Health Care Repair

[Tinker]

This discussion is created for the purpose of repairing the Health care system in America. This is an open forum where feedback and suggestions are welcomed. Please keep the comments clean and non-abusive (targeting individuals to harass, spam, or belittle will not be tolerated) though I welcome responses to public figures (politicians, news commentators, ect) I do not welcome fear mongering or false information. If you have nothing to add to the discussion- you have nothing to add. This is a platform where everyone can offer USEFUL information to debate on how to improve the health care of all Americans.
If you would like to have discussions on other topics, look for the appropriate page and add them there, or add the discussion if one does not exist.

[polymath22]

U.S. Health Care: World's Most Expensive

USA was ranked 37th by the World Health Organization

So, are our politicians that incompetent that they can't come together and examine all of the various health care systems throughout the world, look at what works and what does not work? They can't glean the best ideas from all systems, reform our system and design it to be the best in the world? WHY ISN'T THIS HAPPENING?

Although I seldom agree with Sean Hannity, I will say that his ideas for using the Health Savings Accounts are good common sense.

Health "Insurance" should operate more like automobile insurance. I have insurance in case of a major accident. I don't need my automobile insurance company involved in my life every time I put gas or oil in my car, or when I get new tires, or other "ordinary" expenses....

But for some reason, if I go to the doctor for an infected hangnail, a teeth cleaning, or an eye exam, a third party gets involved. Ususally this "third party" is screwing both doctor and patient, by charging more than fair market premiums to patients, skimming a few million for themselves, then shortchanging the health care provider.

If we could put money into health savings accounts, TAX FREE, and let it set there until we accumulate XXXXX, then we could draw from this pool when we need ordinary health care. IFF the costs of our medical care exceed what we have in the Health Savings Accounts, THEN we have "Insurance" kick in and cover the catastrophic expenses.

We are being scared into thinking that a public option will mean (insert some disliked government employee) will be nit-picking which doctors we can see. Have they never heard of the"out of network" shenanigan that private insurance companies play on people?

With Government Run Health care, we also run the risk of having someone decide what is and what is not legitimate health care. If I want to visit a chiropractor, that is between me, the chiropractor, and the market. If I want to experiment with natural remedies, or eastern medicines, alternative therapies, or any other thing that is my private business.

Chiropractic prices are reasonable, because chiropractors operate in a different market. If my insurance wont cover a chiropractor, the chiropractor must charge a small enough fee so that I can afford the office call. That is what explains the fact that chiropractors visits are easily HALF what a physician charges.

tldr; Let the people have tax free money to spend as they see fit in the health care market. Have health savings accounts for ordinary expenses, and health "insurance" for catastrophic expenses.

[Tinker]

For the topic opener Insurance (A means of indemnity against occurrence of a uncertain event; The business of providing insurance; Metaphoric: Any attempt to anticipate an unfavorable event; Blackjack: A bet made after the deal, which pays off if the dealer has blackjack; An insurance policy) as used in medical terms is for all health care unforeseen and known, which I find flawed since Insurance itself is for the Unforeseen in all other aspects (if you have car insurance it will not cover or reduce the cost of your oil changes or other routine repairs [like a warranty would] but only covers the unforeseen accidental occurrences) which is why I propose the division of the insurance into Health insurance for the unforeseen (broken limbs, heart attacks, and common accidents) and a "health warranty" (the name could be changed but it seems to fit for now) that would cover routine and preventative health care costs like prescription glasses, eye exams, Dental cleanings, annual physicals, Prescription drugs, and any other routine procedures. This would reduce the cost of Insurance significantly and would create a more stable platform for the "health warranties" to base charges for services on. Granted some people would pay less for the warranty side if they are in good healthy condition and others would be penalized for behaviors like smoking, or excessive weight gain(but there would be incentive to improve ones one health to reduce these costs [such as losing weight or quitting smoking]) These could be pooled together to help offset the costs of those that have "Pre-existing" conditions so people with genetic disorders, physical handicaps, diseases, diabetes, any any other long term health conditions, could still receive care at affordable rates(much like insurance companies pool together employees in health insurance now). Competition would be created among providers to improve the health care of the policy holders, rather then competing for the best quarterly profits, and health care costs would diminish over time as Americans get healthier, Healthier people will generally live longer allowing more money to be spent on research and development of newer procedures, drugs, prevention and quality end of life care. Do you object to this, or have something to add? This Discussion is made so everyone can respectfully participate, I am open to useful suggestions and feedback.

