The rising cost of healthcare. What would you support doing about it?

Question

Hillary is endorsing taxpayer subsidized forced-private health care. Other Democrats want a Single Payer system. I've not heard any ideas from the right, other than Romney's state funded system.
The cold hard facts are that health care premiums are rising 6 to 9% a year. That's higher than the inflation rate and average wages. Every year, employers are letting employees foot more and more of that premium.
So what IS the answer. It's obvious that if we elect to do nothing at all, more and more Americans will be priced out of healthcare altogether - thus burdoning the high-middle and upper class with even higher premiums.
Your suggestions?

I agree with tort reform, although, overall that's a small piece of the bigger problem.

Realitycheck - Wrong! HC costs are rising a 2 to 3 times the rate of inflation. Try to look ten years down the road. How much of your paycheck will be going out to Blue Cross Blue Shield?

Sharia - ER doctors are bound by the Hippocratic Oath to treat patients, no matter if they are illegal or can pay. I don't think many Americans would agree with you on simply denying them care. Illegal immigration is a completely different issue that needs to be resolved.

Bigsky - I read your post and thought - this guys sounds like a Libertarian. Sure enough...
I think you have some good ideas, especially with tax-free HSAs. If employer insurance was eliminated, theoritically employers would be able to pay more to their employees, thus giving the consumer an advantage to shop around for the right insurance. This would generate more competition in the industry and drive prices down.
I have to draw the line, however, at the thought of low risk and high risk insurance pools. I could see that as disasterous for some people. Perhaps if you smoke or are alcoholic, you would belong in such a pool... but those are choices. Someone who developes pancreatic cancer doesn't make that choice. Your proposal would boil down to "survival of the fittest" and quite honestly, seems a little fascist in nature.

Answer 1

Since the bulk of the costs involve caring for long-term and chronic illnesses, I would start by emphasizing primary and preventative care to lessen the likelihood of more Americans succumbing to such chronic health problems to begin with. Paying now will help us save in the future.

As for those who are suffering now, a single-payer system makes sense for the short run in order to alleviate a lot the burden being shouldered by patients. "Hillarycare v. 2.0" is more likely to jack up costs rather than lower them.

Answer 2

Well here is my idea. Firstly I believe in America and the American spirit and our can do attitude. I think we have reached a point where the Health Care "System" needs a complete and total makeover from the ground up. I mean when I am referred to a specialist and they will not schedule me until I give them my ins card number I see a major problem. When I go to my GP and there are more "money takers" than patients I see a problem. When something says medical grade (even a plug) and it costs 3-10 ten times the regular price I see a problem. When drug manufactures invent ailments to find an outlet for an otherwise useless drug I see a problem.

If doctors started to utter these words. "You are fat, you eat a poor diet, and do not excersize." So what do you want me to do about it? Would eleimate a third of our problem.

Wellfare recipiants need to get out of the emergency room. Our emergancy room is full of people with colds etc, keeping people who have an emergency from getting treatment. Under our ins. plan we have to pay quite a bit if we have use it like, 175 or something.

We need dietary guidlines that are not written by special interest groups.

Quite frankly I think Doctor as defined these days needs redifined. Years ago a doctor was worth his pay because he brought information with him, and hopefully the latest information. Now the latest information resides in the medium you are using to read this. Doctors should be using their years of education for more useful thigs. You do not need 8 years of education to tell someone they have a cold. You need the education when the cold will not go away.

It wouldn't be a free country if enforced, but every American should have access to regular physical screening using the best available technology. We should also have available basic teeth cleaning and dental heatlth.

In the end however sad, If we as a people do not wise up and start taking responsibility for ourselves rather than rely on a pill to make us better. Because if medicating everyone who walks through the door is the solution, then we should legalize a few illicet drugs also.

I have a whole lot of ideas as I am a systems genious, but I doubt anyone really cares.

Answer 3

Well, I in no way am an official representative of "the right" but I DO have some ideas on how to tackle this without going Socialist:

1. Place a cap on malpractice suits nationwide. This will lower malpractice insurance and therefore lower expenses for doctors, which in turn will lower patient charges.

2. Regulate the cost of the two most out-of-control elements of the healthcare system - pharmaceuticals and labs. Set a schedule of 'reasonable and ordinary' fee levels for drugs and tests such as MRIs or X-rays and diagnostic procedures like a cardiac catheterization.

3. Create incentives for health insurance companies to offer affordable, portable policies that can be purchased and maintained by individuals in the same manner that car insurance is. One easy way to do this is to make any income from such policies subject to a lower tax rate or no tax at all. This will make it preferable for the insurance company to do the work to create such policies... and at the same time allow for the individual to custom-tailor the coverages he or she needs... so it's a win-win.

4. Make it mandatory for Doctors to do Pro-Bono work the same way it is for lawyers... or at least, create a program by which they can earn tax credits for work done for those who perhaps can't afford a very expensive procedure. If this isn't feasible for all Doctors, make it a pre-requisite commitment for anyone who receives government financial aid for medical school.

5. Encourage medical professionals to offer discounts to the insurers to keep costs under control. This can be done in the form of either a tax incentive or can even be handled on a more local community level.

