By its estimate, some 60 percent of all elderly Americans can afford private policies.

The private policies cost $400 to $1,200 a year.

Indeed, the cost would be similar to premiums that people this age typically pay for private policies.

They would have access to low-cost group health insurance, he said, "rather than having to buy expensive private policies, which they sometimes can't get."

Allow people to choose insurance from their state's plan or from private policies that meet minimum Federal standards.

Then, based on your individual medical history and expenses, decide what services you would like a private supplementary policy to pay for.

But once the coverage for drugs and doctors' fees is phased in, few private policies will be able to keep up.

If they can be treated by the state within this time they cannot use their private policy.

Considering whether to buy a private policy ought to begin in people are in their 50's, the experts said.

Native taxes (except perhaps from Mataafa, true to his own private policy) have long been beyond hope.