How can we improve health care in America?

Question

It seems that some major health care providers have a tight grasp on health policies, charege way too much and dictate what the health plan will cover. Millions of Americans go without health care and it's very sad. What are some resolutions or ideas that you have which can improve the health coverage of Americans as well as lower the cost?

No name calling or pointing fingers. That never solves anything.

Answer 1

The only way to improve health care is to regulate medical care.
Doctors and hospitals are openly stealing people blind.
Our company will pay you a percentage of over charged bills they recover up to 500 dollars and there are very few hospitalized patients who could not collect if they tried. Many of our employees have collected up to 500 because of pure stealing by the hospital or doctor or both.(this isn't name calling it's truth, and can be proved). Try $7;60 for one tylenol tablet from the local hospital.(that would be $760 dollars for a bottle of 100 that walmarts sells for 13 dollars.).
The Insurance Companies and companies like ours should stop calling this outright theifs such names as mistake and over charges and take them to court for a felony for any thing over 500 dollars just like they would if we stole from them.This is all they understand. And they do it because they can get by with it.
Medicare providers(hospitals/doctors/ druggist )routinely over charge patients because they can and they rarely are questioned. They take advantage of the elderly.
I have never even had enough medical expense in 9 years at this company to even exceed my deduction, yet my premieums have more than doubled.
Some things you can do is;
If you are on regular monthly perscription ask your doctor to double the dosage so the perscription drug insurance will cover at least part of the bill. Some times yuo can double the doasage and break the pils in half doing the same thing as two perscriptions and save 1/2 the cost.
Double check every doctors or hospital bill to be sure you were not over charged.
Companies like ours are in the insurance business. They are a mining company yet handle their own insurance and use a ppo for the paper work. Our company's premiums increase annually with out giving it's employees a chance to get competive prices.
They now charge the employees the first $18 on gerneric drugs and we haven't collected on a drug perscription sence. So doubling the doage strength and cutting the pill in half can save you money. The druggist suggested this although the doctor wasn't too warm to the idea as it wasn't his money saved.
The drug companies manufacture drugs here in America for example and ship it to Canada where you can purchase it for 20 to 50% less than you can at the local drug store only blocks away from the plant that makes it. This is another reason medical costs should be regulated. what would you call this action against Americans by drug companies? It is beyond over chargeing . It's stealing plain and simple. And the Medical Communmity is fighting any plan to reduce medical costs by spreading millions of dollars into the pockets of Congressmen.

Americans don't complain to their congress members enough. Only the strength of the vote will stop this medical madness.
Double check you bills.
Our company also requires you to have a doctors excuse to avoid being punished on the point system. If you have a common cold and need to be out for fever a few days you canot be excused without a doctors excuse.(so many points in a six month period will get you fired with no recourse). The last time I was out with a cold It cost me 125 for a doctors visit, 75 for the exrays he required, and 45 for some one to read them and 17 dollars for drugs (just under the deduction of course) all of which was useless as it just takes time to heal a cold. All this expense to keep 6 points off of my record.It's silly, should be unlawful and companies and the medical groups need to have top answer to crap like this.
Stop being nice to all of them. They are not worthy of it. INcluding doctors, hospitals, and druggists, and companies which use their own insurance plans to screw employees.
Being nice to the medical business is what has gotten us in this mess.

Answer 2

Right now, all health care is routed through the AMA. You cannot recieve any health care without using someone they approve of.

In most of life, we can choose- union or non-union, professional or hobbiest, top end or discount versions, etc.

In medical care (and law, education, etc.) we MUST use only those options approved of and regulated by the 'super unions' of the AMA, ABA, NEA, etc.

In the series '30 Days', the host was living on the poverty line for 30 days. He hurt his wrist and got a $500+ bill for what was basically an Ace bandage and a 5 minute exam without an X-ray. Without insurance or a stash of cash, his options were severely limited.

Why isn't it MY choice if I want to see a 'drugstore medic' who will do what they can for a fair price, and warn me of complications to look for? A lot of medical care is such that a competant person can do a LOT of it just from a good guidebook.


OK, I know that part of the reason for the costs is the insurance and liability. We need to reform that as well. Perhaps some sort of screening panel that tosses out frivolous suits and those that really honestly are not anyone's fault, etc.?

Answer 3

The rationing debate last played out during the recession in the early '90s, when states settled on managed care to rein in health-care costs. But managed-care cost controls later were eased amid a public backlash. Meanwhile, during the boom times of the later '90s, states added populations and optional services to their Medicaid programs, the federal-state health insurance program for the poor.

The result: State health-care costs are growing at their fastest rate in a decade -- 9% a year, according to the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, a Washington, D.C.-based health-policy institute. At the same time, states are struggling with budget shortfalls totaling an estimated $15 billion. And the Urban Institute, a Washington, D.C., think tank, warns that if the nation's unemployment rate rises to, say, 6.5% (a little more than a percentage point), states may have to absorb nearly two million more people into Medicaid.
Congress has a unique opportunity, at a time of immediate need, to change federal tax policy governing health insurance coverage. It can give displaced workers the assistance they need to acquire private health insurance for themselves and their families. It would also change the dynamics of current health care policy and establish patient choice and market competition in the provision of health insurance.

Answer 4

Well, one problem is that illegal immigrants use this very scarce resource and don't pay for it. That's why counties are starting to find ways to legally bill countries like Mexico for the unpaid medical bills.

Another reason is that those that do have health insurance abuse it. A lot of people will go to the emergency room for common colds, headaches, and even mild cases of the flu. People used to treat those with over the counter medicine and stay home. When you use the emergency room, the cost of that service is quadruple what it would be if you waited for an appointment with your doctor, or just basically let time heal.

Answer 5

1. Major tort reform to cap amounts paid for malpractice suits based on the actual "damages" to the patients and different categories for accidents versus gross negligence. This will reduce malpractice insurance premiums which are a major factor in driving the prices of health care up.

2. Incentives and discount for students to enter medical school. Flood the market with doctors and help drive prices down.

3. Paperwork reductions for all aspects of medical staff. Reduce administrative costs.

Answer 6

Remove the politicians from it?

Whatever the politicians in this country are involve in, turn to S hi T,,,
So let the private enterprise take it back the way it use to be, and watch, but no...

More laws and regulations until nobody dare trying to help anyone without 6 licenses and ten insurances policies,,,

Answer 7

Having every person in a single pool of insured individuals -- young, old, healthy, and ill -- covered by insurance devoted to promoting health rather than "excluding medical procedures" would improve health of the country. And it would cost less than we now spend.

Answer 8

This may be THE complicated question of this decade.

The simple answer is to go to a single payer system similar to the one used in Canada. This assures that all have a basic level of care at an affordable price. One downside is that research is not encouraged by the potential to reap huge profits. Another downside is the ability, or lack thereof, of patients to get specialized or high end care. The Canadian system gets around this issue by permitting the purchase of such care by those who can afford it -- creating a two tier system.

Answer 9

Step 1. Get rid of the Idiots currently in power whose goal is to transfer wealth from the middle class to the ultra rich by allowing the medical, insurance and pharmaceutical industries to control the distribution and cost of medical care.

Answer 10

Regulate the insurance companies!!!!! If government can regulate the profits that a power or water utility can make...why can't we do the same thing with health care???? is it because the health care lobby is way to big??? I think it is...