Posted by
Tim Blessing on Saturday, April 05, 2008 5:34:51 PM
Healthcare is alway's a burning issue in American Politics because no one know's how to resolve the structural problems.
In the time before Roosevelt II, it was a fee for service where the doctor was concerned.
The doctor would come to your house instead of you going to his office.
In the WW II era, Employers could not increase the wages for workers due to wage and price controls. So they began offering benefit plans to workers that was at variance with what developed in other industrialized countries after the war. Where they developed National Health Care.
In the United States, it became clear as people lived longer and did not work that they were going to need some kind of health insurance and out of a socalled noble motive so were the poor.
In the 1960s, Medicare was established for old people and Medicaid was started for poor people.
Two programs that grew way out of proportion to their founders original intent.
In the 1980s, there was an intent to provide senior citizens with catostrophic health insurance that was later reversed.
In the 1990s, healthcare took centered stage again that lead was killed by a Republican filibuster in the US Seante.
Since then the only change was the addition of Medicare Part D by a Republican Congress.
Healthcare inflation is a perennial problem that everyone seem's to have no answer for.
Drugs cost so much do to the fact that Europe and the rest of the industrialize world have price controls on drug purchases.
Drug development is a fraud since 85% of the socalled new drugs coming on the market are just recycled variations on the old ones.
No innovation just different combinations of chemicals for the same old diseases.
Health Insurance Companies offer group insurance, individual insurance, and Preferred Provider Insurance.
Each one has its benefits and limitations.
Medicare has several options with the most prevalent being the fee for service. Meaning, you chose your own doctor for medicine and pay a deductible and a 50% co-pay.
Medicaid from what I understand is lousy in terms of paying for health services, except for drugs for poor people.
I think benefit programs in work place environments are no longer sustainable and keep our companies from remaining competitive with foreign companies.
I think national health care in terms of the Clinton Model was not well understood or liked by the public.
I don't think the Doctor coming to your house of the early 20th Century is realizable do to the massive technology infrastructure in place throughout the healthcare system.
I think Medical Malpratice is way out of whack because doctors are prone to make mistakes.
I think Health Insurance Companies cater only to the healthy and wealthy because they are not risk oriented clients.
I think Medicare has become overly Bureaucratic and unresponsive to the medical profession and individuals.
I think people want change, but do not buy into the Medical Savings Accounts of the Right Wing.
I think Libertarians would want to end all of these different approaches and let us each deal with our medical issues on our own.
Yes, a highly convulted problem that no one has a good answer for and no one is welling to step up to the plate.
In an ideal world, I would say that I hate Medicare and Medicaid and resolve to do things myself, but with all the complexities and earnings limits in place I can't see any other way.
Libertarian Republicans say pro-choice and leave me alone. I say let the government take over direct financiang of health care, leaving individual decisions to the patient and doctor, and ending the patent monopoly that health care companies have on innovations and research in medical systems.
The idea is to make ourselves more competitive in the world economy, with some mix of individual responsibility, and group health insurance through the government.
Health Insurance Companies already offer what's called Medicare Supplement Insurance Policies for seniors. I do not know why private individuals could not have the mix of government insurance and private insurance (if they want the latter).
People have been spoiled over the last sixty years with what appear's to be free healthcare, which lead's to demand's for the latest technology or drug.
If you do not see direct cost to yourself then you tend to become use to expecting something for free.
If you pay higher taxes and see no benefit then you go elsewhere to say the Carribean for healthcare.
Remember, 85% of the American People are somewhat satisfied with Healthcare as is.
But ever increasing Premiums, deductibles, copays, restrictions on access, and the termination of benefits due to loss of jobs is putting a crimp in the public;s lifestyle.
47 Million people get a freebie by going to the emergency room rather than to the doctor's office.
In essence, we have to maintain choice, leave people alone with their doctor, keep costs down, and maintain individual/group responsibility.