[polymath22]

some of the biggest problems with the health care reform debate

1) so many variables, new terms, etc.

2) people playing loose with the facts, trying to confuse and scare people by making up lies about reform suggestions. <-- this isn't helpful. We know Barack Obama wasnt the person you wanted to be president, but that's a consequence of elections. Sometimes your candidate does not win. That dosent make him a Nazi

[polymath22]

http://mynonprofitwebsite.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/29286...

[polymath22]

Franken Talks Down Angry Mob

http://www.youtube.com/user/dustytrice

[Flick]

How about this: we create a bill that requires private companies to cover pre-existing conditions, while simultaneously telling states they must budget for health care or not receive federal funding for things like roads and schools, meanwhile creating an initiative to persaude implemention of preventitive healthcare options and programs on a fed, state, and municipal level by rewarding those who meet guidelines with more funding to expand upon their success.

[Tinker]

Requiring Private companies (aka small businesses) you might bankrupt many that don't offer health care now that employ people at/or near minimum wages. Small business makes up a very large portion of the employment base. Also there is many smaller businesses that do offer health care but the employees cannot afford to opt into those plans due to financial troubles(if you making 7.50 an hour and have student loans car payments rent and countless other bills the price of many health care plans is simply unaffordable) forcing small business to adapt health care plans would be much like "raising the minimum wage" granted it might be time/needed but it hard to get those proposals passed.
As far as roads are concerned federal roads are generally much better then town/city street/roads and the interstate traffic is vital for the country as a whole (the interstate act was passed to get our troops to where there are needed in war time, roads like the pacific coast highway were built so we could get troops into Alaska to defend from the invading Japanese. Allowing these roads to fall into dis-repair would only make interstate commerce more difficult and would have negative impact on the country as a whole (unless we replaced these roads with high speed bullet trains or other more effective transportation infrastructures [where are those flying cars at])
School systems could be revamped and have the no child left behind extracted cause it's only doing more harm. When the school is rated down it allows public money to be funneled into Private schools and those schools can be selective with the students they are enrolling, unlike public schools where you are going to this school if you live in this region (cherry picking the good students from the "bad schools" only make the "bad schools" worse). We know that some students are not going to perform as well as others to expect them all to excel is a failed idea. smaller class sizes and individual attention for the students that can use it might be the answer but it's hard to improve your school when your budget is diminishing and your best and brightest are being moved to "quality schools" (most of these are religious schools that focus more on bible studies then on science[limited science at that]) also there is huge discrepancies in the way federal dollars are spent and earned from the states. for example Alaska gets $1.81 cents for every federal tax dollar they put into the system when those of us in Iowa get only 84 cents for each dollar we put in (Alaska also ends each year with a "budget surplus" [some of which is from taxing the oil/natural gas companies] and ends up giving the surplus to it's residents in the form of Heating oil rebates Palin accused Obama of wanting to do this only it was hypocritical since she actually did it[the socialist will have windfall profit taxes on the oil companies to "share the wealth with the poor"])

[Flick]

Sorry for the confusion but by "private companies" i meant private insurance companies, ya know as opposed to the "public option".
Using federal funding as leverage may be a gamble, I agree, because some states may not want to play. What about the last plank: creating preventitive forms of health care or at least sub sidizing them? This could also help with my school funding proposal because two of those things could be mandating PE in school curriculum and monitering the food sold out of vending machines and off the a la carte menu.
Another thing to look into is a program here in the DSM public school my son goes to, Hubbell Elementary. They implement the International Baccaulaurette program and I feel it is amazing. If we could institute this in ONE public school, why not all? That would solve some of the problems you mention about decreasing enrollment and diminished scores. My wife and I wanted to open enroll our son but we were denied and after just one year, I am glad they did.

