Republican, Democrat, or Independent. Whatever you might call yourself, most of us would agree that major reform in the health care system is one of the most important issues that we face as a nation today. As the economy continues to sour, more people find themselves uninsured or paying more and more out-of-pocket costs. The concern is so high in the white house, that President Obama just this week signed and executive order creating an office that will oversee the overhaul of the medical industry.
One of the biggest and most controversial ideas of the current administration is to develop an insurance system much like the one current government employees enjoy. This system would be paid for by the government and eligible to those under 65 who do not meet guidelines for other federal and state programs ( such as medicaid and SCHIP) and those without access to employer health care, or those who cannot afford their employer health care. It would, in theory, still leave room for private insurance companies. This sounds wonderful, until you think about logistics. How will this program be funded? How will this effect the private insurance industry? How will this effect the medical community? Don't get me wrong, I would love for there to be affordable insurance choices for everyone, but we have to be realistic. President Obama targets the cost of such a plan will run around $50 to $65 billion in the first year. He expects this money to come from removing tax cuts for those in the higher tax bracket (over $250,000 a year). Do we really think that those who usually hold the most power and influence are going to sit around and let these tax breaks happen?
As someone who currently works in the medical industry, I also would like to know how the reimbursement rate for doctors will be set. This could be the make-it or break-it point of this whole system. If the rate is set too low, then no doctors will participate, much like what has happened with Medicaid. Setting the pricing too low would also cause the private insurance sector to go out of business. They would be unable to compete with pricing and that would create even more job loss. It could also cause less people to go into the medical field and result in a shortage of talented doctors and nurses, thereby affecting the quality and availability of care.
My great hope is that the new office made to overhaul the system can avoid being influenced by all of the varying lobbyists in the health care arena. These groups outspend all other lobbying groups, spending roughly $237 million to push their agenda. This group includes the very powerful pharmaceutical companies, private insurance carriers, doctors and nurses. I do hope that reform can happen, but it isn't something to rush into.
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Health care insurance companies have had it their way for far too long. Prior to 13th century the Barons, freeman and fettered surfs of England genuflected to every whim of the King John of England. In 1215 Magna Carta changed all that, just as we have reached a precipitous point today with the health care. WE desperately need freedom from the businesses that prey on the the average American?. We need a Single payer system, just like most European developed nations our insurance entities have subjected people to deceiving paperwork that would null their agreement for any pre-existing conditions found. They would delve deeply into any scrap of information, to cut off a person potential surgery--specially those items costing $100.000 dollars.. Not satisfied with that, under the watchful eye of the stockholders "bean Counters", would hit you with co-pays and premiums.
ReplyDeleteGovernor Schwarzenegger should listen to the association of nurses and remove any insurance company from participating in the health care committee. Insurance companies are a cold dispassionate for-profit business that has no intentions of releasing their hold on a trillion dollar industry. Shortly we will be bombarded with gross lies, rhetoric and propaganda in every corner of the media. To even think of even enacting a single payer system is supposedly anti-American. In truth the estimates of Americans uninsured has reached a disastrous proportion. Then we have the shuffle of free health care for illegal foreign nationals that also have a massive financial impact on all taxpayers.
One monolithic pool of people is far better than the chaos of health care system we have today. England, prior to the ingress of illegal and legal commonwealth immigrants, the island had a true excellent system of health care for everyone. Your job paid insurance stamps, same as the employee who gave you access to a doctor, a surgeon, eye or dentist practitioner. No money, no insurance card, no state picture ID changed hands. A small payment for medicine was all that was expected. The only difference was a short waiting time for specialists that the well-heeled are completely isolated from.
Indeed, I had 2 minor and one selective surgery that cost nothing out of pocket. Here Americans live in frightened anticipation of debt collectors and bankruptcy for bills unpaid. Health care drains the country each year of trillions of dollars-- much going to insurance companies, archaic billing companies, and a whole cornucopia of middlemen. It will not be easy to change the broken system? Just like illegal immigration, the open-border proponents have everything to lose, that includes politicians who are major stockholders in hospitals for profit. Call the President, Senator or Representative and demand a---SINGLE PAYER SYSTEM: 202-224-3121
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ReplyDeleteI couldn’t agree with you more. America ranks low compared to our per capita expenditures on our Health care system. Two basic factors are included in the evaluation of a health care system, the efficiency and acceptability as well as the equity. Many analysis show that American ranks low when comparing quality, access, efficiency, equity, and outcomes with other relative nations. These are just the basic analysis, but almost every corner you look in on the American health care system there seems to be a major problem concerning the patient financially. I don’t presume this will be an easy battle considering powerful pocket books are at risk but, this is something that must come to an end. It seems like the more powerful lobbyist understand the problem but prefer a fix that doesn’t come out of their employer’s pocket which is pretty much a paradox.
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