If you got a bill together that did these things, you'd find that you and I would be able to purchase affordable health insurance and not have to even go through employers to do so, though group plans would certainly still exist.


By the way... Bigsky, I concur with your assessment and believe that many SHOULD consider a health savings plan IN ALTERNATIVE TO health insurance. Very well said!

Merry... we have all seen what a wonderful job the government does at the DMV... and keeping bridges maintained... sorry, I am NOT trusting them with my health!

(PS- Soundguy... genius doesn't have an 'o' LOL)

Answer 4

Preventive medicine is the key and it is primarily the responsibility of people, not government. What about promoting healthy living? Not through mandates but through education. Why can't the govt. tell people that feeding their children happy meals is killing them? Why do we have pesticides and chemicals in our food? Why are we eating food imported from countries that have ZERO health and safety measures? Can we get people off their lazy butts to exercise at least once a week? How much would that save us?

Aside from that I say build more medical schools. Why do most states have 4 or 5 law schools and 1 or 2 medical schools? Wouldn't more doctors help to spur competition and innovation?

The rise in the cost of healthcare is spurred primarily because people do not pay for it. When people need healthcare, there should be a system to help them if they cannot afford it. But people should not go to the ER instead of a family dr. simply because they have insurance or govt. paid health care.

I agree with Sharia that illegals drive up the cost of healthcare tremendously. We all pay when they cannot.

History has proven that the free market handles these problems over time. The more the government gets involved where it does not have to, the more that the system will become broken.

Answer 5

Unfortunately, the whole mindset about health needs to change. If people took care of themselves and their bodies in the first place, think about the reductions in cost. If everyone got enough exercise and ate healthy food...just think about the amount of preventable diseases that would be diminished. And then the health care community could focus on the other areas that are not something that can be prevented.

Perhaps if corporations encouraged daily exercise, similar to Japan. Perhaps if schools encouraged "real" PE classes where everyone actually got their heart rate up every day for at least 30 minutes. Perhaps if prevention included weight checks and reduced gym fees along with immunizations and well checks.

Americans are notoriously lazy and out of shape. We drive everywhere instead of walking. It really would help drive down the costs of healthcare if we were starting with healthy bodies to begin with. But people choose to engage in risky behavior - be it unprotected sex or eating fast food every day. A whole new life perspective needs to happen before we can move forward.

PSSST: NASA is one of the big watchers of the environment....but cut it if you want....
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/earthandsun/index.html

Answer 6

Get the government to take over. Medicare is the most cost-effective system we now have, with less overhead than any other plan.
The problem isn't only the cost -- it's that companies can refuse to insure you. As a diabetic, I know that. When I moved from one state to another, I was unable to get any company to cover me at any price, despite the fact that I am under control and haven't been to a doctor for other than checkups in years.

My daughter, who does have coverage, woke up one night with intense pain and blood in her urine. She went to the emergency room as her doctor's office was not open. After waiting there from 1:30 am to 7:30 am, and not having seen anyone, she left to go to her regular doctor when the office opened at 8 am. So much for emergency room care.

Coverage is done--prices are up -- and still they dither about "socialized medicine." If Congress and the President had to cover their own health care, maybe they wouldn't be so blind.

Answer 7

First, outlaw all consumer targeted advertising for drugs. It's proven that drug companies spend more $ each year for advertising than they do for R&D.
Second, initiate medical courts with lawyers trained in medically related issues and place a cap on awards - say $500,000.00.
Third, eliminate employer purchased health care coverage. Each adult gets to decide what coverage they want and gets to shop around for it. Reason?- increased competition for policies will reduce costs. Those with children should factor in the cost for their child's care. If you cannot afford that, don't have children.

Answer 8

The underlying issue with health care is cost. Health Care costs are rising, it doesn't matter if it is government supported or private. Either way, health care is rationed. It's either done by the state or by the market.

What people don't realize is that over 50% of their lifetime health care dollars are spent in the last 6 months of their lives. Nobody want's to touch the real issue.

No politician is going to get elected on the platform of no chemo for grandma and no bypass for grandpa.

50 years ago their was no chemo, no MRI's, no heart transplants, etc. Health care was affordable then.

The solution isn't an easy one.

Answer 9

because of the fact of this Medicare exist. So why the rant? confident, modest will advance in Medicare are predicted additionally, however the government, taxpayers, pays maximum the growing to be fee. maximum elderly in usa are doing effective, some do no longer choose Social risk-free practices or Medicare. approximately 14% of the elderly are based upon Social risk-free practices and Medicare. it truly is misguided to anticipate ALL American elderly are in choose of government suggestions. it truly is yet another situation. Who needs the government toddler sitting the elderly, or the different age team? in view that while is it the governments job to shelter ALL its human beings? only how intense are you prepared to work out taxes bypass? have you ever heard of capitalism and loose markets?

Answer 10

National health insurance is fine but cut out the middle man. So long insurance companies.
But what I'd really support is having people who know what they're doing looking at the problems objectively and come up with solutions. Politicians are not the people to do that but surely they can find people who can.

Will they? No.