[Tinker]

"creating preventitive forms of health care" sounds like many socialized countries like France which uses preventative health care and has the number one ranked country according to the World Health Organization(W.H.O.) (doctors there get rewarded for making the patients healthier as in lower weight, stop smoking etc, rather then the doctors here who get bonuses based on how many drugs they can prescribe to you)
I still don't understand the opposition to the "public option" though perhaps you can enlighten me. public option would allow everyone to partake in a plan which would lower premiums for everyone since the insured are the ones paying for the uninsured now. Some say it would hurt the private insurance companies (perhaps it might cause they would actually have an entity to compete with rather then the collective forming a "trust" of sorts to make as much money off of Americans by providing the least amount of services. people who are looking for affordable coverage would have more options) then again we have "public school, and private schools" state colleges and private colleges a post service and several parcel services, police officers and private security companies and none of those businesses have gone under do to the governments "competition" if anything they have been able to make niches in there own little markets that go above and beyond the governments counterpart.
as far as the decreasing enrollment and diminishing scores - That is all due to Bushes no child left behind act, all it is doing is ensuring that all children are left behind cause the schools are focusing there money and resources trying to get mentally challenged/handicapped children to meet "basic requirements", meanwhile the schools that start to fall behind are punished because the parents can use the public school funds for that child to send it to a private school, thus creating a downward spiral the schools are now forced to contend with. we need to kill the no child left behind and create a program that works, and one that will actually make Americas education the best or even the top 10. This is a story from 2005 but still interested read http://tinyurl.com/55amyo nationmaster.com has many education stats but they not grouped into one batch for example education by country for science we are ranked 14th math we are ranked 18th reading we are ranked 15th female literacy we are ranked 19th tied with several others for 99% etc etc

[polymath22]

My neighbor send this in an e-mail. I thought it was interesting.
Congressman Mike Rogers' opening statement on Health Care reform in Washington D.C.
http://www.youtube.com/user/RepMikeRogers

[Flick]

Now that is awesome. So, are we those individual's he speaks of that will stand up and forge a new and truly American policy?

[moe]

Can there be more people in Congress that think like Mr. Rogers? If so, we sure have not heard from them and how they weigh in on this subject. Government controlled anything is a reciepe for disaster. Poor managment, and little if any oversight are just a few simple problems that I see with this proposal. You have to look no further then the Social Security program, or Medicare program to see the abuses and misdirection of funding and poor oversight. It has been said that "the essense of freedom is the proper limitation of government." I see our society headed in the other direction. Managed health-care, financial bailouts, and government involvement in just about every facet of our lives. People EXPECT the government to provide a "social net" in times of disaster, but NOT control our every move and or choice. To many unanswered questions still remain. What about the illegal aliens? Will they be covered as well? What about those that have the access to a health-care plan through their employer, but think its to expensive, but yet they seem to have a cell phone and cable television. What about WHERE in the heck the money is going to come from to pay for everyone to have insurance? You cannot keep taxing the middle- class and expect them to pick up the tab for all of those that do not have something.The public health-care option pushes us more and more towards socialism, and people either do not understand or are to lazy to become involved. BUT when their taxes rise to help offset this program, it is then you hear them cry foul. Everyone is in agreement (except for the insurance industry), that there needs to be reform of the health-care system, but NOT at the expense of the American taxpayer. Heck, start by regualting the insurance companies and their unfair trade practices of "denial of benefits", or the ever favorite "pre- existing clause". Lawmakers should take up the fight to make the insurance companies answer to allegations of dragging their feet in approving medical treatments requested by doctors. Take up the fight to wipe out fraud within the Medicare system. Punish those that commit crimes that involve deceptive practices with long jail terms and forforfeiture of their licence to practice, as well as demand all money to be returned. Common sense should be the rule of thumb for these issues but I feel that common sense has "left the building " when we talk about how our form of government runs today. My vote is NO for public option, or any other form of government subsidized health-care, other then what we have in place today.