne by private entity.

Concession and Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) (Costa Rica)

Concession is exactly like a lease arrangement (see above) with one exception: private entity is responsible for capital investment. In return, contract period is extended and can be voided only with a considerable pre-advice.

In BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) and ROT (Rehabilitate-Operate-Transfer) capital investment involves construction or renovation/upgrade of new healthcare facilities. The private entity uses constructed facility to provide services. After a prescribed period of time has elapsed, ownership is transferred to government.

Divestiture and Build-Own-Operate (BOO) (Texas, USA)

The law should permit outright sale of state- owned health care facilities to a qualified private entity.

Another possibility is a BOO scheme, in which private entity contractually undertakes to add facilities, improve services, purchase equipment, or all three.

Free entry

The law should allow qualified private providers to operate freely. Though regulated, these private firms will have no other relationship with state.

I had my treatment done at a Japanese salon in Ohio that specializes in this service. After about six hours of sitting in salon, being alternately shampooed, heated under intense heat lamps, blown out, flat ironed, and then going through entire process again, I emerged from salon with a completely re-texturized, smooth and sleek head of hair. All together, straightening process cost about $750, including a VERY generous tip and a large bottle of shampoo and conditioner specially formulated for my new tresses. The hourly rate for service was $80, which is actually below most others that charge about $100 an hour. I was under strict instructions to guard my hair from water or any type of moisture for next 72 hours.

I was completely thrilled with my new hair. The light reflected off of it like crazy, and it blew naturally in breeze, not at all dried out or artificial, like you might expect after a chemical treatment. It actually was in best condition ever, which seemed counterintuitive since it had essentially just been through six hours of chemical and heat treatment. Nevertheless, it was absolutely and undeniably true.

I was told I would need to come back for a touch up on new growth anywhere from 6 months to a year, depending on how straight I wanted it to stay and rate of hair growth. It is now six months later, and even though it has more body, it is still shiny and smooth. I actually like it a little more with some body at roots. It gives it a little extra lift, and remaining hair is still straight and manageable.